Few issues really feel as inevitable within the online game trade as delays. Ever because the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, sport delays have solely develop into increasingly frequent as builders discover beforehand set timelines unrealistic and regulate their launch plans accordingly. Nearly six months into 2023, we’ve already seen some notable AAA video games like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Skull & Bones, and Pragmata delayed fairly closely. Because online game launch date delays are so frequent, it may be powerful to maintain monitor of each sport that has had its launch date shifted indirectly.
That’s why, simply as we did in 2021 and 2022, Digital Trends is rounding up each sport delay that’s introduced all through 2023. Here are the high-profile ones which have occurred to date, listed chronologically by their new supposed launch dates.
The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR (March 16)
As Until Dawn: Rush of Blood is likely one of the finest video games for PlayStation VR, The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR, Supermassive Games’ PlayStation VR2 successor, is a extremely anticipated launch title for the upcoming VR headset. Unfortunately, it’s going to now not make PlayStation VR2’s February 22 launch and can as a substitute be launched on March 16. On Twitter, a message from Supermassive Games says this delay will be certain that gamers “receive the most polished, terrifying experience possible” at launch. The sport was launched on that date to blended critiques.
Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key (March 24)
Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key is the most recent in a protracted line of area of interest RPGs with a really devoted fan base. While it was purported to launch on February 24, the sport finally got here out on March 23. “In order to make this game a fitting finale for Ryza and her friends, we have taken on challenges such as adventuring in a vast open field and graphics that express the charm of these characters to the fullest extent,” producer Junzo Hosoi defined in a tweet when Koei Tecmo introduced the delay. “Our team will take this additional time to fine-tune the final touches so that we can deliver to all of you who have been following the series the best possible experience in this culmination of Ryza and her friend’s adventures.”
The Last of Us Part I for PC (March 28)
Originally slated for March 3, followers might want to wait slightly bit longer for The Last of Us collection’ debut on PC. One month forward of that unique launch date, Naughty Dag introduced that the PC model of The Last of Us Part One was delayed by a few weeks to March 28. The developer says this delay “will allow us to ensure this version of The Last of Us lives up to your, and our, standards.” Sadly, when The Last of Us Part 1 launched for PC on that new date, the port was nonetheless rife with technical points.
EA Sports PGA Tour (April 7)
With lower than a month to go till its launch, EA made the choice to push again EA Sports PGA Tour by two weeks. Originally slated for a March 24 launch, the golf sport would finally launch on April 7, with those that pre-ordered the Deluxe Edition getting early entry on April 4. EA pushed it again barely to line the discharge up higher with the Masters Tournament and “add a few final touches to the game that we are very excited to deliver to all of you, including updates to some favorite courses to reflect 2023 designs.”
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (April 28)
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the eagerly anticipated sequel to Respawn Entertainment’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, acquired pushed again by six weeks to April 28, from its initially supposed March 17 launch date. “In order for the team to hit the Respawn quality bar, provide the team the time they need, and achieve the level of polish our fans deserve, we have added six crucial weeks to our release schedule,” director Stig Asmussen defined in a tweet in regards to the delay. The sport would go on to launch on April 28, however was rife with technical points at launch.
System Shock (May 30 for PC, TBA for consoles)
Nightdive Studios’ long-awaited, crowdfunded remake of System Shock wants slightly extra time. Initially, Nightdive and writer Prime Matter promised to launch the sport in March 2023 however solely ended up delivering a ultimate beta to backers this month. The full launch will now occur on PC on May 30, with its console ports not but having launch dates. Hopefully, the lengthy wait is value it for followers of this extremely influential sport.
Amnesia: The Bunker (June 6)
Originally introduced final December with a March 2023 launch window, Amnesia: The Bunker was pushed to May 16 shortly thereafter by Frictional Games. Then, in April, its launch date was as soon as once more adjusted barely to May 23. The builders stated the delay will “allow the team extra time to polish the game to perfection and to strategically avoid releasing during a busy week when multiple other games are hitting the market.” That wouldn’t be the ultimate delay the sport would see, although, as Frictional Games as soon as once more pushed it again by a few weeks as a result of “unforeseen certification issues,” this time till June 6.
Venba (July 31)
Venba is an enthralling cooking sport about an Indian-Canadian household, and it’s shaping as much as be a fairly and culturally wealthy expertise. Originally slated for PC, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch, developer Visai Games delayed it till July 31 so the sport might additionally launch on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox Game Pass. It launched on July 31 to essential acclaim, with Digital Trends saying Venba is “a powerful work of interactive fiction” in our four-and-a-half star evaluate.
