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COVID-19 put the planet on pause for much of 2020. We started to see video games get delayed last year, including some major AAA releases, but the real effect of the pandemic seems to be for games that were already planned for 2021, as teams had to use new work-from-home setups that delayed processes and ultimately often slowed down development. We aren’t too far into the year yet, but a number of games have already been delayed, and we’ve rounded up a list of them all.
Games on this list had either concrete release dates or a release window, so certain games were not included. A game also didn’t have to be delayed out of 2021 to be on the list–it just had to be delayed. Once released, the game was removed from this list.
Weird West
The action-RPG Weird West, developed by WolfEye Studios and directed by former Arkane designer Raphaël Colantonio, was previously scheduled to arrive in January. However, beta testing has led the studio to delay the game until March 31, 2022 in order to iron out some “wonky” issues. When it does launch, it will be on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and will come to Game Pass on day one.
Star Wars: The Old Republic – Legacy of the Sith
An expansion originally mean to release this year, Star Wars: The Old Republic – Legacy of the Sith will now arrive on February 25. The decision to bump the game came after looking at feedback, and content will still be tested as the team approaches the official launch date. Story will be omitted during this phase to avoid spoiling it for anyone, however.
Pragmata
A mysterious and Death Stranding-esque game from Capcom, Pragmata was already not scheduled to arrive until 2022. However, that window has now been closed, as the publisher revealed the game will instead be arriving in 2023. No specific reason was given for the delay other than wanting to provide a better experience.
Thymesia
A brutal hack-and-slash game with clear Souls influences and a ton of blood and gore, Thymesia will now arrive in 2022. No reason was given explicitly for the delay when the release window trailer was posted, but the game’s flashy combat certainly looks like it will make Thymesia worth the wait. Team17’s game is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Metal Hellsinger
A rhythm-focused shooter comparable to Doom and the similar BPM: Bullets Per Minute, Metal Hellsinger is now arriving in 2022. The development team is led by former Battlefield: Bad Company 2 lead designer David Goldfarb, and the game features tracks from musicians like Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe. Based on your performance, more layers are added to each level’s track for a richer experience.
Saints Row
The upcoming reboot of Saints Row will be arriving about six months later than previously announced. Volition moved the title from February 25, 2022 to August 23, 2022, with COVID playing a big part in the delay. The delay will ensure the game meets the studio’s quality standards, according to studio boss Jim Boone.
Six Days In Fallujah
The controversial shooter Six Days In Fallujah, which was actually canceled well over a decade ago before being revived, has been delayed until Q4 2022. The game, in development at Highwire Games, takes place during the real Second Battle of Fallujah and has drawn criticism for a developer initially saying it wouldn’t be making a political statement before backtracking.
Playdate
The unique indie-focused handheld Playdate system was scheduled to see its first units delivered to buyers in late 2021. However, the company behind the product said a “battery tragedy” is to blame for the slight delay, and the system will be arriving in early 2022 for the earliest deliveries.
Steam Deck
Not a game, but still one of the most exciting video game-related releases we were expecting this year, the Steam Deck is Valve’s attempt at a Switch-style gaming device capable of both handheld and docked play. It’s basically a tiny PC, and we now won’t be getting the system until February 2022. Orders are shipping in waves, so it could be even longer for you.
Scorn
A creepy adventure game with clear influences from HR Giger’s character design, Scorn was set to be one of the more interesting Xbox console-exclusive games for 2021, but it has been delayed into 2022. More information will be available on December 10, hopefully including a new date.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns
The next game from Jake Solomon and the strategy experts at Firaxis will not be arriving until the second half of 2022. In a statement, Firaxis gave the basic “want to make the best game possible” explanation, but also specifically said it will be using the extra time to add more story and cinematic content to the game. It was originally scheduled for Spring 2022.
Shovel Knight Dig
The puzzle spin-off game Shovel Knight Dig, developed by the series’ creator Yacht Club Games, was given a loose 2021 window in the past. However, the game will not be releasing this year. The studio said it plans to now launch Shovel Knight Dig in 2022, and given how crowded this holiday season is getting, that may give it more exposure.
Sol Cresta
The retro-inspired shooter that many initially believed to be an April Fool’s Day joke, Platinum Games’ Sol Cresta will not be releasing as planned on December 9. Instead, the game is now coming out in early 2022. A successor to a game from 36 years ago, it certainly seems to be reverent to the era, even including a Caravan Mode–like Hudson Soft’s competitions from the 1980s.
