Edge Magazine has word from Mojang that Cobalt may be released as soon as Friday, when the side-scrolling action game from Oxeye Game Studio will mark the developer's first publishing project (thanks VG247). "We haven't told anyone [about the release date] yet because we're aiming for Friday, but we don't know if we can make it," managing director Carl Manneh told them. "But I think we can." Here's more:

The biggest hurdle, Manneh told us, is the implementation of single Mojang log-in, which the studio announced last week; players will be able to log in to Minecraft, Cobalt and the upcoming Scrolls with the same account.

The game itself needs a final polish, with Manneh explaining: "The game has been demoed at PAX and Minecon, but there are certain things we need to make sure are ready…You have to make sure that the user experience works without having someone holding your hand, like we can when standing next to people at events."

Like Minecraft, Cobalt will be released in an alpha state, with those buying the game receiving all subsequent updates for free and player feedback taken into account as development progresses.