Kena: Scars of Kosmora delayed to 2027, Ember Lab details story

Kena: Scars of Kosmora will release in 2027 on PlayStation 5 in physical and digital editions and on PC digitally, Ember Lab said, pushing the character-focused adventure past its previously announced window so the studio can polish a game it describes as broader and deeper than its 2021 debut, Kena: Bridge of Spirits.

The studio said the extra time is meant to protect quality at a larger scale. "At the same time, we want to deliver a top-notch game that exceeds the quality we achieved with our 2021 debut, Bridge of Spirits, and at a much bigger scale," Ember Lab said. "To do that we need just a bit more time."

The delay follows an announcement trailer in February, and the studio said it has been "heads down bringing Kena: Scars of Kosmora to the finish line" since then. It also said it wanted to share more about the world players will explore.

That world is Kosmora, a mysterious island where Kena's childhood friend Orfio believes answers to her past can be found. Before the events of the game, Kena studied as a Spirit Guide, a role the studio describes as equal parts warrior and spiritual healer. When the dead cannot move on peacefully, dangerous manifestations of their pain infect the environment, and Spirit Guides fight that Corruption to reach the heart of the problem.

Ember Lab said Kena has helped spirits of the dead but has yet to explore what Spirit Guiding looks like for the living, and has long helped others with their pain without always focusing on her own. The studio framed the island's history around the ancient Spirit Guides of Kosmora, who developed an approach involving the four elements and Alchemystic Temples. Four interconnected cultures once thrived across Kosmora, each with a guiding Element that fuelled its society, before a mysterious cataclysm destroyed one of them.

The guiding elements still shape how each surviving culture lives, the studio said, and the longer that ancient wisdom remains buried, the greater the danger. Kosmora's Spirit Guide temples form a large part of the game as dungeon experiences that challenge players' skills and pay off with transformative rewards that propel Kena's adventure.

Kosmora is also home to multiple living cultures with their own histories, values and struggles, and Kena's mission requires her to apply her experience and adapt to evolving situations and new personalities as the island's past collides with its present.

Kena has a new way of getting around the larger world: a crystalline canine companion tied directly into gameplay and the origin of the mysterious island. The ancient spirit serves as a mount, aids Kena in combat both mounted and on foot, and helps solve Alchemystic puzzles.

Ember Lab said the Spirit Guide and her new ally set out to heal Kena's scars, as well as the scars that cut to the root of Kosmora. "We've been working hard to fill it with the wonder, charm, and challenge fans have come to expect," the studio said. "We appreciate your patience and support as we take the time for Scars of Kosmora to be the evolution of Kena's journey and experience we want to deliver."

Kena: Scars of Kosmora is set to release in 2027 on PlayStation 5 and PC. The studio's first game, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, was released in 2021.