The ink on Deltarune Chapter 5 is barely dry — it launched on June 24, 2026 and immediately broke the game’s all-time Steam record with 291,816 concurrent players — and Toby Fox has already confirmed what comes next. Buried in an expanded FAQ section on Deltarune’s Steam page, Fox quietly dropped the news that Chapter 6 is targeting a 2027 release. And in an even more encouraging sign, Fox has also said the chapter is developing faster than previous ones, with Chapter 7 development potentially starting before the end of 2026.
For a series that’s historically required fans to wait years between episodes, this is genuinely exciting news.
How Toby Fox Announced the Chapter 6 Release Window
The announcement came in the most Toby Fox way possible: no press release, no trailer, no social media fanfare. Eagle-eyed fans noticed that the FAQ section on Deltarune’s official Steam page had been quietly updated with three new questions. The first confirms that Chapter 5 is not the final chapter and that more episodes are still coming for free. The second — which is the one everyone is talking about — reads simply: “Then when’s Chapter 6?”
Fox’s answer: “We are aiming for a 2027 release! Meanwhile, we will be periodically releasing information on the development progress of the game.”
That’s it. No month, no specific date, no further context — just a year target and a promise to keep fans updated along the way. Fans on Twitter reacted with the exact blend of relief and mild exasperation you’d expect, with one widely-shared comment reading: “Thank the lord. I saw no release window at the end of the chapter and was like, ‘welp, guess I’m going to have to wait two more years.'” Others were still a bit disappointed it wasn’t sooner, but the general reaction has been positive — at least there’s a concrete target now, which is more than the series has often had between releases.
Chapter 6 Is Developing Faster Than Previous Chapters
The Steam FAQ announcement isn’t the only encouraging update Fox has shared. In separate comments, Fox said that Chapter 6’s development is going “quite fast” and that this chapter has been easier to produce than earlier ones. He added that if things continue at the current pace, work on Chapter 7 could begin before the end of 2026 — meaning the final chapter of Deltarune’s planned seven-chapter story could already be in early production by the time Chapter 6 launches.
This is a meaningful shift from how earlier chapters developed. Chapters 1 and 2 had a three-year gap between them (2018 to 2021), and the wait between Chapter 2 and the paid launch of Chapters 3 and 4 together was another four years. Chapter 5 followed about a year after Chapters 3 and 4, which was already a tighter turnaround. If Chapter 6 arrives sometime in 2027, that would make the gap between Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 roughly one year as well — a significantly more predictable release cadence than the series has maintained historically.
What We Know About Deltarune’s Full Chapter Structure
Deltarune is planned as a seven-chapter story. Here’s how the release history has mapped out so far:
- Chapter 1 — released free in October 2018
- Chapter 2 — released free in September 2021
- Chapters 3 and 4 — released together as a paid package on June 5, 2025, across PC, Mac, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2
- Chapter 5 — released as a free update on June 24, 2026
- Chapter 6 — targeting 2027
- Chapter 7 — potentially in early development before end of 2026
All future chapters will continue to be added free of charge to anyone who owns the game, which remains one of the more player-friendly monetisation structures in modern gaming. Chapters 1 and 2 remain free standalone downloads for anyone who hasn’t tried the series yet.
Chapter 5 Just Broke the Game’s All-Time Records
It’s worth stepping back to appreciate the scale of Chapter 5’s launch before looking too far ahead. The 291,816 concurrent players on Steam at Chapter 5’s peak more than doubled the game’s previous all-time record. Reviews are sitting at 97–98% positive across recent and overall categories, with the game currently holding an Overwhelmingly Positive rating. Chapter 5 has a runtime of roughly 6 to 10 hours depending on how thoroughly you explore, and it features multiple endings — including a secret orange balloon ending that players are still piecing together.
Fox described Chapter 5 to fans as “this crazy thing I thought up 10 years ago,” and the response from the community suggests it’s landed exactly as intended. The momentum heading into Chapter 6’s development is about as good as it could be.
What to Do While Waiting for Chapter 6
Even if you’ve already finished Chapter 5, there’s plenty of reason to stay in the Deltarune world while waiting for Chapter 6. Multiple endings give the current chapter significant replay value, and earlier chapters still have secrets and optional content that many players have never found — including hidden boss fights tied to specific choices in previous episodes. For players who haven’t yet played Undertale, Toby Fox’s 2015 debut that shares DNA with Deltarune’s universe, this is probably the best possible time to finally make that happen.
Periodic development updates are also confirmed, so the Chapter 6 wait won’t be completely silent — Fox has committed to checking in with progress reports along the way, which is a small but meaningful departure from how he’s handled some of the longer waits in Deltarune’s history.
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