Team17 is sending players back behind bars with The Escapists 3, the next entry in its prison escape sandbox series. Revealed during the Triple-i Initiative Showcase on October 8, the sequel is bringing the franchise into fully 3D environments when it launches for PC and consoles in 2027.
The Escapists 3 builds on the series’ familiar blend of crafting, stealth, combat, and improvised escape plans, with five distinct prisons standing between players and freedom. Each facility has its own routines, characters, and secrets to uncover, giving inmates plenty of opportunities to study their surroundings and exploit weaknesses in the system. With more than 120 weapons to steal and craft, players will need to gather supplies, trade with fellow inmates, take on jobs, and keep an eye on guard rotations as they work towards their escape. Of course, even the best-laid plans can go wrong, and sometimes a little creativity, or molten chocolate, might be necessary to get out alive.
Those who would rather not make their escape alone can team up with friends, with support for two-player local split-screen and online multiplayer for up to four players. Cooperation will be important when combining each inmate’s strengths and weaknesses, although a disastrous escape attempt could prove just as entertaining as a successful one.
The sequel also introduces an experience system that allows inmates to earn XP, unlock new skills, and specialize in particular aspects of escaping. These skills carry over between prisons, giving players more ways to develop their characters and approach each new challenge.
Harley Homewood, General Manager at Team17, described the return as an opportunity to give fans a fresh perspective on the series, with fully realized 3D correctional facilities providing the backdrop for its familiar brand of prison-breaking chaos.
With five prisons to escape, more than 120 weapons to collect and craft, and the option to recruit friends for a little criminal cooperation, The Escapists 3 looks set to give the series a substantial new playground. Players will have to wait until 2027 to begin plotting their escape on PC and consoles, but Team17 has offered an early glimpse of what awaits behind bars.