Cuphead fans hungry for The Delicious Last Course are going to be waiting a little longer for their first taste.
Announced today via the Xbox Wire Blog, Studio MDHR will be taking a little more time to make sure their upcoming DLC isn't completely half-baked. Players can now expect to sink their teeth into the expansion sometime in 2020.
"While we initially announced a 2019 release date for the Delicious Last Course expansion," wrote Chad Moldenhauer, "our highest priority is making sure this new adventure meets the meticulous level of care and quality we always strive for."
"We want to be absolutely certain that this next adventure feels at home in the world of Cuphead and is full of moments that surprise and delight players," he continued.
It's clear from this description that the DLC will be much more than a bite-sized morsel. From the sound of it, players will be able to expect something as rich and fulfilling as the main game. Hopefully, that will be able to come at less of a cost to the developers' livelihoods.
"The development of the original game taught us a great deal about the importance of making things in a way that’s healthy and sustainable for our team," said Moldenhauer.
This statement is the spoonful of sugar that helps the delay go down easier.
Cuphead had a notoriously fraught development cycle, from seemingly inhuman work hours to second mortgages to a last-ditch effort to rework the game based on less-than-stellar previews. The effort paid off, but the fact remains that it came at the expense of the Moldenhauer Brothers' personal health. With conversations around crunch dominating the gaming community as of late, it will likely come as a relief to many that Studio MDHR won't be throwing itself into the frying pan to get its next dish out there.
It seems as if that dish will be chock-full of things that are well worth the wait, as well. Aside from new levels, weapons, and charms, Moldenhauer promises that the previously-announced Ms. Chalice will shake up the game's winning recipe in some pretty major ways.
"Not only will Ms. Chalice have a distinct play style and unique abilities like double-jump," writes Moldenhauer, "but she’ll be playable across every isle, allowing you to re-experience the original Cuphead in a completely fresh way."
Fans starved for content can rest easy knowing that MDHR will be delivering a delicious second helping of Cuphead, one that sounds like it will build on the strengths of the base game to deliver an entirely new experience. While the wait might be a little longer than expected, it will be well worth it for something cooked to perfection - and something that won't burn the developers in the process.