I still remember the first time I saw that leaked Biomutant ad. It felt like someone had reached into a dusty 1990s mascot platformer, added a toxic right hand, and dropped the whole thing into an open world. The full-page magazine ad in GamesMarkt put the hero front and center: a one-eyed, sword-wielding, anthropomorphic cat/raccoon with a bandolier across his chest, a mutated right hand, and a robotic grasshopper companion. Even before I knew the release date, I knew I wanted to meet that weird little guy.

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The leak described Biomutant as a post-apocalyptic kung-fu fable and an open-world action RPG. Three screenshots showed the protagonist swimming, gliding with a mechanical device, and walking through a lush wilderness. That mix of cute and gross was the hook. It looked like Ratchet & Clank or Jak and Daxter had grown up, found a grim open world, and decided to keep the mascot energy. In 2017, that pitch was exciting. In 2026, it still feels like a strange, specific fantasy that few big games try.

Here is the part where the old leak becomes a time capsule. The original ad said Biomutant would release in 2018 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. That did not happen. The game actually launched on May 25, 2021. It later got native PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions in 2022. So when I look back from 2026, I am not looking at a lost 2018 release. I am looking at a game that took its time, arrived in a different era, and became a one-and-done adventure rather than a live-service project.

Leak-era detail What happened by 2026
Developer: Experiment 101 The studio's debut game, founded in 2015 by Stefan Ljungqvist
Publisher: THQ Nordic Same publisher, same oddball energy
Genre: post-apocalyptic kung-fu fable, open-world action RPG Released as a single-player open-world action RPG with mutations, crafting, and martial arts
Original release: 2018 for PC, PS4, Xbox One Actually launched May 25, 2021; current-gen versions arrived in 2022
Gamescom demo A playable demo was shown; Ljungqvist confirmed the game on social media

Experiment 101 was a young studio at the time, founded in 2015 by veteran Stefan Ljungqvist, who was best known as an art director and board member at Avalanche Studios. The studio was set up with the Goodbye Kansas investment group. According to Experiment 101's website, the team works without producers or leads, so every team member has influence and responsibility over projects. That flat structure sounds romantic, but it also explains why Biomutant feels like a hundred ideas wrestling for space. I mean that mostly as a compliment.

Ljungqvist did not hide the game for long after the leak. He confirmed Biomutant's existence on social media, and THQ Nordic activated the game's official Twitter account. He said the studio would demo its first title on the Gamescom show floor, calling it an open-world action RPG unlike anything players had seen or played before, and noting it was made with UE4. No new details came out at that exact moment, but the message was clear: this was not a fake magazine mock-up. It was real.

As a player in 2026, I think the leaked ad promised one thing and the final game delivered another. The ad promised a mascot-driven open world with a mutant hero and a robot bug sidekick. The final game delivered that, but with a scrappy combat loop, a divisive narrator, and a crafting system that could swallow whole evenings. It did not become the next Ratchet & Clank. It became its own strange little thing. 🐾

If you are thinking about playing Biomutant now, here is my quick 2026 advice:

  • 🎮 Go in for the world and the vibe, not for a polished AAA blockbuster.

  • 🧪 Spend time with mutations and crafting. Those systems are the real toys.

  • 🗡️ Expect combat to be rough around the edges. It is part of the charm.

  • 🦗 The robotic grasshopper is still the best boy.

  • ⏱️ Play in short sessions. The open world is best in small bites.

The original leak was a promise of a 2018 game that never arrived on time. The 2021 game was a different promise, and in 2026 it stands as a cult curiosity rather than a giant franchise. Still, I am glad it exists. A one-eyed cat/raccoon with a toxic hand and a robot grasshopper is exactly the kind of weirdness I want from games. The leak was a time capsule. The game was a strange little gift. Both are worth remembering.