No Ori 3, Confirms Moon Studios — What It Means for Handhelds
For a few days, handheld players let themselves believe the rumor: a third Ori game, built for the handhelds that made the franchise so beloved. That fantasy ended quickly. Moon Studios CEO Thomas Maher took to X to call the whispers ‘nonsense,’ confirming the studio’s focus remains on the action-RPG No Rest for the Wicked, which finally hits 1.0 in October for PC and PS5.
The sting is real, but the situation isn’t a total loss. The two existing Ori games are among the best platformers you can play on a portable screen, and they’re already on Switch and Steam. The rumor sounded so plausible precisely because the series has become a handheld staple. Maher’s denial doesn’t change that — it just closes the door on a sequel that always felt inevitable, even as it remains the sleeper handheld prize of ONL 2026.
Why the Ori 3 Rumor Tempted Every Handheld Owner
The franchise’s two entries are perfect handheld games: tight precision platforming, a gorgeous soundtrack that plays well with headphones, and a structure that fits pick-up-and-play sessions. The Switch ports, particularly Will of the Wisps, proved that a portable Ori was not just possible but arguably the best way to play — the same verdict bite-sized Metroidvanias like Ascent DX keep earning on Switch. So when rumors surfaced on Resetera and spread across social media, they gained traction because the premise didn’t require a leap of faith. Even composer Gareth Coker, who created the series’ unforgettable score, told Maher it was time for another entry — a detail Maher shared while confirming the rumors were false. That’s the kind of history that makes a denial sting: everyone, including the people who made the music, felt like the series had unfinished business.
No Rest for the Wicked: A Different Kind of Handheld Test
No Rest for the Wicked is a very different proposition for Moon Studios. It’s an action-RPG with isometric combat, loot systems, and a persistent world — genres that have a mixed history on portable PC hardware. The game hits 1.0 this October for PC and PS5, with no announced Switch version and no Steam Deck optimization details. That doesn’t rule out the Deck — it’s a PC, after all — but it does mean you shouldn’t expect the same straightforward portability that made the Ori games so beloved. The Early Access build has earned a very positive rating on Steam through consistent updates, but performance on handheld Windows devices hasn’t been publicly documented. If you’re a Deck owner eyeing this one, treat the 1.0 launch as a ‘wait for community reports’ situation, not a day-one buy. For now, the studio’s two Metroidvania masterpieces remain the definitive handheld experiences in its catalog — and if Moon ever recovers the Ori IP from Microsoft, something the creator has openly pushed for, that could finally change.