Kena: Scars of Kosmora Delayed to 2027 as Ember Lab Asks for More Time to Polish It

Time to rearrange the calendar. PlayStation has confirmed that Kena: Scars of Kosmora, the sequel to Kena: Bridge of Spirits, will not launch in 2026 as originally promised. The game is moving to 2027, and for now nobody has put a specific day or month on the table. As reported by Vandal, the studio's explanation is simple: they need more time to get the game exactly where they want it.

This news matters for two reasons. First, the original announcement was a big one, made during a State of Play earlier this year with the promise of a 2026 release on PlayStation 5 and PC. Second, Bridge of Spirits was one of those surprises that set the bar high, so the pressure on Ember Lab is real. Delaying the game means admitting the schedule was too optimistic, something that, to be honest, many of us saw coming.

What You Need to Know

• New release year: Kena: Scars of Kosmora moves from 2026 to 2027, with no specific date confirmed.
• Platforms: the announced plan to release on PlayStation 5 and PC remains unchanged.
• The reason: Ember Lab says it wants to surpass the quality it achieved with Bridge of Spirits and polish a broader gameplay experience.
• Type of game: it's still a linear adventure, but with a larger and deeper scope than the first installment.
• Protagonist: Kena returns as a warrior and spirit guide.

What's Changing and Why Ember Lab Is Hitting the Brakes

According to Vandal, the studio's message combines gratitude and caution. On one hand, Ember Lab says it is thrilled by the community's reaction to the announcement. On the other, it admits it needs extra time so the sequel doesn't fall short of what its first game achieved. The key word in its statement is polish: they're not talking about remaking anything, but about fine-tuning an adventure that has grown in size.

That growth is exactly the tricky part. Going from a well-received debut to a more ambitious sequel multiplies the workload: more content, more systems to balance, more surface area where bugs can creep in. Keeping the game linear helps contain the scope, but that doesn't make it simple. If the studio would rather buy time than ship something half-baked, the decision makes sense.

Who It Affects

The people most directly affected are those who were hoping to play it this year on PS5 or PC, along with content creators who were already counting on it for their end-of-2026 plans. For the rest of the industry, the move frees up a slot in a release calendar that is usually packed, shifting it to the following year and adding it to the list of releases already shaping up for 2027.

Our Take

Here at the Underworld Lordz newsroom, we're clear on this: we'd rather have an honest delay than a broken launch. We've seen too many games ship early and then spend months patching to win back lost trust. If Ember Lab needs more time for Scars of Kosmora to live up to expectations, so be it. That said, there's one criticism we can't let slide: announcing a release window on a showcase like State of Play and moving it months later builds up expectations that end up deflating. Release date communication should be more cautious from the start.

For those of us who play with a competitive mindset, a polished game makes all the difference. Even though Kena isn't an esports title, in an action-adventure game, precise controls, consistent combat, and the absence of major bugs are what let you push it to the limit, whether you're aiming to beat it on the highest difficulty or attempting speedruns. A stable launch is the foundation that lets a community test itself against the game from day one.

And for content creators, the message is different: don't build your schedule around unconfirmed dates. The lack of a specific day in 2027 means it's best to wait for the official announcement before reserving slots in your stream or video lineup. In the meantime, Bridge of Spirits is still there for anyone who wants to catch up before the sequel.

What Do You Think?

Delays always split the community: some celebrate them as a sign of quality, while others see them as broken promises. Now it's your turn. Would you rather wait until 2027 for a well-polished Kena, or do you think studios should be more careful when announcing dates? Let us know in the team chat or on our Discord.