EA Sports PGA Tour
EA Sports’ return to golf games will be later than expected. The next game in the revised series, now called EA Sports PGA Tour, was scheduled for Spring 2022 but will now be arriving at a later date. The publisher did not say when that date will be but added that it will provide more information on launch plans over the next several months.
Overwatch 2
It appears it could be seven years between Overwatch and its sequel. Blizzard announced that Overwatch 2 is going to arrive later than it originally planned. It strongly suggested in a financial presentation that the game would not arrive in 2022, with plans for post-launch support contributing to the decision to delay the initial release. The sequel will contain the franchise’s first campaign mode as well as an updated and expanded multiplayer–which will be compatible with the first game.
Diablo IV
Everything we said for Overwatch 2 also applies to Diablo IV. The game is now likely not coming out in 2022, making it a possible decade between the game and Diablo III. Blizzard’s ongoing controversies and leadership shakeups likely haven’t helped matters, though producer Rod Fergusson has become something of a specialist in getting long-in-development games to finally ship.
The Division: Heartland
A free-to-play take on the online multiplayer shooter-RPG, The Division: Heartland has been moved to April 2022 at the very soonest, based on Ubisoft’s fiscal calendar. However, this could also put the game as late as March 2023, and it will likely be a bit longer before the company says exactly when it’s coming out. Unlike the Massive-led first two games, The Division: Heartland is in development at Red Storm, which previously worked on Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon games.
Shadow Warrior 3
Shadow Warrior 3 had been planned for a 2021 release, but with no final date nailed down, the writing was on the wall. Flying Wild Hog’s game was officially delayed to 2022 with a cheeky “Delay Trailer” that mentioned a similar delay had affected the previous game. A final date wasn’t revealed for Shadow Warrior 3, though the team said it planned to give one soon, as well as provide more details on the game.
Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re-Boot Camp
This one hurt. Less than two months before it was due to release–December 3, 2021–Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re-Boot Camp was pushed back to a nebulous Spring 2022 window. Far more than a remaster, this complete remake of the two GBA-era Advance Wars games sports a new art style and support for up to four players. Given how long it has been since the series’ last game, we supposed waiting a few more months isn’t the end of the world.
Elden Ring
A George RR Martin project didn’t release when it was initially going to? No way! In all seriousness, From Software’s Elden Ring was delayed from a planned January launch to February 25, 2022, meaning eager fans will only have to wait about a month longer than before. In the meantime, a technical test is coming, though getting that small taste of the game ahead of time could make the wait even more unbearable.
Rocksmith+
Less game and more guitar-learning tool, Ubisoft’s Rocksmith+ will no longer be releasing in 2021. A final date hasn’t been announced, but it’s planned to launch in 2022 after a closed beta provided the team with feedback it wants to implement in the launch product. The company said its new plan will “give us time to deliver a smooth experience for all guitar and bass lovers.”
Total War: Warhammer 3
The latest game in the acclaimed strategy series–and one of roughly 5 million Warhammer games currently in the works–Total War: Warhammer 3 has slipped into early 2022. Creative Assembly said this time will make for a “stronger release” and that while it’s the last game in the trilogy, it will be supported for years with new content.
Lost Ark
The free-to-play MMORPG Lost Ark is getting a closed beta in 2021, but developer Smilegate and publisher Amazon Games opted to delay the game in order to bring its launch quality up to the team’s standards and implement content from the Korean version. The game is now coming in early 2022, though the closed beta arrives in November and anyone who bought the Founder’s Pack will get access.
Horizon: Forbidden West
Following weeks of rumors that went unanswered, Sony officially confirmed that Horizon: Forbidden West had been delayed during Gamescom’s Opening Night Live event. The game is now arriving on February 18, 2022, but a PS5 patch that bumps the original game to 60fps was released the same day, ostensibly to make the wait a little bit easier. It leaves the PS5 without a major exclusive AAA game release this holiday.
Nobody Saves the World
The next game from Guacamelee! studio Drinkbox, Nobody Saves the World was bumped to early 2022 as the developer works on implementing online cooperative play. It’s the first game with such feature the studio has made, with Guacamelee! only supporting a local cooperative mode. At launch, the game will be on Xbox Game Pass and is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.
