The Escapists is officially returning, and this time, breaking out of prison comes with a whole new dimension.
Time to start planning your next prison break.
Team17 has officially announced The Escapists 3, bringing back the fan-favorite prison sandbox series with a major visual overhaul, new progression systems, expanded crafting, and more ways to escape than ever before.
Revealed during the Triple-i Initiative Showcase on October 8, the next installment is heading to PC and consoles in 2027.
And the biggest change? The Escapists is going fully 3D.
The Escapists 3 Goes Fully 3D
After building its identity around charming pixel-art visuals, The Escapists 3 is taking the franchise into three-dimensional environments.
That means players will experience the series’ familiar mix of prison routines, sneaking, crafting, and increasingly questionable escape plans from a completely new perspective.
According to Team17, the sequel will feature five distinct prisons, each with its own routines, characters, and secrets to uncover.
As always, getting out won’t be as simple as finding the nearest unlocked door.
Players will need to study guard movements, complete jobs, trade with inmates, search cells, and exploit prison systems to create opportunities for escape.
Because apparently serving your sentence peacefully still isn’t an option.
More Than 120 Weapons and New Ways to Escape
Team17 is expanding the series’ crafting and combat systems with more than 120 weapons to steal or craft.
Players can gather supplies, combine resources, and experiment with different approaches to breaking out.
The developers are also teasing some particularly ridiculous escape possibilities, including a pogo stick.
Yes, a pogo stick.
Whether your strategy involves careful planning, brute force, or an absolutely terrible idea that somehow works, The Escapists 3 is designed to offer multiple ways out of each prison.
A New Progression System Lets You Specialize
One of the biggest additions is a new experience and skill progression system.
For the first time in the series, players will earn XP as they play, unlocking skills and gameplay options that allow them to specialize in different approaches to escaping.
These progression choices will also carry over between prisons.
That could give players more freedom to develop their preferred playstyle, whether they favor stealth, crafting, combat, or finding creative ways to exploit the prison environment.
It also adds another layer of strategy beyond simply surviving the daily routine.
Multiplayer Prison Breaks Are Back
Breaking out of prison is always better with an accomplice.
The Escapists 3 will support both solo play and multiplayer, including:
- Two-player local split-screen
- Up to four-player online co-op
- Cooperative escape planning and execution
- Opportunities to combine different player skills and strategies
Of course, coordinating an elaborate escape with friends sounds great until somebody ruins the entire plan.
And let’s be honest, that’s half the fun.
When Does The Escapists 3 Release?
The Escapists 3 is scheduled to launch in 2027 for PC and consoles.
Team17 has not yet announced an exact release date or specified which consoles will receive the game.
The announcement gives longtime fans their first look at a significant evolution of the franchise, combining the familiar prison sandbox gameplay with fully 3D environments, expanded crafting, and a new progression system.
There’s still plenty to learn about how these changes will play out, but one thing is clear: Team17 is bringing the series back with bigger ambitions.
And we can’t wait to see how badly our next escape plan goes.
Are you excited for The Escapists 3, or will you miss the classic pixel-art style?
