Yacht Club Games, the studio behind the beloved 8-bit platformer Shovel Knight, was poised to release a new original title, Mina the Hollower, on October 31, 2025. This game is a top-down action adventure inspired by classics such as Link’s Awakening and Castlevania, blending puzzle-solving and combat with a richly interconnected map design. However, the highly anticipated release has now been delayed indefinitely to allow the developers additional time to polish and balance the game to ensure a high-quality final product.
Mina the Hollower Delayed Indefinitely
Mina the Hollower represents Yacht Club Games’ first new intellectual property in over a decade, shifting from the side-scrolling style of Shovel Knight to a top-down, puzzle-and-combat-focused gameplay style. The studio announced that while the game is nearly complete, the delay is necessary to apply final polish and balance to the experience. The developers continue to play the game daily, refining every aspect from design and art to sound, localization, and quality assurance.
Yacht Club Games emphasized that this delay is not a major setback but a short extension aimed at making the game truly shine before submission to digital platforms.[1][2][3]
Context of October Game Delays
Mina the Hollower is among several games affected by schedule shifts in October 2025. Other titles, such as Moonlighter 2 and Kingmakers, have either moved their release windows or missed planned Early Access dates. Fans of Yacht Club Games had eagerly awaited Mina the Hollower, hoping it would deliver a nostalgic but fresh experience reminiscent of the Game Boy Color era.
The delay has tempered that anticipation, but the studio’s ongoing commitment to quality keeps hopes alive for a holiday season launch.[4][5][6]
Future Release Plans
Yacht Club Games has made clear they will not announce a new release date until the game has been officially submitted to platforms. While the precise arrival remains uncertain, the strong development progress and attention to polish suggest that Mina the Hollower is nearing its final stages. The community remains optimistic that the game will soon join Yacht Club’s roster of charming and expertly crafted retro-inspired titles.[7][8][9]
