SAW: Genesis delayed to Q1 2027 after alpha testing revealed major issues
SAW: Genesis, the asymmetrical multiplayer horror game from Bloober Team's Broken Mirror Games label, will miss its planned late-2026 Steam Early Access window. The studio announced a slip to Q1 2027 after alpha testing turned up what it called "substantial issues." For fans of the SAW franchise, that's a few extra months of waiting — but potentially a cleaner launch.
The game
SAW: Genesis is Bloober Team's bet on asymmetrical multiplayer horror — three players (the Accused) versus one (the Judge) in matches set just after World War I. The Judge is a forerunner to Jigsaw, the villain at the heart of the long-running film series, and Tobin Bell is reprising a SAW role to voice him. Co-developer Anshar Studios, the Polish team behind the RPG Gamedec, is working alongside Broken Mirror Games on the project. Lionsgate holds the franchise rights.
Conceptually the game sits in the same space as Dead by Daylight, which has built a player base of 70 million-plus since launch. That comparison sets a high commercial bar, and the genre has a patchy track record — Evil Dead: The Game and Friday the 13th: The Game both shut down after early enthusiasm faded.
Update for #SAWGenesis Community ⬇️ https://t.co/2Qcjuqpn08
— Bloober Team (@BlooberTeam) September 24, 2026
The delay
In a statement posted to X, Bloober Team framed the decision as a quality call:
> "From the very beginning of development, our goal was to create a SAW video game worthy of its legacy and the fans who have followed this franchise for decades. Today we have made the decision to move the SAW: Genesis Early Access launch to Q1 2027. We want to release a game that not only justifies its connection to the franchise but is also a great multiplayer horror game in its own right."
No specifics were given about what alpha testing revealed — whether gameplay balance, server stability, or something else prompted the push. That kind of opacity is common for early-access delays, where studios rarely want to detail unfinished work publicly.
What to watch
Bloober Team's reputation is built on single-player psychological horror — the Bloober Team's next game is a Star Trek horror set on an alien graveyard planet announced the same week as SAW: Genesis show the studio expanding aggressively. Multiplayer publishing is newer ground. SAW: Genesis is confirmed for Steam on Windows only; no console roadmap or pricing has been announced. Q1 2027 means a window of January through March — a quieter release period that could help it find an audience without getting buried.