Wrestlequest (August 8)
Wrestlequest is very anticipated by wrestling followers due to the way it adapts the game to a turn-based RPG format, that includes iconic wrestlers like Macho Man Randy Savage. It was initially supposed for launch someday in May 2023, however about midway by that month, developer Mega Cat Studios introduced that it determined to push the sport again to summer season 2023. The delay occurred as a result of the builders just lately “secured a new partnership we are extremely excited about,” which added some unexpected issues in wrapping improvement up. A extra particular August 8 launch date was revealed later.
Atlas Fallen (August 10)
Just a few weeks after confirming a May launch date on Twitter, Deck13 and Focus Entertainment took to the social media platform once more to announce that they’d pushed the discharge date of motion sport Atlas Fallen again to August 10. “Our goal has always been to create a memorable A-RPG experience in a unique setting, with exciting gameplay and the option for fully playable seamless co-op with a friend,” the tweet says. “We’d love to give the game some extra time which will allow us to deliver the best possible version of Atlas Fallen. To achieve this, we have made the difficult decision to delay the worldwide launch of Atlas Fallen to August 10, 2023.”
Stray Gods (August 10)
Humble Games
Stray Gods is exclusive inside the gaming scene as a result of it’s a playable musical starring quite a lot of well-known voice actors. Originally slated for an August 3 launch, Summerfall Studios delayed it as a result of the PC model of Baldur’s Gate 3 moved as much as the identical date, and it wished a bit extra time for polish. “We want everyone to have ample space to check out Stray Gods when it launches. Baldur’s Gate 3 is hotly anticipated (by us, too!), and we want to give our fans room to celebrate Stray Gods, the developer explained in a tweet. “We also want everyone to be able to play on their preferred device at launch. This is a huge undertaking for any team, let alone an indie shipping its first title. This extra week allows us to have performance parity as close as possible – across every platform.”
Immortals of Aveum (August 22)
After an look at Summer Game Fest, and with only a month to go till launch, Ascendant Studios and EA made the choice to delay Immortals of Aveum by one month. “In order to realize our full vision, we are going to take a few extra weeks, making our new launch date Tuesday, August 22,” Ascendant Studios defined in a weblog submit. “This will give us time to further polish the game, finish optimizing all platforms, and deliver a strong launch. We owe it to ourselves and to you to get this right.”
Goodbye Volcano High (August 29)
KO_OP
KO_OP’s coming-of-age narrative journey sport Goodbye Volcano High was supposed to return out on June 15 however acquired delayed to August 29. “The reality is that, with our current workload, we could not have met our June launch date without significant cuts to the quality and scope of the game,” KO_OP defined in a weblog submit. “This would mean delivering something much different than what we’ve envisioned and worked toward. We don’t want to release anything less than the best version of the game we have been making throughout our development cycle.”
Starfield (September 6)
Bethesda Game Studios lastly revealed a brand new launch date for its extremely anticipated sci-fi RPG Starfield. It’s lacking the “first half of 2023” launch window Bethesda promised when initially delaying the sport, however fortunately solely by a few months as Starfield now launches for PC and Xbox Series X/S on September 6. A devoted Starfield Direct on June 11 reaffirmed that date.
Baldur’s Gate 3 for PS5 (September 6)
Larian Studios
Originally slated to launch for PC and PS5 and August 31, the PC launch of Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3 truly moved as much as August 3. Sadly, for PS5 gamers, the sport was pushed again by every week till September 6. “Baldur’s Gate 3 is targeting 60 frames-per-second, and we’re close to achieving that on the platform but need a bit more extra time,” the builders stated of the PS5 delay. “We don’t want to compromise on quality and feel it would be a shame to downscale to 30 fps or make other compromises to hit an arbitrary date. We understand that folks may be disappointed with this, but we’re close enough to reaching new heights for RPGs on the system that the benefits of a short delay outweigh the downsides of rushing the PS5 release and having to downscale.”
Front Mission 2: Remake (Q3 2023)
Front Mission 2: Remake, a recreation of a basic mecha turn-based technique sport from Square Enix, was purported to launch on June 12. Just two weeks earlier than launch, although, writer Forever Entertainment introduced that it was delaying the sport till [the third quarter of] 2023. “We want to ensure that we have sufficient time to add as many functionalities as possible while proceeding with proper implementation and tests,” a tweet states as the explanation for the delay.
