It’s been nearly seven years since Deltarune first dropped out of nowhere. Now, after years of sporadic updates and cryptic teasers, developer Toby Fox is promising something fans haven’t had in a while: a shorter wait.
Buried in the end credits of Deltarune Chapter 4, which just launched earlier this month alongside the Switch 2, came a rare bit of clarity: Chapter 5 is coming in 2026. Yes, that’s still a year and a half away. But compared to the almost four-year stretch between Chapters 2 and 3? That’s lightning fast.
From Surprise Drop to Serial Slow-Burn
Back in 2018, Deltarune arrived like a glitchy love letter to Undertale fans. A free, mysterious download. No marketing. Just vibes.
Chapter 2 came along in 2021. Then… silence.
Three years passed with little more than a few scattered interviews, some updates on Fox’s health and workload, and a couple of tantalizing screenshots. Then finally, earlier this month, Chapters 3 and 4 showed up — just in time for Nintendo’s shiny new hardware, the Switch 2.
That dual release seemed to reset the momentum. And fans noticed something else too. The closing screen of Chapter 4 had a simple but hopeful message: “To be continued in Chapter 5, 2026.”
So What Took So Long?
Fox has never exactly followed industry timelines. He works in his own rhythm — something fans have mostly come to accept.
Back in 2021, Fox actually hoped Chapters 3, 4, and 5 would launch together. That idea didn’t stick. He later admitted the pressure to wait was too much — and that holding content hostage until everything was done just didn’t make sense.
“I don’t think anybody really wants to wait that long to release anything,” he said. “Especially me.”
Translation? Chapter 5 just wasn’t ready. But Chapters 3 and 4 were. So rather than leave everything in limbo, Fox dropped what he had.
Fans got new content. And Fox bought himself time.
Why Chapter 5 Feels Different
This time, though, things are moving.
The jump from Chapter 2 (2021) to Chapters 3 + 4 (2025) felt like a crawl. But Chapter 5’s 2026 target makes it clear: this isn’t going to be another four-year hike through development purgatory.
Sure, 2026 still sounds like a far-off galaxy when you’re waiting to find out what happens to Kris, Susie, and Ralsei in the Dark World. But in Deltarune years? It’s practically tomorrow.
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Chapter 1: Released in October 2018
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Chapter 2: Dropped in September 2021
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Chapters 3 + 4: Launched June 2025
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Chapter 5: Expected sometime in 2026
That’s the fastest turnaround since the series began.
A Quieter, Slower Kind of Success
It’s worth pointing out just how strange Deltarune is in the modern gaming scene.
There’s no massive publisher push. No billion-dollar marketing campaign. And somehow, it still cuts through.
Fox, along with a small team, built something that thrives entirely on its charm, fanbase, and sheer weirdness. The writing is offbeat. The art is retro. And the humor? It’s like EarthBound after three Red Bulls and an existential crisis.
There’s no battle pass. No loot crates. Just deeply strange dialogue and characters that make you laugh one second and rethink your entire life the next.
It shouldn’t work in 2025. And yet, it still does.
What Happens After Chapter 5?
Here’s the catch — nobody really knows.
There are seven chapters planned. Five is just the next milestone. Six and seven? That’s a black hole.
Toby Fox hasn’t said a word about their timelines. No release windows. No previews. Not even a “maybe.”
All fans have right now is the hope that Chapter 5’s relative speed might continue.
But even that’s a big “maybe.” After all, Chapter 5 was supposed to land alongside 3 and 4. That clearly didn’t happen. So the idea of a tidy rollout from here? Let’s just say people aren’t holding their breath.
And Fox? He seems okay with that.
What Fans Can Expect (Whenever It Drops)
Details are thin, but based on how Chapters 3 and 4 played out, Chapter 5 will likely continue the dark fairytale unraveling inside Kris’s world.
While earlier chapters leaned on familiar JRPG-style towns and puzzles, the recent ones went deeper — thematically, musically, and narratively.
Here’s what’s most likely, based on the trajectory so far:
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More morally murky choices for Kris and friends.
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Surreal, dreamlike set pieces tied to character trauma.
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Expanding battles with rhythm and bullet-hell influences.
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Deeper ties to Undertale, though Fox keeps insisting it’s not a direct sequel.
Chapter 5 probably won’t answer everything — but it might start tying some of the spaghetti-thin plot threads together.
The Wait, Theories, and Switch 2 Buzz
Naturally, fan theories are flying again. Reddit, Twitter, Discord — everyone’s got a hot take.
Some think Kris is being controlled. Others think the real villain isn’t even in the game yet. One popular theory? The Dark World isn’t real at all. It’s just trauma made playable.
All of this kicked back up again thanks to the Switch 2 boost.
Deltarune’s double drop was one of the sleeper hits of the launch window. While everyone was raving about Mario or Metroid, Fox quietly reminded people that his off-kilter RPG is still in the conversation — even if it’s whispering from the corner.
And now, with Chapter 5 officially on the clock, the buzz is back.
