Rugby 24 Delayed, Again

Fans of rugby gaming will be somewhat disappointed to know that Big Ant Studio and Nacon’s upcoming Rugby 24 Early Access has been delayed once more.

In December, the publisher announced that Rugby 24 would be released on Steam Early Access in March 2024, but has now been pushed out to a later date.

“Despite our best efforts to capture photogrammetry for as many professional teams as possible, we have not been able to secure the numbers we required for launch,” said a release on the game’s official Twitter page.

On a positive note, the publisher did confirm that the development is doing well despite the delays.

“While we know this is a great inconvenience to many, we can share that this extra time has helped with the progress of the game development, which is going very well.”

“We will share some of that progress over the coming weeks with video and screenshots, and of course we will also keep you updated as soon as we can 100 percent confirm a definitive Early Access launch date.”

In February, the publisher held its Nacon Connect game show, which revealed a trailer for the game. While short, it gave a glimpse at the visuals and player models of the forthcoming entry, with Sale and Saracens shown lining up in a stadium tunnel before running out onto the pitch.

French publisher Nacon initially announced Rugby 24 back in March 2023 and was accompanied by a short trailer. It was then scheduled for a late 2023 launch before being delayed until January 2024, with the release date shifting further into 2024. However, it was announced that the game will release on Steam Early Access in March 2024.

Rugby 24 will feature 130 teams to choose from, as well as the Gallagher Premiership, URC, Top 14 and PRO D2 competition and participating clubs. Furthermore, it will include the Rugby World Cup 2023 license, allowing you to play through the global tournament.

Rugby 22 released in January 2022, and was developed by Eko Software. The game itself was a solid attempt at a pure and accessible rugby sim, despite some shortcomings (you can check out our review of Rugby 22 for more information). If Big Ant Studios can leverage the foundations there, while bringing their vast experience and mechanics from Rugby League Live, we’re in for a promising project.

Rugby 24 will now release later in 2024 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.