Abandoned
Originally scheduled for a late 2021 release, Abandoned from Blue Box Game Studios will now arrive at a later date. Very little is known about the project–and questions surrouding its unclear messaging and seemingly intentional teases to Hideo Kojima and Silent Hill–have brought some controversy to the project. There is no evidence that Kojima is involved, and the developer has said this outright several times.
Lone Echo II
Ready at Dawn has been a subsidiary of Oculus for a while now, and the studio works exclusively on VR games. One of these, Lone Echo II, was going to be among the biggest games available on Oculus devices, and while it’s still scheduled for 2021, a recent delay has pushed it to later in the year after already being delayed from 2019 to 2020 and 2021.
Life is Strange: Remastered Collection
Two delays in one! In order to alleviate pressure on the development team, which is also finishing up Life is Strange: True Colors, the decision was made to delay Life is Strange: Remastered Collection. The bundle will now come in 2022, and includes upgraded versions of Life is Strange and Life is Strange 2.
Evil Dead: The Game
The multiplayer horror game based on the famous horror-comedy series, Evil Dead: The Game was planned for either a late 2021 or early 2022 release. It’s now coming in February 2022, with the development team saying it will be able to add a single-player option with the extra time.
Diablo Immortal
Diablo Immortal was announced a few years ago as a mobile-exclusive spin on the dungeon-crawling RPG, and it was supposed to have a wide launch in 2021. However, that timeline has shifted to 2022, and Blizzard said it’s using this time to add controller support and work on both PvE and PvP content. Eight-player raids are one of the biggest features being added to the game.
Soup Pot
Everyone knows soup tastes better when it takes more time to simmer, and Chikon Club’s Soup Pot will be doing that–slated for release in August, the game is now coming to Xbox platforms and PC later this year in order to give the developer more time for polishing. You’ll be doing “livestreams” of your cooking in the game to make over 100 dishes.
Icarus
The long-awaited next game from original DayZ creator Dean Hall, Icarus is a sci-fi survival game that was planned to launch in August. However, it’s now coming in November without a finalized specific date. Beta periods will lead up to its launch.
Stray
Stray was supposed to arrive in 2021, bringing us a tale of an adorable cat just struggling to survive in a world taken over by robots. However, the development team has opted to delay the game until 2022 so as to not “compromise on quality.”
Crimson Desert
First revealed with a gameplay trailer in 2020 and planned for a 2021 launch, the open-world spin-off to Black Desert Online, Crimson Desert, is now arriving at an unspecified future date as Pearl Abyss works to add “new ideas” to make a “deeper, more enriching game.”
Digimon Survive
No stranger to delays, Digimon Survive was originally announced three years ago and planned to launch in 2020 before those plans were thrown into disarray. At the earliest, it’s now coming in Q3 2022, and based on the language of Toei Animation’s latest financial report, it could very well be even later than that.
Rainbow Six Extraction
Just a month after Rainbow Six Extraction was re-introduced to the public via the Ubisoft E3 presentation, the company opted to delay the game into January 2022. The spin-off to the main series focuses on an alien threat, which is a big departure for the franchise, and with support planned for cross-play and cross-progression, the development team evidently needed extra time.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
Originally planned to launch in 2021, Fatshark’s Warhammer 40,000: Darktide has been pushed to Spring 2021 in order to give the development team more time for polishing and ensuring the game’s longevity post-launch. What exactly that means remains to be seen, but it will release on Xbox Series X|S and PC.
Resident Evil Re:Verse
A game first scheduled to come with Resident Evil Village that was later delayed already to July, Resident Evil Re:Verse will bring its take on multiplayer to players in 2022. A third-person shooter with characters from across the series’ history, it also makes use of some environments from the other classic games in the series.
GhostWire: Tokyo
Tango Gameworks’ GhostWire: Tokyo looks to be quite a big departure from its The Evil Within series, but we haven’t actually seen much from the game, and that didn’t bode well for it making a 2021 release. It is now coming in early 2022 in order to better meet the studio’s vision.
God of War sequel
The sequel to 2018’s God of War, which may or may not be called God of War: Ragnarok, was originally scheduled to release at some point this year. However, Sony’s Santa Monica Studio has opted to delay the game into 2022 in order to ensure it meets the series’ high quality standards. PlayStation’s head of worldwide studios Herman Hulst said the project started “a little later” than some others, which may have contributed to the delay.
