Category: Games

Game delays became more prevalent in 2020 due to the spread of COVID-19, as studios adjusted to the logistical challenges and limitations of working from home. And with the pandemic still affecting how studios operate for the foreseeable future, that trend will likely continue throughout 2021.

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, these are all 16 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 “a later date.”

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 date wasn’t announced.

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

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.

Platforms: PC, Stadia | Developer: Amplitude Studios

Back 4 Blood

• Delayed from June 21 to October 12

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.

Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, Xbox One | Developer: Turtle Rock Studios

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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.

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Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN.

With April just around the corner, Pokemon Go developer Niantic has outlined a new slate of events and activities set to kick off soon in the game. In addition to April’s Community Day, the studio will hold a variety of events next month, from new Team Go Rocket Timed Research to a spring-themed celebration and more. You can read up on Pokemon Go’s biggest April 2021 events below.

April 2021 Research Breakthrough Reward: Frillish

Niantic is rolling out new Field Research tasks along with a new Research Breakthrough reward beginning April 1. Each time you achieve a Research Breakthrough in April, you’ll earn a chance to catch male Frillish. To achieve a Research Breakthrough, you’ll need to amass seven stamps in the game. You’ll get one stamp for the first Field Research task you complete each day.

Tornadus, Thundurus, And Landorus Raids

The Legendary Forces of Nature will appear in five-star Raids throughout April as well. Therian Forme Tornadus will make its debut in the game during the first half of the month, with Therian Forme Landorus following during the second half. Before April ends, all three Legendaries will return to Raids in their Incarnate forms. You can see the full Legendary Raid schedule for April 2021 below:

• March 30 – April 13: Therian Forme Tornadus
• April 13 – April 27: Therian Forme Landorus
• April 27 – TBD: Incarnate Forme Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus

Mega Raids

Pokemon Go’s current crop of Mega Raid bosses–Mega Houndoom, Mega Manectric, and Mega Abomasnow–are slated to appear until April 4. After that, Niantic teases that a “surprise Mega-Evolved Pokemon” will make its debut in the game. That monster will appear in Mega Raids through the rest of the month, while a few other Mega Pokemon will rotate out over the next few weeks. You can see the Mega Raid schedule for April below:

• April 4 – April 30: “Surprise” Mega-Evolved Pokemon
• April 5 – April 20: Mega Gengar and Mega Manectric
• April 20 – TBD: Mega Venusaur and Mega Abomasnow

April Pokemon Spotlight Hours

Every Tuesday evening in April, Niantic will spotlight a specific Pokemon and bonus for one hour, from 6-7 PM local time. The full schedule of April’s Spotlight Hours is as follows:

Date	Spotlight Pokemon	Special Bonus
April 6	Buneary	2x transfer Candy
April 13	Mankey	2x evolution XP
April 20	Grimer	2x catch Stardust
April 27	Finneon	2x catch XP

April Community Day

April’s Community Day is set for Sunday, April 11. The event runs from 11 AM to 5 PM local time, and the featured Pokemon this month is the Gen 5 starter Snivy. Not only will Snivy appear in the wild more frequently than usual throughout the event, but any that you can evolve all the way into Serperior will learn the Community Day-exclusive move Frenzy Plant.

Other April Events

Niantic has teased a few other events for April. The studio hasn’t announced too many details about these just yet, but it offered a quick overview of some events and activities on the horizon next month.

Team Go Rocket Timed Research

Niantic is rolling out another line of Team Go Rocket Timed Research tasks from April 1-8. Completing these will net you a Super Rocket Radar, which will allow you to track down and battle Team Rocket leader Giovanni. The villainous trainer will have a Shadow Zapdos at his command this time around, and you’ll have a chance to rescue it if you defeat him.

Spring Into Spring

Niantic is holding a spring-themed event from April 4-8. Throughout the event, the studio says there will be “spring- and egg-themed surprises,” and you’ll have a chance to catch Chansey, Blissey, and Happiny wearing flower crowns.

Rivals’ Week

The Rivals’ Week event takes place from April 13-18. That event will spotlight Pokemon that are rivals, including a few that will be making their debut in the game for the first time.

Sustainability Week

Niantic is following Rivals’ Week with a Sustainability Week. Throughout that event, Pokemon like Grimer and Trubbish will appear in the wild more frequently than usual.

Friendship Day

Niantic is holding a new kind of event called Friendship Day on April 24, although no further details have been announced yet.

