Hello Xbox fans,
Today, I’m so thrilled to be able to say these words: Cuphead – The Delicious Last Course has a release date! Stalwart brothers Cuphead, Mugman, and the all-new Ms. Chalice will be setting off on this next adventure on June 30, 2022, when the game launches on Xbox One and Windows PC. We just made the announcement at The Game Awards, and wanted to come straight to Xbox Wire to tell folks about what they can expect when they revisit the Inkwell Isles next summer.
Cuphead – The Delicious Last Course sees Cuphead and Mugman setting sail for “D.L.C. Isle”, an untamed and previously undiscovered island off the coast of the main Inkwell Isles. In true Cuphead fashion, however, they find that the island is host to a new cast of fearsome, larger than life bosses, all of whom are tied to a quest they must undertake on behalf of the jubilant and jolly Chef Saltbaker. What this quest is and where it will take our intrepid heroes is something we want to keep secret for just a little longer, but it’s fair to say that it might be our brave little cups grandest adventure yet.
And at the centre of this brand new quest? A completely new playable character, Ms. Chalice. As some of our longest running and most passionate Cuphead fans, Xbox players will surely recognize her as The Legendary Chalice – the wise spectral being who can be found in the original game’s mausoleum stages, where she gifts you the powerful Super Arts.
In her new form, however, Ms. Chalice packs a wallop of her own, and was designed from the ground up with a host of unique abilities that we think will enable players to overcome bosses in clever new ways. Which is a good thing, considering that bosses in Cuphead – The Delicious Last Course are easily the biggest ones we’ve ever created. To put it into perspective, there are single phases of one boss within this expansion that have more frames of animation than entire bosses from the original Cuphead! Though development on this game was certainly affected by the unique and challenging circumstances we find ourselves in today, I am so proud of the way our team remained laser-focused on quality, and honed their craft to deliver the most rich and detailed art, animation, painting, and design we’ve ever done as a studio.
And speaking of detail, we couldn’t imagine making this announcement any other way than with an authentic, 1930s homage. We were so fortunate to have the chance to work remotely with stop motion studio Screen Novelties in Los Angeles on a trailer featuring physically crafted sets, marionette puppets, shadow play animations, and classic practical effects. For those with a keen eye, I suggest rewatching the trailer and studying the physical representation of our D.L.C. Isle map, where secrets abound!
It’s often said that “any video game that releases is a feat,” and that’s something I think our whole industry has felt doubly so making games amidst these unique times. In our case, we have been especially challenged by things like safely and securely assembling a live orchestra to perform our game’s soundtrack. However, our guiding principle through the whole experience has been the game’s quality, and we are so excited to see what everyone thinks of The Delicious Last Course when it releases next year. I hope you’ve saved up an appetite…for adventure!
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