A hotline set up by developer Cardboard Computer hints that the next episode of Kentucky Route Zero will launch on January 7, seven years after the first chapter of the saga. The first four acts of the indie point-and-click game had a great success and a rating of 9/10 on Steam.
Kentucky Route Zero’s storyline is about Route Zero, a secret highway in Kentucky, and its mysterious visitors. The main character is Conway, a truck driver who gets involved in dark adventures while making his deliveries. In 2018, Cardboard Computer announced on Twitter the launch of a hotline, 1-858-WHEN-KRZ, which informs the fans about the development status of Kentucky Route Zero. The hotline is only accessible from the U.S.
On January 5, Kentucky Route Zero writer Carolyn Petit tweeted that she called the Kentucky Route Zero hotline and was thrilled to learn that the game is currently “preparing for publication.” After revealing the development status of the game, the pre-recorded voice told Petit that her estimated waiting time was 3814 minutes. Since the estimated waiting time kept going down as she waited on the phone, Petit suggested that this number could refer to the minutes left until the official release of the game. “Sounds like we should have some KR0 news very soon,” tweeted the writer. If Petit’s intuition is right, the final episode of Kentucky Route Zero should launch on January 7. This way, the forecasted release date would be exactly seven years after the launch of the first game of the saga.
But the fans of Kentucky Route Zero can expect another surprise in 2020, other than the release of the new act. This year, Cardboard Computer will launch the TV Edition of the game as well, meaning that the five acts will be available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The release of the TV Edition is likely to coincide with the debut of the fifth episode. For now, Kentucky Route Zero has only been available for PCs, on several online stores like Steam, itch.io and the Humble Store.
The Kentucky Route Zero hotline was a creative idea to update the fans about the much-hyped fifth act, although unconventional. It certainly had the merit to make the title one of the most anticipated of 2020. Given the success of the previous four acts, there’s no doubt that the new story will be a huge hit. As for the TV Edition, Cardboard Computer probably decided to release it to overcome some issues with the Steam algorithm, which puts indie developers at a disadvantage. However, it will hopefully allow the gamers to enjoy an excellent gaming experience on the best-selling consoles.
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The fifth act of Kentucky Route Zero is set for release on January 7, 2020.
Source: Carolyn Petit/Twitter
