Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement now targets 2027

505 Games and ArtPlay have pushed Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement, the prequel to Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, to 2027. The reason they gave is straightforward: the team wants more time to refine the game before it launches.

In a video message, Koji Igarashi said Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement has already reached the final stages of production. If you’ve been waiting for it, that makes this feel like the kind of delay tied to polish, balance passes, and general quality cleanup, not a project going back to square one. That distinction matters, especially with the series already having some momentum behind it. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night had sold 1 million copies by June 2020 and 2 million by September 2023, both milestones 505 Games and ArtPlay had previously announced.

Since it’s a prequel to Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement is also aiming bigger in a few obvious ways. It adds two new protagonists, Leo and Alex, and uses a setup that lets you control both characters at the same time. ArtPlay is also promising the biggest map in the series so far, a day-and-night cycle, and a broader set of systems overall, including a stronger story focus, deeper character development, and a new class system.

There’s also more weight behind this delay than a simple schedule change. It comes after the February 2026 death of creative director Shutaro Ida. Fans have mostly responded with understanding, and ArtPlay says it’s still committed to finishing Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement in a way that honors Ida’s vision. When it does arrive, it’ll be stepping into a crowded Metroidvania field that already includes Hollow Knight: Silksong.

You can’t download Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement yet, and the game is now set for a 2027 release.