The Escapists 3, the next game in team17’s prison escape series, is coming to PC and consoles in 2027.
According to a release, the game was revealed for the first time on October 8th during the Triple-I Initiative Showcase. The developer and publisher described The Escapists 3 as a prison sandbox game and a sequel to its ‘award-winning’ franchise, in which players plan and attempt jailbreaks. This time, the prisons are fully 3D.
Players will need to craft, sneak, fight and improvise to get out, according to the release. Guard rotations can be watched and learned, and the game’s systems are there to be exploited. The company said there is no single solution to any escape, and the announcement pointed to some of the odder options available, including a plan involving molten chocolate and another involving a pogo stick.
A trailer was published alongside the announcement. The release also listed the game’s key features:
- Five prisons, each with its own routines, characters and secrets
- More than 120 new weapons to steal or craft
- Supplies gathered by searching cells, trading with other inmates and doing prison jobs
- An XP system that lets players build their inmate around a preferred style of escape
- Solo play or co-op with friends
Co-op and progression
Co-op lets friends combine their strengths to pull off an escape, or fail at one together. Two players can share a screen locally, while online sessions support up to four.
The XP system is new to the series. As inmates earn experience, they unlock skills that let them specialise in certain areas of escaping, and those skills carry over from one prison to the next.
Harley Homewood, General Manager of team17, said: “The Escapists, as a series, has aptly been both a breakout and runaway success for team17. As such, I’m delighted that we’re offering players the chance to become institutionalised once more, but this time in fully realised, 3D correctional facilities.”
“It’s a fresh perspective on a fan favourite, and today’s announcement is just a sneak peek of what’s to come,” Homewood added. Beyond the 2027 window, no release date has been shared, and the announcement did not specify which consoles the game will launch on.
Who is team17?
Founded in 1990, team17 is a developer and publisher that sits within everplay group plc. It works with independent partners as well as on its own in-house brands, and says it has a portfolio of more than 150 titles, including DREDGE, Date Everything! and Overcooked! The Escapists sits among its in-house series alongside Hell Let Loose, Golf With Your Friends and Worms.
