Indivisible, a stunning 2D RPG from the folks behind Skullgirls, was just released on Switch. It's been Switch-bound for some time, but nobody expected it to come out this week, including the people who made the game.
Mike Zaimont, lead designer at developer Lab Zero Games, confirmed the surprise release on Twitter. More accurately, he had to confirm it, because the Switch port had no lead-up or announcement.
"Feel like you missed the announcement?" Zaimont said. "You're not alone, our team found out because people on Twitter sent us congratulations! I had no idea! But there it is!"
The Switch version was handled by an external studio, and Zaimont says they did good work on the port itself. However, the actual game build is behind other versions, and missing features like co-op and new game plus. It was also pushed out without the knowledge of Indivisible's Indiegogo crowdfunding backers, many of whom were promised physical or digital Switch copies.
"This launch does not represent the quality standards of Lab Zero," Zaimont said. "It just doesn't. I'm sorry. It wasn't us."
Lead programmer Robert Thomas followed up on Zaimont's comments, assuring confused players that "if you chose Switch as your platform you should get a code for Switch," but "since this release was unintentional, the codes aren't ready yet."
"Please note that it was apparently released before the day-one patch was ready," Thomas said in a separate tweet, "so there will likely be further improvements to the game in the coming week or so!"
The official Indivisible Twitter account also acknowledged the abrupt release: "Following an unexpected turn of events, Indivisible has made a surprise leap to Nintendo Switch today in North America and Europe. We apologize for the lack of warning and hope you enjoy Indivisible on Switch sooner than expected!"
With Lab Zero in the dark, the Switch port could only have been the work of Indivisible's publisher, 505 Games. However, apart from the total lack of lead-up (and heads up), the publisher has treated the Switch port as a standard release thus far.
We've reached out to 505 Games and Lab Zero Games for more details, and will update this story if we hear back. In the meantime, Indivisible's Switch backers should know that their codes and copies are slowly heading their way, and other Switch owners may want to wait until the game is brought up to speed before diving in. Indivisible is a great game, but needless to say, this has not been a great launch.
If nothing else, this isn't quite as bad as the Cooking Mama: Cookstar Switch release, which wasn't even sanctioned by the developers.
