Lies of P's August Release Window Makes Sense

Of all the Soulslikes currently in development, Lies of P certainly seems to be one of the most intriguing. The game's Belle Epoque setting offers a unique take on the tale of Pinocchio, in which players become the titular puppet as they roam automaton-infested streets. One look at any of the footage released so far makes it easy to see why Lies of P has drawn Bloodborne comparisons, and if this game turns out to be even half as good as FromSoftware's 2015 PS4 exclusive, it should be considered a success. Despite development being in the final stages as of November 2022, the recent IGN Fan Fest revealed that Lies of P has an August release window - which makes sense considering the first half of 2023's busy release schedule.

So far, Forspoken, Dead Space, and Hogwarts Legacy have already been released, with more big games arriving imminently including Like a Dragon: Ishin!, and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. For developer Neowiz, it makes perfect sense to ensure Lies of P isn't released amid all of these huge titles, and this will hopefully mean the final version has an appropriate amount of polish. Sometimes a little extra time in the oven can make all the difference to the state of a game on release.

Lies of P's New August Release is a Smart Move

When Neowiz announced that Lies of P's development was nearing its end last November, many fans expected the game's release to follow imminently. However, the game stuck by its tentative 2023 release window for a while. The new trailer, which mainly showcased more of the game's monstrous enemies, gave fans an August window that is a little further out than some expected. On the surface, there may be a couple of valid reasons for this, with the game simply not being ready for launch even if its core content is complete. The dangers of releasing a game in an unfinished state are obvious, with the disastrous launch of Cyberpunk 2077 standing as one of the biggest examples thus far.

Perhaps Neowiz wants to be absolutely certain that the game is ready, meaning there will be almost no chance of unwanted bugs, glitches, or performance issues on launch. This is a commendable approach, and given the number of games that have launched with issues over the last few years since the COVID-19 pandemic took effect, it is likely one that fans will almost certainly welcome. That being said, the reason could possibly be strategic. The Soulslike genre is popular and more competitive than ever in a post-Elden Ring world, and Lies of P could be biding its time for a quieter period to launch.

Team Ninja's Wo Long Fallen Dynasty and Respawn Entertainment's Star Wars Jedi: Survivor are both set to launch in the next few months, two huge Soulslikes from developers that already have experience in the genre. The anticipated Hollow Knight: Silksong is also expected to arrive before June, but its release date is similarly not confirmed. Either way, the first half of 2023 is certainly primed to be an exciting one for fans of Soulslikes.

As the year progresses, the video game release list will diversify, and other upcoming Soulslikes such as The Lords of the Fallen do not have specific release dates either. This should give Lies of P the perfect opportunity to solidify its own launch in August, and ensure its eventual release is not overshadowed by other entries in a genre that is in danger of being overcrowded.