Forza Motorsport (October 10)
Forza Motorsport had a spring 2023 launch window when it reappeared at 2022’s Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, however when it was featured in January 2023’s Developer_Direct, that launch window modified to simply 2023. “We’re not ready just yet to share our release date, and the wait will be worth it when we launch this year,” a Microsoft spokesperson informed Digital Trends on the time. “We know the community is excited for more updates, including our release date, and we’re fortunate to work on a game and franchise that means so much to so many. We can’t wait to share more details soon.” At the June 11 Xbox Games Showcase, an October 10 launch date for Forza Motorsport was confirmed.
Endless Dungeon (October 19)
Amplitude Studios and Sega’s distinctive twin-stick shooter, tower protection, and roguelite hybrid Endless Dungeon was supposed to return out on May 18, however simply over a month earlier than launch the sport was pushed again till October 19. “This additional time will allow Amplitude to better incorporate community feedback essential to such an innovative game and continue in the footsteps of its previous titles in the award-winning Endless Universe,” a press launch in regards to the delay defined. “Drawing on player feedback, Amplitude will work on improvements including balancing, meta-progression, onboarding, and general polishing to create the ultimate roguelite experience for players.”
Ark: Survival Ascended (October)
Studio Wildcard
Ark: Survival Ascended is an Unreal Engine 5 remaster of the favored dinosaur survival sport that initially had an August launch window. In a neighborhood replace on the sport’s web site, developer Studio Wildcard introduced that it delayed the launch of the bottom sport to October 2023 and its remastered items of DLC till December and Q1 2024. “We’ve found it challenging working with Unreal Engine 5.2, but at the same time, it is incredibly exciting,” Studio Wildcard defined. “We’re discovering new ways each day to push the technology to the next level; combined with the work needed to support a fully cross-platform-moddable game ecosystem on consoles and PC, it’s clear that we’ll need a bit more time.”
The Day Before (November 10)
The most suspicious delay to occur but this 12 months is for The Day Before. This sport gained fame for turning into Steam’s most wish-listed sport however has encountered controversy over its developer’s lack of transparency and use of volunteers. Developer Fntastic and writer Mytona declare that another person trademarked the sport’s title earlier than they might. Because of this, Fntastic stated on Twitter that it wanted to delay the sport to November 10 from March 1 “to ensure we release the best possible game,” a lot to the ire of followers of this anticipated zombie MMO. We’ll want to attend and see if The Day Before can type out this trademark dispute and make the brand new launch date.
Hyper Light Breaker (fall 2023)
Hyper Light Breaker is an formidable follow-up to indie darling Hyper Light Drifter. It’s a lot greater than its predecessor, because it’s a full 3D open-world roguelike motion sport, with the catch that gamers discover a brand new procedurally generated world each time they die. On high of that ambition, it additionally options four-player co-op. As such, it’s comprehensible why the smaller crew at Heart Machine wants extra time on the sport, pushing again its early entry launch from spring 2023 to fall 2023.
Skull & Bones (fiscal 12 months 2024)
Ubisoft’s long-awaited and oft-delayed pirate sport Skull and Bones has made the checklist but once more. It lastly appeared like the sport was going to return out on March 9, however after the underperformance of Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, Ubisoft introduced a delay into the vast launch window of “early 2023 to 2024” with a purpose to guarantee Skull and Bones’ high quality. “The additional time has already paid off and brought impressive improvements to its quality, which has been confirmed by recent playtests,” Ubisoft stated of the delay. “We believe players will be positively surprised by its evolution. We have decided to postpone its release in order to have more time to showcase a much more polished and balanced experience and to build awareness.”
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (February 2, 2024)
After already getting pushed from 2022 to May 2023, Rocksteady Studios’ long-awaited Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League did not impress when it appeared at a State of Play showcase in February. Almost two months after that exhibiting and a few rumors of an impending delay, WB Games confirmed the sport could possibly be pushed again 9 months to February 2, 2024. It stated this further time is critical so the builders can “take the time needed to work on getting the game to be the best quality experience for players” in a tweet.
