When is The Rogue Prince of Persia release date? Two Prince of Persia games in one year – yes, that’s the world we’re currently living in. After years of silence, the legendary side-scrolling series appears to be back in a big way. Unlike Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown which is a traditional Metroidvania, this game has been designed as a roguelike.
Developed by Evil Empire, one of the studios responsible for the critically acclaimed Dead Cells DLC, The Rogue Prince of Persia utilizes the series’ key elements, while tying in roguelike game mechanics to make the game infinitely replayable. Here’s everything you need to know about The Rogue Prince of Persia, including its release date, the early access launch, and more.
The Rogue Prince of Persia early access release date
The Rogue Prince of Persia is due to launch in Steam Early Access on Monday, May 27, 2024. This was confirmed by developer Evil Empire in an official statement on the studio’s official X (formerly Twitter) social media account.
The early access date was originally set for 14 May, 2024, though Evil Empire decided to postpone the launch to distance The Rogue Prince of Persia from Hades 2. “It’s not every day that a game in the same genre as you, which is one of the most anticipated upcoming games of 2024, will release into early access a week before you plan to do the same,” the statement reads. “We are not prideful enough to ignore the implications of that.”
The extra time also allows Evil Empire to “kick some stubborn bugs out” before launch. During the early access period, players have access to the game’s first act that includes six levels containing two bosses. There are a range of primary and secondary weapons to try out, as well as upgrades and medallions to alter the way you approach combat.
In the spirit of Dead Cells, which also went through an early access period, the developers recognize the impact of paying close attention to feedback from players. It’s not uncommon for roguelikes to rely on community feedback to ensure the game can be enjoyed by players of all skill levels.
Evil Empire wants to spend at least one year in early access, but it anticipates staying in this period for a slightly longer based on what the community wants. “If we need to take a couple months more to improve the game because you’re giving us great suggestions, then we’ll do it!” says the devs on its Steam page.
The Rogue Prince of Persia release date estimate
The Rogue Prince of Persia doesn’t have a set release date right now, but judging by the information on the game’s Steam page, it will likely launch around Q2 2025. The developers have said it wants to spend at least one year in early access.
Evil Empire hasn’t confirmed any platforms or storefronts other than Steam. Based on a number of factors, we assume The Rogue Prince of Persia will launch on PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS devices. While the two games aren’t entirely comparable, The Rogue Prince of Persia shares a lot in common with Dead Cells, including its simple graphics that make the game playable on practically any platform.
The plan for the full release of The Rogue Prince of Persia is expected to have double the amount of content from the early access. As a result, the price of the game will increase as more content is added. The Rogue Prince of Persia currently doesn’t have a price point, but we’ll update this guide as soon as we find out.
The Rogue Prince of Persia trailers
The Rogue Prince of Persia reveal trailer gives us a glimpse of roguelike in the form of an animation and via in-game footage. The opening scene of the reveal video shows off the Prince fighting several soldiers. The Steam page indicates these soldiers are a Hun army that has been corrupted by dark shamanic magic. We get our first look at the game’s art direction, revealing skin tones as a range of purples against the yellows of the terrain.
After defeating numerous enemies, the Prince takes a moment to save a little girl from a dangerous solider. He takes off once more, this time displaying his acrobatic skills as he swings across rooftops and runs along walls. The Prince gets a chance to use a tool, a spinning blade, capable of ripping through a large bug carrying another little girl. Multiple enemies wearing skulls as masks fire arrows onto the battlefield — the Prince protects the girl, but it costs him his life.
The trailer transitions over to in-game footage as the Prince respawns and runs forward, seamlessly blending into the game. The Prince makes his way through a variety of different landscapes in this side-scrolling adventure, battling enemies with hand-to-hand combat, before switching to a sword to take down numerous enemies. There are plenty of environmental hazards to dodge, including rotating blades, spike traps in the ground, and deadly wall traps. Fortunately, the Prince has plenty of mobility options to dodge right past these traps with ease.
The Rogue Prince of Persia gameplay
The main elements that make The Rogue Prince of Persia unique are the platforming and combat options. Wall-running is an essential part of the game, allowing you to reach areas that would otherwise be inaccessible. You can even wall-run up vertically, but not downwards. If you want to slow down your descent, providing you have a dagger you have the option to plunge it into the wall, giving you more time to think about your next move. When you master the Prince’s movement abilities, you should be able to zoom through stages, swinging from poles and wall-running past enemies.
The Prince has a variety of weapons at his disposal, from fast-attacking blades to heavy spears. Each weapon has a combo and a special attack, but the devs don’t want you to constantly spam the attack button, as there are smarter ways to approach combat. You also have access to a kick while holding your weapons, this can be extremely useful depending on your surroundings. If there are spikes below you, you can kick an enemy down into them. Likewise, if there’s a trap behind an enemy, all you need to do is kick them into it.
Here are all the primary weapons in The Rogue Prince of Persia we know about so far:
- Broadsword: Costs 30
- Grappling Hook: Costs 50
- Stealth Assault: Costs 30
- Spear: Costs 70
You also have access to tools, but unlike your primary weapons, these tools can only be used if you have enough charges available. These tools change the way you approach combat, for example, the bow and arrow gives you the ability to pick enemies off from afar. However, you might prefer to use the spinning blade, which deals more damage but doesn’t travel as far. Your charge bar sits underneath your health bar — it can be built by attacking enemies.
Finally, there are Medallions, special upgradable items that activate effects depending on what their trigger is. You can activate up to four Medallions at once, ranging from effects like releasing a cloud of poison on hit, to restore a certain amount of health each time you encounter a Well of Dreams.
Here are all the Medallions in The Rogue Prince of Persia we know about so far:
- Toxic Counter Attack: Getting wounded releases a cloud of poison.
- Vampiric Demise: Killing an enemy affected by a status restores 14% HP.
- Refreshing Dream Fragment: Adds 51 overall HP each time a new Well of Dreams is discovered.
And that’s everything we know about The Rogue Prince of Persia so far, but stay tuned as we’re going to update this guide whenever there’s a new update. If you’re looking for fantastic games that you can play entirely on your own, head on over to our best single-player games guide. We also have a list of the best upcoming games, so you can find more titles like this one that are set to launch properly in 2025.