Deathloop is latest victim of coronavirus-related gaming delays

By Jon Silman August 19, 2020

Arkane Studios is delaying Deathloop, the next game from the developers of Prey and Dishonored, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The company tweeted that the pandemic was causing a lot of disruption to the workflow required to complete the game on time.

“We’ve made the decision to move the launch date of Deathloop to Q2 2021,” Arkane said. “Our ambition for Deathloop is to deliver a signature Arkane game that takes you to never-before-seen-places in a stylish new world.”

Deathloop was announced at E3 2019 and follows protagonist Colt as he tries to figure out a time loop mystery and kill the eight villains responsible for it using his supernatural abilities. He also takes on a rival assassin named Julianna, who can be played by someone else in online mode. Deathloop was originally scheduled for a fourth-quarter release this year.

Arkane said the “health and safety” of everyone at the company is a top priority.

“As we’ve adjusted to work-from-home, we found that delivering this new and exciting experience, at the polish and level that defines both an Arkane game and a true next-gen experience, is taking longer than normal,” Arkane said. “This extra time will allow our team to bring Deathloop‘s world to life with as much character and fun as you’ve come to expect from our team.”

The game was going to be a timed console exclusive on both the PlayStation 4 and 5.

“While we know this is the right decision for Deathloop, we share your disappointment, and apologize for making you wait any longer,” Arkane said. “Thank you for your support and excitement. Your positive feedback has helped us as we continue to work from the confines of our homes. We can’t wait to share more details about Deathloop with you, so keep your eyes open for our next update, coming soon.”

Deathloop is the latest in a series of games that have been delayed due to the ongoing pandemic. Halo Infinite, which was supposed to be a launch title for the Xbox Series X, was also delayed. The Last of Us II was delayed a few months before being released on June 19, and Cyberpunk 2077 has been delayed numerous times.

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