retrogames: Every Game Delay Announced in 2021 (So Far)

Game delays have become even more prevalent in 2021 — and it's not just because of COVID. With the pandemic (and other factors) still affecting how studios operate for the foreseeable future, that trend will likely continue throughout the year.

To track the pandemic’s continued impact on game development, we’ve compiled a list of every game and notable DLC delay announced this year (so far). This article will be updated as more release dates and windows are inevitably pushed, but for now, here are all 28 delays announced in 2021.

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Outriders

Delayed from February 2 to April 1, 2021

Developer People Can Fly announced the delay in early January, saying, “We have decided to move the release date of Outriders to April 1st 2021 (no joke!). We will spend this extra time fine tuning the game and focusing on delivering a fantastic play experience at launch.”

This is Outriders’ second delay; it was previously pushed from Holiday 2020 to February 2021.

Pragmata

Delayed from 2022 to 2023

Pragmata’s delay was quietly revealed at the end of a sizzle reel shown during Sony’s 2021 CES panel. Capcom’s mysterious new game was initially given a 2022 release window.

Elite Dangerous: Odyssey

Delayed from Early 2021 to Late Spring (PC) and Fall 2021 (Console)

Frontier Developments delayed its upcoming Elite Dangerous expansion due to the “ongoing impact of the pandemic.” The studio said the effects of the pandemic, “including the [U.K.’s] renewed lockdowns in 2021, continues to put added pressure on our teams and ultimately our development timeline.”

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Hogwarts Legacy

Delayed from 2021 to 2022

On January 13 Portkey Games announced it was delaying its open-world Harry Potter action-RPG by a year. “Creating the best possible experience for all of the Wizarding World and gaming fans is paramount to us so we are giving the game the time it needs,” read a statement from the developer.

Cyberpunk 2077 Free DLC

Delayed from Early 2021 to later in 2021

CD Projekt Red initially planned to begin releasing free Cyberpunk 2077 DLC in early 2021. However, that DLC may no longer hit its target window, as the developer has prioritized “working on the most important fixes and updates,” specifically for the poorly optimized PS4 and Xbox One versions of Cyberpunk.

Riders Republic

Delayed from February 25 to later in 2021

On January 14 Ubisoft announced it was delaying Riders Republic from its former February release date to sometime “later” in 2021. “This additional time will allow our passionate team to deliver the best fun fueled experience to our players,” said the company.

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The Lord of the Rings: Gollum

Delayed from Late 2021 to 2022

Originally set to be released later this year, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum will now arrive at some point in 2022. Publisher Nacon announced the new date for the stealth-focused Middle-earth adventure in late January, though it didn’t provide a reason for the delay.

Returnal

Delayed from March 19 to April 30, 2021

Returnal was pushed from mid-March to late April “to give the team extra time to continue to polish the game to the level of quality players expect from Housemarque.” The roguelike third-person shooter will be released exclusively on PS5.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake

Delayed from March 18 to 2022

The first game delay announced in February, and the ninth overall for the year, was Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake. According to Ubisoft, the extra development time will allow the team "to deliver a remake that feels fresh while remaining faithful to the original." A new release window wasn't announced until June, when Ubisoft confirmed the remake is targeting 2022.

This is the remake's second delay; it was previously pushed from January to March.

New World

Delayed from Spring to August 31, 2021

In mid-February, Amazon announced it was delaying its upcoming MMO, New World, from spring to August 31. The development team will use the additional months to continue its work on "compelling end-game features," in addition to "polishing and fine tuning the whole game."

This is New World's second delay; it was previously pushed from August 25, 2020, to Spring 2021.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2

Delayed from 2021 to an unannounced later date

Paradox Interactive delayed Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 out of its 2021 release window without announcing a new target date. Alongside the delay, the publisher announced Hardsuit Labs will no longer be leading development on the project. "A change" was needed, according to Paradox, "and, as a result, more development time is required."

Originally slated for Q1 2020, Bloodlines 2's troubled development has included multiple delays and departures of key talent, including the game's former creative director and senior narrative designer.

Gran Turismo 7

Delayed from 2021 to 2022

GT7 was delayed from 2021 to 2022 due to "Covid-related production challenges," according to Sony. "With the ongoing pandemic, it’s a dynamic and changing situation and some critical aspects of game production have been slowed over the past several months," the company added.

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New Need for Speed

Delayed from EA's fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2023*

EA delayed the next, currently untitled Need for Speed from FY2022 to FY2023 as developer Criterion Games temporarily moves off the upcoming racer to assist DICE on the next Battlefield — a decision made to combat the effects of pandemic-related working conditions and ensure EA's flagship shooter hits its target Holiday 2021 release window.

*EA's fiscal year runs from April through the following March, meaning the next Need for Speed is now expected between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023.

Guilty Gear Strive

Delayed from April 9 to June 11, 2021

Guilty Gear Strive was delayed by two months after developer Arc System Works received "valuable feedback" from the recent open beta. The additional time will be used "to polish some aspects of the game, such as the online lobbies and the server's stability," according to the developer.

The fighting game was previously delayed out of 2020 due to COVID-19-related development challenges.

Borderlands 3 Director's Cut Add-on

Delayed from March 18 to April 8, 2021

The Borderlands 3 Director's Cut add-on was delayed by three weeks due to the "severe weather that impacted Texas last month," according to developer Gearbox. The Director's Cut content includes a new raid boss, story missions, and challenges.

Gotham Knights

Delayed from 2021 to 2022

WB Games delayed Gotham Knights into 2022 to give the development team "more time to deliver the best possible experience for players." Announced in 2020 at DC Fandome, the co-op Batman game was initially given a 2021 release window.

Humankind

Delayed from April 22 to August 17, 2021

SEGA and developer Amplitude have announced the delay of 4X strategy game Humankind to a little later in 2021 in order to give the developers time to finetune the pacing, balance, diplomacy, AI, and accessibility of the experience.

Back 4 Blood

Delayed from June 21 to October 12, 2021

The Left 4 Dead spiritual successor Back 4 Blood has been pushed into October to allow the devs at Turtle Rock Studios time to deliver "the best game it can possibly be at launch." There will be an open beta this summer, though.

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

Delayed from Spring 2021 to an unannounced later date

The upcoming LEGO Star Wars game will no longer hit its targeted Spring 2021 release window, as TT Games needs more time to complete what it's calling "the biggest and best-ever LEGO game." A new release window wasn't announced; TT Games will "provide updated launch timing as soon as possible."

The Skywalker Saga was previously delayed from 2020 to Spring 2021.

Deathloop

Delayed from May 21 to September 14, 2021

Bethesda's stylish, time-looping assassination game was recently delayed by four months. "We're committed to quality and preserving our team's ambitions for Deathloop while ensuring the health and safety of everyone at Arkane," read a statement from developer Arkane Studios. "We'll be using this extra time to accomplish our goal: create a fun, stylish, and mind-bending player experience."

This is Deathloop's second delay; it was previously pushed from its initial Holiday 2020 release window.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids

Delayed from April 29 to May 13, 2021

Wrath of the Druids, the first major expansion for Assassin's Creed Valhalla, was delayed by two weeks. The additional time will allow the development team to "deliver a more refined experience," according to Ubisoft.

Resident Evil Re:Verse

Delayed from May 7 to Summer 2021

Resident Evil Re:Verse, the multiplayer game initially set to be released alongside Resident Evil Village on May 7, has been delayed to Summer 2021, Capcom announced in late April. Capcom didn't reveal a reason for the delay, though it's worth noting the game's beta was previously suspended due to matchmaking issues.

Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach

Delayed from Early 2021 to Late 2021

The next Five Nights at Freddy's was delayed from early 2021 to late 2021. The delay is due to developer Scott Cawthon's decision to "put more time and money into [Security Breach] to make sure it's finished properly." As a consolation, Cawthon released a free FNaF beat 'em up called Security Breach: Fury's Rage on Game Jolt.

This is the second delay for Security Breach; it was previously pushed from late 2020 to early 2021.

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout (Switch and Xbox versions)

Delayed from Summer 2021 to an unannounced later date

In April developer Mediatonic delayed the Switch and Xbox versions of Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout out of their original Summer 2021 release window. The developer said the delay will allow for the implementation of additional features at launch, including crossplay. A new release window was not announced.

Fall Guys was first released on PS4 and PC in August 2020.

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 (PS5 version)

Delayed from June 4 to an unannounced later date

The PS5 version of Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 was delayed indefinitely after CI Games discovered "unforeseen technical issues" while developing for the console. Alongside the delay announcement, CI Games shared that it will now be releasing the first major DLC for free on all platforms.

The sequel will come to all other platforms — Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS4, and PC — as scheduled on June 4.

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Skull & Bones

Delayed from Ubisoft's fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2023*

Ubisoft's long-in-development pirate ship sim Skull & Bones was delayed once again in May, with its release date being pushed back to 2022-2023. "Production led by [Ubisoft] Singapore has been advancing well over the past 12 months and the promise is better than ever," said Ubisoft CFO Frederick Duguet (via VGC). "The additional time will allow the team to fully deliver on its vision."

This is the latest in a series of delays for Skull & Bones, which was initially announced at E3 2017 with a 2018 release window.

*Ubisoft's fiscal year runs from April through the following March, meaning Skull & Bones is now expected between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023.

Axiom Verge 2

Delayed from Early 2021 to Q3 2021

Axiom Verge 2 was recently delayed from its initial early 2021 release window to Q3. Developer Thomas Happ didn't give a specific reason for the delay, though he noted the game "will be better for the additional time." Alongside the announcement, Happ released a free making-of documentary about Axiom Verge.

God of War 2

Delayed from 2021 to 2022

Sony's highly anticipated God of War sequel was delayed from its initial 2021 release window to 2022. According to Herman Hulst, head of PlayStation Studios, the decision was made "to ensure that Santa Monica Studio can deliver the amazing God of War game that we all want to play."

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Which of these are you most disappointed by? Which games of 2021 are you hoping don't get delayed next? Let us know in the comments.