adminEnginefall, the debut game from Red Rover Interactive, has been delayed to 2027. The studio also plans to cut 22 roles, saying the additional development time needed to improve the game requires a smaller team. The announcement follows the game’s appearance at Steam Next Fest, where it attracted more than 200,000 players.
Image credit: Red Rover Interactive
Why Enginefall has been delayed
CEO Fred Richardson said the studio’s original schedule did not leave enough time to complete the remaining work to the standard it wants to achieve. Feedback and activity during Steam Next Fest helped highlight areas that still need attention, including the new player experience, performance, cheat protection and overall clarity.
The delay moves the planned release to 2027. No specific launch date was provided, so players should treat the year as the current target rather than a confirmed day or month. For a game still being developed, a longer schedule can give the team more time to test changes and address issues before release.
Red Rover Interactive plans 22 job cuts
The studio says the staffing reduction is connected to the revised development plan. Richardson said Red Rover has contacted a specialist games recruiter to support affected employees and is using its wider industry network to help them find new roles.
Playtesting is expected to continue while development proceeds. Larger closed testing sessions are scheduled to resume later this year. These sessions can give developers a chance to assess updates with groups of players before making further adjustments. The studio has not provided additional details about the size or format of those tests.
Studio background and funding
Red Rover Interactive was founded in June 2023 by developers whose previous work includes Day Z, Crysis 2, Ghost Recon and Dune Awakening. The studio was established to pursue opportunities in the survival game genre, a category its leadership has described as having room for further growth.
At launch, Red Rover secured approximately $5 million in seed funding. The round was led by Behold Ventures and The Games Fund. A year later, the company raised a further $15 million in a round led by Krafton, the developer of PUBG. Tirta Ventures and Overwolf joined as new investors, while The Games Fund and Behold Ventures also participated again.
The later funding was intended to support Enginefall, which was then known by the codename Project Coltrane. The studio has not announced changes to the game’s core concept alongside the schedule update.
What the Enginefall update means for players
For players following Enginefall, the main confirmed changes are the 2027 target and the continuation of playtesting, including larger closed sessions planned for later this year. A longer development period may allow more time to work on the areas identified by the studio, but the final release timing and further testing details remain subject to future announcements.
In summary, Enginefall is moving to a 2027 release target as Red Rover Interactive reduces its workforce by 22 roles and continues work on player onboarding, performance, anti-cheat measures and game clarity.