The King of Fighters XV
The King of Fighters XV suffered a delay from a vague window to a slightly less vague window, moving from some point in 2021 to Q1 2022. SNK made the announcement just before E3 2021, saying the increasing cases of COVID-19 in Japan have affected development. It will be the first new game in the series since 2016, with famous returning characters from Fatal Fury, Ikari Warriors, and Art of Fighting also appearing.
Skull & Bones
A tale as old as time. A song as old as rhyme. Skull & Bones delayed.
It’s easy to forget that Ubisoft’s open-world online pirate game Skull & Bones is even still in development, but it is, and the company reminded investors during an earnings call in May 2020. The game has been delayed entirely out of the current fiscal year, meaning it won’t arrive until April 2022 at the very earliest. The game was first announced back in 2017 and has undergone development shakeups, including getting a new creative director. Studio managing director Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach, looks like it will be a major step up for the indie horror series, but the developers need more time to fully realize their vision. As such, the game has been delayed until late 2021, but Cawthon also released a free game called Security Breach: Fury’s Rage as a consolation gift. It’s heavily inspired by the Streets of Rage series.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Originally planned to launch in Spring 2021, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga has been delayed to an unclear future date. Traveller’s Tales did not give an exact reason for the delay other than wanting to give the team more time to deliver “the biggest and best-ever Lego game,” and said it would provide new launch information as soon as it can.
Gran Turismo 7
Sony confirmed back in February that Gran Turismo 7 had been delayed into 2022. The decision came as “critical” parts of the development process were affected by the pandemic, and because of the changing nature of the global situation, a firm date wasn’t set. As we get closer to next year, that will likely change.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
We won’t be able to get our “handses” on The Lord of the Rings: Gollum until 2022. The game’s planned 2021 launch Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake was Hogwarts Legacy, a game set in the 19th century of Harry Potter’s world, was scheduled to release later this year, but it has been delayed to 2022. The delay came amid controversy surrounding author J.K. Rowling, who is not directly involved with the project. Developer Avalanche Software previously worked on the Disney Infinity series and is separate from Just Cause studio Avalanche Studios.
Gotham Knights
Gotham Knights, a spin-off of the Batman series–and a non-canonical one–was scheduled to arrive before the end of 2021 before being bumped into next year. Warner Bros. gave a very vague statement about wanting to “provide the best possible experience for players” but did not specify the reason behind the delay. The cooperative action game is directed by Patrick Redding, who previously worked on Splinter Cell and Far Cry. It’s only one DC game Warner Bros. has cooking, with a Suicide Squad game also coming in 2022. However, we wouldn’t be shocked to see that one get bumped, as well.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
A game awash in controversy and production issues, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 got delayed late last year to a 2021 date. Since then, publisher Paradox chose to delay the game again, this time out of 2021 completely. Furthermore, a new developer is working on the project, replacing Hardsuit Labs, which was subsequently hit with layoffs. It’s one of a few troubled projects that previously involved writer Chris Avellone, who was later accused of sexual misconduct, though none of his contributions are being used.
Dying Light 2
Dying Light 2 has been delayed a few different times, and it was originally scheduled to release about a year ago. A delay announced back in January was indefinite, though it was still confirmed for 2021, and the game was later confirmed to launch in December. This came after Techland was accused of a toxic work environment and poor leadership. Writer Chris Avellone also worked on Dying Light 2 and left the project amid sexual misconduct allegations. That delay wasn’t the last, with the game later moved to February 22.
Pragmata
Wait, they announced that delay already? Capcom’s Pragmata was shown off in 2020 as a showcase for the PS5, but the game already received a delay. It Destiny 2: The Witch Queen has been delayed into 2022. The scope and complexity of the expansion and its narrative ties to other content was one of the reasons for the delay, and the studio also wanted to avoid putting extra pressure on the development team during the pandemic. However, content for the game, including the Vault of Glass raid, will continue throughout 2021.
Humanity
From the developers behind Rez Infinite and Tetris Effect, Humanity looks to be a unique and experimental game for PS4 and PlayStation VR. However, it’s also gone through some development slowdown and will now release in 2022.
