Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School is also coming to PS5 on November 5

What we know

Coin Crew Games announced on October 13 on the official PlayStation Blog that Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School is coming to PS5 on November 5. Until now, the game had only been announced for PC and Xbox. On the same day, the studio confirmed on Steam that this will also be the PC launch date.

According to the announcement from publisher iam8bit, as reported by Gematsu, the game launches that same day on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store and Microsoft Store, and will be available on Game Pass. The Xbox Store listing also includes Xbox One among its platforms.

Launch was originally planned for September, but in August the team moved it to November to polish the game and, in its own words, give it the best chance to reach as many players as possible.

From escape rooms to an open campus

The sequel's big change is its structure. Instead of the first Escape Academy's more linear narrative, Back 2 School offers a fully explorable campus split into several areas, each with its own quests and puzzles. According to the studio, the campus itself works as one big puzzle that rewards curiosity, and puzzles are no longer limited to rooms.

It can be played solo or in co-op, both local split-screen and online, from the start and across the whole campus, story and puzzles. iam8bit adds an optional No-Timer Mode for playing at your own pace and a new story about a mystery tied to the school's founding. Coin Crew Games stresses that you don't need to have played the first game.

The Headmaster's Tower and the Humanities Campus

In the blog post, art director Michelle Huttunen details two areas. The Headmaster's Tower was one of the first spaces the team worked on for the new visuals, and the Headmaster's Office, the setting of the original game's very first escape, served as the reference for upgrading the art style while keeping it recognisable.

The Humanities Campus, which returns expanded after the events of the first game, is the area that departs most from the original's 2D map. Huttunen says it draws on classical architecture and aims for a cosier feel than the industrial Science Campus or the colourful Arts Campus. It won't be accessible right away, though it can be seen from several spots thanks to a keyhole-shaped fountain, and the studio has hidden keyhole embellishments all over the Academy.

PC requirements and post-launch plans

On PC, the minimum requirements listed on Steam are Windows 11, an Intel Core i5-8400, 16 GB of RAM and a 4 GB GeForce GTX 1050 Ti. The recommended specs step up to an AMD Ryzen 7 2700 and a GeForce RTX 3060, with the same 16 GB of RAM.

Coin Crew Games has also confirmed it is already working on two DLC adventures for after launch, though it has not shared details yet. On Xbox consoles, the store notes that online play requires Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate.