Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One PS4 release set for April, Xbox One Version Cancelled

Developers Frogwares have announced that the PlayStation 4 version of Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is on the way and will release at the end of April. Unfortunately, it’s not good news for players holding out for the Xbox One version as it has been put on an indefinite hold.

Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One, will be released on 28th April after being initially delayed so that Frogwares could work on the current gen versions. The PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions released last November.

As the name suggests, Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is the start of a new series of games for the renowned fictional detective. The game features a young Sherlock Holmes sets about solving a mystery around the death of his mother a decade earlier. As things start to twist and turn on the island of Cordona, players find themselves making assumptions and decisions that directly impact the ending to the game.

While players will be excited for the PS4 to finally be released, it is disappointing to learn about the fate of the Xbox One game. The team wanted to fully explain the decision for cancelling the Xbox One version so we’ve pasted their full statement below:

Hello everyone, especially fans awaiting Sherlock Holmes Chapter One on PS4 and Xbox One.

As some of you have pointed out on our socials, we’ve been rather quiet on the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Sherlock Holmes Chapter One. The good news is that we will be releasing Sherlock Holmes Chapter One on PS4 on the 28th of April 2022. The bad news is that unfortunately, we had to make a tough decision on the Xbox One version of the game. Due to circumstances way outside of our control, the Xbox One version of Chapter One has been postponed indefinitely. Let us explain why.

From September of last year right until February of 2022, we worked hard on optimizing our game for PC and both old and current generation consoles. During that time we discovered that the scope of the work was bigger than assessed. So last year we made the decision to release the PS5 and Xbox series X|S versions first, and work on optimizing the old gen versions. After the validation of Chapter One on current-gen in October, we kept on working on optimizing the PS4 and Xbox One versions. We’ve tried to squeeze out as much from the old gens as possible. A lot of invisible work was done, but also as visible as changes to the map of the city on the PS4 and Xbox One versions so that the game could run smoother (we cut certain alleyways, shortcuts, etc). And as we were getting closer and closer to finalizing those versions, war happened.

To say that the war made an impact on us is probably the understatement of the decade. Keeping our personal and mental situation out of this, the war impacted us from a production point of view heavily. From where we stand now, with the resources and manpower that we have, we can release the PS4 version of Chapter One on April 28th. However, we have to postpone the Xbox One version.

To say we’re not happy about this is putting it subtly. We want to see our games on as many platforms as possible. We see that there are a lot of you waiting for the Xbox One version. We’re also disappointed because we’ve invested time and money in this version which is put on hold indefinitely. It’s also money lost from potential future income which is important for an independent studio like us.

If you’ve pre-ordered the Xbox One version of the game, what now? Xbox is informed that you can cancel your order, and get a full refund. We know it’s not the outcome you wanted, but we hope that at least this shed some light on what happened.

Once again, thank you all for your patience. And thank you all for your kind words and support. The fact that many of you even offered us a place to stay in your homes is beyond “wow”. And as always, any comments or questions, post away. We will try to answer as fast and as many of them as we can – life is a bit strange at the moment.

Until next time, 

Your Frogwares Team

It’s disappointing news to be sure, more so for the developers who are partly based in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.

Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 & PC. The PS4 version is scheduled to release next week on 28th April. PS4 screens can be found in the gallery below.