Homeworld 3 (February 2024)
For the second 12 months in a row, Gearbox Entertainment made the choice to delay its sci-fi real-time technique sport Homeworld 3, from its “first half of 2023” launch window till February 2024. “Our primary goal is to deliver a Homeworld experience that lives up to the standards set by its predecessors and is worthy of this series’ incredible legacy,” a tweet in regards to the delay defined. “Homeworld 3 is shaping up to be exactly that, but in order to fully realize that vision, we need more time to refine and polish the game.”
Life by You (March 5, 2024)
Paradox Interactive
Life by You is a brand new life simulation sport by Rod Humble, who beforehand was Head of The Sims at EA. The sport was purported to enter early entry on September 12, however earlier than that would occur, writer Paradox Interactive delayed the early entry to March 5, 2024. The builders defined the choice in a weblog submit, stating that they made this alternative after seeing participant suggestions on early seems to be at Life by You. Paradox will take the additional time so as to add extra gameplay options and Italian and Brazilian localizations, overhaul the UI, enhance modding instruments, and repair extra bugs earlier than it hits early entry.
Another Crab’s Treasure (early 2024)
Aggro Crab
This Soulslike starring a crab made a powerful first impression when it was introduced at an Indie World presentation in 2022. Another Crab’s Treasure was initially slated for launch in 2023, however on May 16, developer Aggro Crab revealed the sport had been delayed to early 2024 in a Twitter thread. “After a lot of discussions, we’ve decided that spending another few months on developing this mfer is going to make it a way better game — one that’s worth the wait,” Aggro Crab defined. “We underestimated how much content this game would need in order to feel like a proper entry in its genre, and we need some additional time to get it right.”
Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown (early 2024)
Nacon
Already pushed from 2022 to 2023, Test Drive Unlimited acquired delayed as soon as once more, this time to early 2024. Thankfully, this got here alongside some excellent news. An prolonged gameplay showcase gave gamers their deepest have a look at the sport but, and KT Racing and Nacon introduced that closed betas for the sport are coming, with the primary having taken place between July 24 and July 27.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (Q2 2024)
505 Games
Suikoden religious successor Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes was initially slated for a 2023 launch, however that’s now not the case. In a July 2023 Kickstarter replace, the builders revealed that the sport would now launch someday in Q2 2024. “In order to deliver a game that so many fans have supported, we announce a revised release date of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, with the game now due during Calendar Year Q2 of 2024,” the submit explains. “The decision was made in order to ensure the best possible story, and to reward the legion of backers with the best game experience possible.”
The Wolf Among Us 2 (2024)
After reemerging final 12 months with a 2023 launch window, Telltale Games’ extremely anticipated sequel to The Wolf Among Us has been pushed again to 2024. Speaking to IGN, Telltale CEO Jamie Ottilie defined that its builders are upgrading The Wolf Among Us 2 from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal Engine 5, and are pushing it again to keep away from any crunch. “If we put this game out and it’s not ready, we’re going to get torn to shreds,” he defined. “I’ve done [crunch], and I don’t want to do it again, and it’s not fair to ask it. You can’t plan a business around it. So yeah, part of it is about maintaining a healthy work culture. We don’t want to burn out our good people.”
Blue Protocol (2024)
As a part of its MMO push, Amazon Games is publishing the Western launch of Blue Protocol, a brand new fantasy MMO from Bandai Namco Studios. While the sport was initially supposed to return out in North America and Europe someday this 12 months after its launch in Japan this month, the choice was made to push the Western launch again to 2024. A weblog submit defined that this determination was made so Amazon might give attention to its “continued efforts to localize the deeply immersive stories and build the infrastructure needed to engage in multiplayer adventures and massive online raids against towering monsters.” A PC Closed Beta will nonetheless happen later this 12 months, although.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn (2024)
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn was a Soulslike initially slated for launch in 2022 that acquired pushed again into the primary half of 2023. We hadn’t heard a lot in regards to the sport through the first half of 2023, although, so it didn’t come as a lot of a shock when developer A44 Games revealed that it had been delayed to 2024. “To make Flintlock the absolute best experience it can be at launch, we have made the decision to move the game’s release to 2024,” a Twitter thread defined. “We’ve been hard at work crafting a unique and deeply detailed open world brimming with thrilling fights, rewarding exploration, and a true sense of discovery. It’s important to our whole team that Flintlock is a special experience, and we owe it to ourselves and to all of you who have been following the game since we announced to make it the most impressive and unforgettable game it can be.”
