Fatshark and Level Infinite announced the delay of the cooperative sci-fi shooter Warhammer 40K: Darktide. While it does have a new November 30 release date for PC, no new launch day for the Xbox Series X/S version was shared. As a result, Xbox may have just lost an important console exclusive during a year with a nearly barren Xbox Series X/S exclusive lineup.
The announcement was made via a tweet written by Fatshark CEO Martin Wahlund. “Delaying a game is perhaps one of the most difficult decisions a developer faces and one we are not excited about making,” Wahlund writes. “Still, we hope this speaks to our commitment to taking the time necessary and doing whatever it takes to get you the best possible game. While we have been humbled by the great feedback on the game so far, we also need more time to improve stability and performance, and to mature key systems. Each is critical to making sure we have the best possible experience for you, the players.”
While Warhammer 40K: Darktide was originally going to launch for PC and Xbox Series X/S on September 16, now just the PC version will arrive on November 30 with several technical tests happening ahead of launch. Wahlund says the Xbox Series X/S release “will launch shortly after PC, with a specific launch date to come.”
— Warhammer 40K: Darktide (@Darktide40K) July 28, 2022
As a result of this indefinite delay on console, we are no longer sure Warhammer 4oK: Darktide will release in 2022. If it still does, it’ll just barely make it out in December 2022 to round out Xbox’s 2022 exclusive lineup. If the Xbox Series X/S version of Warhammer 40K: Darktide does slip into 2023, that’s even worse for Xbox. Following the delay of Redfall and Starfield, Xbox has been left with a paltry 2022 lineup.
After the release of Forza Horizon 5′s Hot Wheels DLC and As Dusk Falls on July 19, the only Microsoft-published exclusive games we can expect throughout the rest of 2022 are the 1.0 launch of Grounded and medieval adventure game Pentiment. That puts a lot of pressure on third-party console exclusives like Warhammer 40K: Darktide to make Xbox’s fall lineup compelling. Losing Warhammer 40K: Darktide would make a brutal 2022 even worse for Xbox exclusives as fans can only hope that titles like Scorn, Sommerville, and Slime Rancher 2 actually come out this year.
Warhammer 40K: Darktide will be released for PC on November 30.
