Level-5's Detective RPG Decapolice Slips to 2027

Level-5 has pushed Decapolice out of its 2026 window — the futuristic detective RPG now launches in 2027 on PS5, Switch 2, and PC. A new trailer dropped alongside the announcement, showing the game in action.

Decapolice stars Harvard Marks, a young detective leading the Special Investigation Unit's rookie team. Alongside teammates like negotiation specialist Carl Oxford, Marks investigates the crime-ridden city of Broadstone by diving into Decasim — a virtual replica of the city that stores memories of past crimes. Players inspect recreated crime scenes, manage evidence on a case board, profile suspects, and either talk criminals into surrendering or fight them in turn-based combat after they transform into monsters called Crime Beasts. Decasim can also have its data altered, warping the appearance of its inhabitants — the new trailer shows Marks turned into a cat mascot as one example. Level-5 has partnered with Scrap, the studio behind puzzle and escape games including Do Not Play, to help develop the game's case concepts.

Decapolice was first announced in 2023 and has been delayed more than once since. Level-5 is best known for franchises like Professor Layton and Yo-kai Watch, and Decapolice represents a more mature, urban direction for the studio — blending investigation mechanics with JRPG combat in a way that draws comparisons to games like the Persona series. The Scrap collaboration is an interesting move, bringing dedicated puzzle design expertise into what is clearly meant to be a case-driven experience.

No specific release date within 2027 has been given yet. Level-5 also had news this week on another front — Professor Layton and the New World of Steam received a December launch date during Nintendo Direct.