Anger Foot (2024)
Devolver Digital
Anger Foot is an upcoming indie sport from Broforce developer Free Lives and writer Devolver Digital. It’s an intense FPS the place, because the title suggests, one of many participant’s strongest assaults is to angrily kick their enemies. There’s additionally a variety of weapons to make use of if taking pictures is extra your factor. Originally slated for 2023, it was pushed again to 2024 throughout June’s Steam Next Fest occasion, with Free Lives joking that it “needs more anger” in a video. A demo is on the market on Steam if you wish to attempt it earlier than then, although
Stick it to the Stickman (2024)
Devolver Digital
Anger Foot isn’t the one Free Lives sport to get delayed. Stick it to the Stickman is a tongue-in-cheek roguelike the place, as a stickman, gamers combat their manner by the places of work of company America. Its delay was introduced alongside Anger Foot’s, with Free Lives joking that the sport “needs more sticking it.” Stick it to the Stickman will now launch in 2024 however has a demo on Steam if you wish to attempt it out earlier than then.
Bounty Star (2024)
Annapurna Interactive
Bounty Star is a post-apocalyptic mech motion sport that additionally blends in farming and base-building components. When it was revealed on the 2022 Annapurna Showcase, the sport had a 2023 launch window, however when it reappeared on the 2023 Annapurna Showcase, that launch 12 months had modified to 2024.
Simon the Sorcerer Origins (2024)
Leonardo Interactive
Simon the Sorcerer was a basic point-and-click journey sport collection for Amiga and MS-DOS, and Smallthing Studios and Leonardo Interactive deliberate to revive the collection with a prequel referred to as Simon the Sorcerer Origins later this 12 months. When what was basically a re-reveal of the sport occurred in July 2023, although, the developer and writer moved that launch window to 2024.
Ara: History Untold (2024)
Xbox Game Studios
When Microsoft introduced Oxide Studios’ Civilization-like sport Ara: History Untold in June 2022, it had a launch window of the primary half of 2023. Obviously, that didn’t occur, and now Microsoft has quietly up to date the sport’s Xbox.com web page to say “coming 2024,” affirming that the grand technique sport has been pushed again by a few 12 months. No purpose for the delay was given, however Oxide and Xbox Game Studios proceed to carry Closed Alphas and supply improvement updates for Ara: History Untold.
Ark 2 (End of 2024)
Yet one other sport initially slated for launch in 2022, the early entry launch for Ark 2 was pushed again but once more, this time from 2023 till “the end of 2024.” In a neighborhood submit that introduced the delay, Studio Wildcard defined that the delay is occurring as a result of the teaming wants extra time to get used to working with Unreal Engine 5. In the meantime, it’s going to tide followers of the collection over with Ark: Survival Ascended, an Unreal Engine 5 remaster of the unique sport coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S in August.
Warhammer 40Ok: Darktide for Xbox Series X/S (TBA)
The Xbox Series X/S model of Warhammer 40Ok: Darktide was purported to launch alongside the PC model in September 2022, however that’s not how issues finally performed out. When the sport acquired pushed again to November 30, 2022, the Xbox Series X/S model of the sci-fi shooter misplaced its launch date however was stated to launch “shortly after” the PC model. Sadly, that’s now not the case. The Xbox port hasn’t launched within the months since Warhammer 40Ok: Darktide’s launch, and in a brand new message on Twitter, the builders at Fatshark revealed that they’ve indefinitely pushed again the Xbox Series X/S launch to allow them to give attention to remodeling the crafting and development methods, repair bugs, and enhance the sport’s efficiency on PC over the subsequent few months. Hopefully, the port will finally see the sunshine of day later this 12 months.
Hollow Knight: Silksong (TBA)
Team Cherry initially deliberate to launch its extremely anticipated Metroidvania Hollow Knight: Silksong someday through the first half of 2023, however that didn’t pan out. “We’re excited by how the game is shaping up, and it’s gotten quite big, so we want to take the time to make the game as good as we can,” Team Cherry’s Matthew Griffin defined in a tweet. “Expect more details from us once we get closer to release.”
Pragmata (TBA)
Capcom
Three years after its announcement, Capcom debuted gameplay for Pragmata at its June 2023 Capcom Showcase. Sadly, this reappearance got here with an indefinite delay announcement, each inside the trailer and in a message that appeared afterward. “It is with a heavy heart that we must further postpone the release of Pragmata,” the message reads. “Our team is currently hard at work on making the best game that we possibly can, but we need more time. We will continue to do our best to ensure that the final product is one that is worthy of your patience.”
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