A movie based on Ghost of Tsushima is in the works, with John Wick’s Chad Stahelski attached to direct it, according to a report from Deadline.

The movie is coming from Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions, the internal company that is charged with adapting Sony’s video game franchises for TV and film. PlayStation Studios is also behind the Uncharted movie with Tom Holland and the Last of Us TV show with HBO.

Sucker Punch, the developer of Ghost of Tsushima, is an executive producer on the movie.

“We’re excited to be partnering with Chad and 87Eleven Entertainment, to bring their vision of Jin’s story to the big screen,” PlayStation Productions boss Asad Qizilbash said. “We love working with creative partners like Chad, who have a passion for our games, ensuring we can create rich adaptations that will excite our fans and new audiences.”

It’s still early days for the Ghost of Tsushima movie, and there is no word yet on the cast or when filming may begin. Similarly, the film has no release date yet.

It’s just the latest video game to get spun into a film, as it was just recently announced that Rebellion’s Sniper Elite is coming to the big screen from the producers of the Assassin’s Creed movie.

Back 4 Blood has been pushed to October 12, 2021, a delay of nearly four months from its previous date. In a statement, Turtle Rock Studios said it needs more time to make the zombie co-op shooter. On the bright side, it will be offering another chance at the beta in the meantime.

“Turtle Rock Studios is working hard to make Back 4 Blood the best game it can possibly be at launch and the team needs more time to do this,” the studio said in a statement on Twitter. “Therefore, we will release Back 4 Blood on October 12, 2021. We thank our community for its continued support and are excited to share that there will be an open beta this summer.”

The release date had previously been set for June 22. This explanation notably does not cite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has impacted development for many games and studios in the past year.

Turtle Rock hosted a brief PC alpha test last year. It did state at the time that players should “stay tuned for more opportunities to play the game in the future.”

Back 4 Blood is Turtle Rock’s shot at creating a new property similar to Left 4 Dead, with a team of four players working together to fend off hordes of vicious zombies. You play as a group of humean “Cleaners” fighting against zombie “Ridden.” It will sport both cooperative PvE and competitive PvP, the latter of which will have teams taking turns playing as both the Cleaners and Ridden sides. Turtle Rock does see room for improvement on the classic, though, saying it wants to facilitate better teamwork.

Many more details about MLB The Show 21 have come to light, including updates on helping new players learn the basics, new two-way player abilities, more animations, and the Stadium-creator feature. Sony announced these new details in a blog post, and we’re rounding up the key highlights here.

Easier For Newcomers

Described as “the friendliest Show yet,” MLB The Show 21 includes a number of features to help learn the ropes. This includes a new “route to ball indicator” that shows you the best approach to take to field the ball, an improved throw accuracy meter, and other assists for jumping and diving. There is also a brand-new Casual mode that teaches you the basics. You can graduate out of Casual and try more advanced difficulty modes later on.

A New Player Type

New for MLB The Show 21 is the ability to create a two-way player, which means a player who excels at both offense and defense. Players can use their created character across Road to the Show, the online mode Diamond Dynasty, and others.

More Animations

There are lots of new animation and stances in MLB The Show 21, including more than 100 that are based on the real-world actions of players in the league for bat flips, home run swings, and tosses. There are 140 new batting stances, 250 batting stances that have been made over, 160 new pitching animations, and 180 redone pitching animations. There are also 1,000 new fielding animations to help the game look more realistic.

Stadium Creator

Probably the biggest and most-exciting new feature for MLB The Show 21 is the Stadium Creator, which allows players to make whatever they want. PlayStation’s Ramone Russell told GameSpot this is the biggest new feature for the game in the past 10-15 years. Available only on next-gen platforms, the Stadium Creator has more than 1,000 props that players can use to create the field of their dreams. And it’s not limited to the real world, as players can create floating UFOs that hover in the background. These creations can be shared with friends and the community at large, and Russell tells GameSpot there will be a moderation system to help keep griefing and other bad behavior to a minimum.

More To Be Announced Later

For every Thursday until launch, PlayStation will announce more features and details for MLB The Show 21. Some of the upcoming reveals include more information on the next-gen updates, new details on Diamond Dynasty, and fresh insight on the franchise mode.

MLB The Show 21 launches on April 20 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. For more, check out GameSpot’s interview with Russell where he talks about bringing the game to Xbox and more.