PS5 Just Lost a Hotly-Anticipated Launch Game to COVID-19
Deathloop, a timed PS5 launch-exclusive from the studio behind the Dishonored series has been delayed to 2021.| Source: Arkane Studios
- Developer Arkane Studios has announced a delay to Deathloop, pushing release to 2021.
- The studio cites the disruption of work-from-home measures instated due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Deathloop was intended to release alongside Sony’s next-gen PS5 as a timed- exclusive.
The PS5 launch loses one of its most intriguing titles today, as developer Arkane Studios, of Dishonored fame, announced a delay to timed PS5 exclusive, Deathloop.
The first-person action game was slated for release as a timed- exclusive alongside the PS5 during the holiday period 2021 but now won’t arrive until Q2 2021.
In a statement shared on Twitter , Arkane Studios attributed the delay to the work-from-home reshuffle spurred on by the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, Arkane cites the need for additional time to deliver a polished, next-gen game that lives up to fan expectations.
Arkane writes:
“Our ambition for Deathlop is to deliver a signature Arkane game that takes you to never-before-seen places in a stylish new world. At the same time, the health and safety of everyone at Arkane Lyon remains our top priority. As we’ve adjusted to work-from-home, we found that delivering this new and exciting experience, at the polish and quality level that defines both an Arkane game and a true next-gen experience, is taking longer than normal.”
Arkane explains that says the extra will allow the studio to bring to inject Deathloop with the ‘character and fun’ fans expect from the respected developer’s near-faultlessly stylish output. While the studio notes the disappointing nature of the news and apologizes for the delay, it said that pushing Deathloop into next year is the ‘right decision.’
Video: Deathloop gameplay was first unveiled in PlayStation 5’s reveal showcase
PS5 Launch Loses One of Its Most Interesting Third-Party Exclusives
Revealed last year during publisher Bethesda’s E3 showcase , Deathloop was among the more intriguing PS5 launch titles, dropping players into a compelling world defined by two assassins battling it out within a repeating time loop. Trapped on a lawless island known as Black Reef, one strives to solve the loop’s mystery and end it, while the other fights to maintain it’s cyclical nature.
While Deathloop’s absence from the PS5 launch slate won’t spawn repercussions akin to those felt by Halo Infinite’s delay to 2021, it’s yet another sign that this generational transition is anything but ordinary.
We may well see more launch titles follow Deathloop and shift to a release window further into the future as we approach the PS5 and Xbox Series X launch.
