Biomutant - What We Know So Far

For video game fans excited about an upcoming game, nothing's worse than years of silence from the publisher and the developer. Usually, no news is bad news. That appeared to be the case for fans of Biomutant, the upcoming open-world action-RPG from developer Experiment 101 and publisher THQ Nordic. 

Biomutant originally came to light in 2017 and was scheduled for release in 2018. Both 2018 and 2019 came and went without seeing the title, which led to fans being worried that it might be canceled. At the time, it looked like yet another promising game that wouldn't escape development limbo. 

But in 2020, THQ Nordic indicated the game was still in the works and that it might even see a release in early 2021, putting the game back on track. Since then, the Swedish publisher has once again pushed back the possible release window. Here's everything we know so far about Biomutant.

As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, Biomutant is currently scheduled for release sometime during THQ Nordic's 2022 fiscal year, which begins in April 2021 and ends in March 2022. An earlier THQ financial report had indicated that Biomutant would debut during its 2021 fiscal year, which ends Mar. 31, 2021, but since then, THQ Nordic reached out to the publication and updated the timetable.

Biomutant was first leaked in a 2017 magazine article, and developer Experiment 101 confirmed the game a few days later at the 2017 Gamescom convention. Publisher THQ Nordic had already been working on Biomutant with developer Experiment 101, cementing the partnership by purchasing the Swedish company in Nov. 2017. At the time of the purchase, THQ Nordic CEO Lars Wingefors said that THQ hoped to make Biomutant one of its "major franchises."

In 2017, Biomutant was announced for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. So far, Experiment 101 and THQ Nordic haven't specified whether that will still be the case or whether Biomutant will also be available on next-gen consoles.

Experiment 101 and THQ Nordic released a 10-minute gameplay trailer in June 2020, the most recent look at the game in progress. It introduced the game's post-apocalyptic setting and its main character, a heavily customizable raccoon-like creature. Based on the trailer, the player will be able to select from numerous martial arts styles, as well as bladed weapons, guns, and bows and arrows. While it didn't provide many story details, it looks like there will be lots to explore, tons of creatures to fight, and a dizzying number of customization options.

Previously, at Gamescom 2017, Experiment 101 released both a 75-second trailer and an 11-minute gameplay demo. This demo showcased some of Biomutant's extensive character customization options, some early quests, and a bit of the game's combat. It also gave glimpses of some of the game's vehicles, like a hand-shaped mechanical crawler that can shoot bullets from its fingertips.

In 2017, Experiment 101 co-founder Stefan Ljungqvist aptly summed up Biomutant as a martial arts fable that's Kung-Fu Panda meets Zelda: Breath of the Wild, with a touch of Mad Max thrown in. In terms of story, it's set in a world where humans have vanished and mutated animals roam the Earth. The Tree-of-Life that sustains this "New World" is being slowly poisoned, and it's up to the player to unite the world's tribes and save everyone.

Ljungqvist also discussed Biomutant at the 2018 PC Gamer Weekender event, explaining that the player will be able to learn different kung fu styles from different animal tribes across the game world.

There will be a heavy emphasis on character customization. During character creation, the player will be able to modify the classic RPG stats like Strength, Vitality, Charisma, Intellect, Agility, and Luck. However, altering the character's physical appearance will affect stats — for example, a larger head raises the Intellect score. Later in game, the player will be able to alter their character's DNA to tweak their stats and abilities, as a kind of re-spec system.