The Binding Of Isaac is seeing a re-release for modern consoles that adds online multiplayer and developer Nicalis clearly isn’t afraid of dropping it opposite GTA 6.
In case the cramped autumn release schedule didn’t make it obvious, most publishers are terrified of GTA 6.
Although a few see the now quiet November period as a prime opportunity for new releases, it’s only for very minor releases, such as a collection of retro Barbie games and a Switch 2 port of Metaphor: ReFantazio. Devolver Digital has kept promising to launch a game the exact same day as GTA 6, although it’s yet to actually announce it.
It turns out indie publisher and developer Nicalis is also unintimidated by Rockstar’s long awaited sequel, because it’s announced an updated re-release of The Binding Of Isaac for November 19.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the name, The Binding Of Isaac is a 2011 roguelike from the same designer as Mewgenics and was very well known at the time, when the concept of indie games was still relatively new.
Initially a PC only release, it saw a console remake, The Binding Of Isaac: Rebirth, in 2014 and has received several expansions since then. The latest was Repentance+, which added online multiplayer in 2024, but it was only made available on PC.
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Now, Nicalis has announced that this content will be brought to consoles via a standalone re-release of the game entitled The Binding Of Isaac: Repentance + Online.
A brief YouTube teaser doesn’t show any gameplay, but the video description confirms this version includes the full game, every expansion, every post-launch update, and the new online co-op which supports up to four players.
It will be available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2, although only the Switch 2 version will be available physically. PlayStation and Xbox owners will have no choice but to buy the game digitally.
This also means anyone who already owns The Binding Of Isaac on consoles will need to double dip.
It may seem a risky move to launch the same day as GTA 6, but they’re hardly similar games and daring to choose that release date will likely be good publicity for The Binding Of Isaac.
It’s for this reason that indie dev Tomas Salas, who is releasing a shipbuilding game called Shipshape for PC, believes indie games shouldn’t need to run scared of GTA 6.
‘It has its own f***ing audience that doesn’t go around buying nerdy niche sailing games or nerdy puzzle games or tiny story-driven emotional deckbuilders. They just want to play GTA,’ he told GamesIndustry.biz in a recent interview.
When it comes to the bigger publishers, most are staying away but there’s increasing speculation that the Switch 2 remake of The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time will launch in November, especially as we’re in mid-August now and Nintendo hasn’t revealed more than two seconds of the game.
