9 of the biggest 2020 game delays, from 'Final Fantasy 7' to 'Last of Us 2'
Just a few more months.
Delays are ubiquitous in the video game industry, especially when players expect enormous digital worlds, enthralling stories, and cutting-edge graphics. Last year saw monumental releases, like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Death Stranding, and a comparable number of high-profile delays. Here are eight of this year’s biggest games that have been bumped back from their original release window.
9. Fairy Tail - June 25 (PC) & June 26 (PS4 & Switch)
Popular Japanese manga series Fairy Tail is being adopted into a role-playing game by developer Gust Co. and publisher Koei Tecmo, but fans will have to wait a few extra months before they're able to jum pinto Natsu Dragneel's shoes.
Game’s producer Keisuke Kikuchi announced that the Fairy Tail release date would be pushed back from March 20 to June 25 for PC and June 26 for PS4 and Switch, in a statement issued February 6. He apologized for the delay but promised it would lead to a more polished final product.
"I am truly sorry for Fairy Tail's delay, and the inconvenience caused to our fans, partners, and stakeholders who are looking forward to this title," he wrote. "Please allow us to take further time to polish the game to ensure it is as high quality as possible, so we can offer you a truly immersive experience."
Koei Tecmo showed off a demo of Fairy Tale last October during EGX 2019 in London that demonstrated the game's turn-based combat and early quests.
8.The Last of Us Part 2 - May 29
A brief shot of the Bloaters that Ellie will take on in 'The Last of Us Part 2'.
The Last of Us Part 2 is widely considered one of the most anticipated sequels of all time, but Sony and Naughty Dog announced back in October that Ellie and Joel’s next adventure would be pushed back three months.
It was initially slated to release on February 21, but it’s now set for May 29. Creative director Neil Druckmann said the change was meant to ensure TLOU2 is “polished” and met Naughty Dog’s standard of quality. The game was first announced back in December 2016.
7. Final Fantasy 7 Remake - April 10
After a massive leak in December 2019, Final Fantasy 7 Remake was bumped back from March 3 to April 10, Square Enix announced in early January. Producer Yoshinori Kitase said the development team needed a “few extra weeks to apply final polish.”
Square Enix is completely overhauling the 1997 release of FF7 in episodic installments. This will be the first of a series of titles following the adventures of Cloud Strife, but fans will need to hold out for a bit longer. The remake was first announced at E3 2015.
6. Marvel’s Avengers - September 4
Days before FF7 Remake was pushed back, the heads of Crystal Dynamics announced Marvel’s Avengers won’t come out until September 4, instead of May 15.
The superhero title is also being published by Square Enix and was a natural move for Marvel after its films struck such a chord with audiences around the world. The game was first announced in January 2017.
5. Animal Crossing: New Horizons - March 20
Nintendo had a stellar 2019, with hordes of fans swarming to purchase the Switch thanks to titles like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Pokémon Sword and Shield. But last year was a bit of a bummer for those eagerly awaiting Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Nintendo announced the game would be pushed back to March 2020 from its vague 2019 release date window. Nintendo’s Yoshiaki Koizumi said the change was necessary to “ensure the game is the best it can be.” It was originally announced during a September 2018 Direct.
4.Watch Dogs: Legion - Some time after April 1
'Watch Dogs: Legions' is set in a near-future London.
Watch Dogs: Legion is one of several upcoming Ubisoft games to suffer a setback. The dystopian adventure was originally due out March 6, though the developer delayed its release substantially back in October.
Ubisoft reps said Legion would be pushed into its fiscal 2020-2021 year, which begins on April 1, but declined to give a more specific date. It was first teased in June 2019, ahead of an official reveal at E3.
3.Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Quarantine - Some time after April 1
Ubisoft’s tactical co-op shooter, Rainbow Six Quarantine, was pushed back along with the latest installment of Watch Dogs.
Company president Yves Guillemot chalked up the delays to the recent flops of The Division 2 and Ghost Recon Breakpoint. He said the company aims to “deliver optimal experience for players” this time around. An official release date was never announced in the first place, but don’t expect it any sooner than April 1.
2. Skull & Bones - Some time after April 1
Rounding off the trio of Ubisoft games running far behind schedule is Skull & Bones, which got the same vague release window as Watch Dogs: Legion and Rainbow Six Quarantine. Making matters worse, Skull & Bones had already been pushed back by a year in 2018.
The open-world pirate adventure’s release date has always been up in the air, even though a demo was playable as far back as E3 2017. Early builds of the game garnered strong first impressions, but multiple delays don’t inspire a lot of confidence. We’ll hope to see this hat tip to Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag later in 2020.
1.DOOM Eternal - March 20
The gory, demon-slaying FPS DOOM Eternal was delayed by about four months. The follow-up to DOOM (2016) was initially announced at E3 2018 by Bethesda and early gameplay was seen in August 2018.
However, developer id Software announced the new March 20 release date on Twitter a month before its original November 22 deadline.
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