DayZ Creator Confirms Icarus Hitting Consoles—But Cross-Play Is Off the Table

Icarus, the survival game crafted by Dean Hall (famous for DayZ), is finally making its way to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in early 2026. That’s nearly four years after the original PC launch. The reveal went live with a fresh console trailer during the Galaxies showcase. But there’s a catch: you won’t get cross-play. If you’d hoped to band together across PC and console, you’re out of luck.

The upcoming console ports aren’t just a direct copy-paste job. Grip Studios, a Czech developer known for their work behind Mafia: The Old Country, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Conan Exiles, is leading the charge, not Hall’s original RocketWerkz studio in New Zealand.

The Long Road to Console

Icarus first landed on PC back in 2021, but it wasn’t a smooth ride. The launch was rough, with server issues and critical feedback dampening the debut. Despite that, RocketWerkz didn’t walk away. Over the next four years, they dropped three expansions and kept the pipeline of updates steady. It gradually matured into a broader, more stable survival crafting experience for up to eight players.

This long tail of development isn’t wasted on console gamers. In fact, it’s helping. Because these new console versions arrive so late, Grip Studios can cherry-pick the best features and polish. Console players will jump right in with the New Frontiers expansion (originally released on PC in 2023) bundled from the start.

There’s still a caveat for those hoping for harmony between PC and consoles. RocketWerkz made conscious choices about how to evolve both games separately. As Hall himself put it, “Instead of holding PC development back because of console, and holding console development back because of PC – personally that bothers me intensely as a consumer; I really, really, really don’t like that… I wanted the console version to be the best console version that could be, and I wanted the PC version to be the best version it could be, and that means there are some content differences, and some of the content on the console was packed differently.”

That approach means no cross-play. Hall simply calls it “one of those casualties.” If you’re on PC, you’re sticking with PC players. If you’re picking up the console edition, expect your own separate community. The underlying differences—content, packaging, pacing—just couldn’t mesh.

What’s New for Console Survivors?

While cross-play is out, one major upgrade is in: full controller support. PC players have been asking for better controller options since day one, and the jump to consoles finally delivers. Think streamlined controls and tweaks designed to fit perfectly on a DualSense or Xbox controller, no mods or workarounds needed.

This isn’t a side project for RocketWerkz, either. Bringing Icarus to consoles means more than just another storefront; it’s a chance to fine-tune the game for an audience that’s been waiting years. And it’ll ship with a huge helping of all that’s come before. If you’ve been holding out for a polished, ready-for-primetime survival experience on PS5 or Xbox Series X|S, this will likely be the definitive launch.

For now, no exact release date is on the calendar, just a window in Q1 2026. But after years of updates, expansions, and lessons learned, Icarus’s leap to console is finally a reality, even if your cross-play dreams need to be left behind.

Console Launch Marks a New Chapter—But Not One World

The arrival on PS5 and Xbox is a second chance for the survival-crafting title to capture a new audience, unburdened by the launch stumbles of the past. But make no mistake: RocketWerkz isn’t blurring the lines between console and PC ecosystems. The decision to keep them separate is deliberate and comes straight from the top. If you’re in the market for the latest co-op survival challenge next spring, keep an eye on Icarus for consoles, just don’t expect to team up with your PC friends any time soon.