DECAPOLICE, Level-5’s ambitious detective role-playing game, has been delayed once again. The studio confirmed during its LEVEL-5 Vision 2026 II Dream presentation on September 10 that the game will now launch sometime in 2027, moving beyond its previously announced 2026 release window. A new trailer accompanied the announcement, offering another look at the game’s investigation mechanics and futuristic setting.
The delay is another setback for a project that has been in development for several years. DECAPOLICE was originally announced for a 2023 release before being moved to 2024 and subsequently pushed to 2026. Level-5 has not provided a specific reason for the latest delay or announced a precise 2027 release date.
DECAPOLICE Brings Detective Work Into a Virtual World
Rather than relying on a conventional crime-solving structure, DECAPOLICE allows players to investigate cases inside DECASIM, a virtual recreation of a city. The system can reproduce past events and crime scenes, giving investigators an unusual way to search for evidence that could help solve crimes in the real world.
The game’s official website describes DECASIM as a complete copy of reality where memories of past crimes remain preserved. Players can use those reconstructed events to uncover clues, gather evidence, and build their cases.
The protagonist is Harvard Marks, a rookie detective and leader of a Special Investigations Unit team. Players will work alongside characters including Carl Oxford, Zhang Tsinghua, and Manimani Manoa while investigating increasingly complicated cases.
Level-5 CEO Explains the Game’s Ambitious Structure
During the September 10 presentation, Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino explained that DECAPOLICE is intended to offer a different kind of detective experience.
“DECAPOLICE takes a whole new approach to detective work with cases that unfold in a virtual world.”
Hino also compared its puzzle-focused approach to Professor Layton, while stressing that the new RPG has a substantially different story and gameplay structure. According to Gematsu, players will investigate reconstructed crime scenes, question suspects, organize evidence on the Case Board, and use their own deductions to identify the culprit.
Investigation is only part of the experience. DECAPOLICE combines evidence gathering and deduction with arrests and battles, meaning cases can eventually turn into direct confrontations.
