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The COVID-19 pandemic has forced developers to adapt their work pipelines and finish games from home. This has led to multiple delays.
Last year began with a slew of high-profile game delays, most notably Cyberpunk 2077 and the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, but then COVID-19 struck and threw the games industry through a loop. Now that we're into 2021, we'll only be seeing more delays as developers truly begin to understand the effects of the pandemic on their work pipeline. One of the first major delays to come this year was Hogwarts Legacy, being pushed into 2022.
We've compiled a list of every game that has been delayed into 2021 and beyond. Some of these games have been delayed indefinitely, while others have release windows or a final release date.
We'll continually update this list as more games are delayed.
Games delayed in 2020 and 2021
Back 4 Blood
Though of as a spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead, Back 4 Blood is another zombie game from Turtle Rock Studios. It was expected to release this summer, but it has since been pushed back to October 2021 to give the team the time it needs to make it perfect. There will be an open beta period over the summer instead.
Release date: October 12, 2021
Back 4 Blood
You'll need to wait a little bit longer to hop into Back 4 Blood, but hopefully, it will be worth it. The team is no stranger to cooperative zombie experiences.
Deathloop
Arkane needs a little more time with Deathloop. What was supposed to be a launch title on the PS5 and was bumped to May 2021 will now finally (hopefully) release on September 14, 2021. This delay was attributed to keeping the studio healthy and safe while delivering the best game possible. The studio wants it to live up to the level of polish and quality that players expect.
Release date: September 14, 2021
Deathloop
Colt and Juliana are two assassins on the island of Blackreef stuck in a time loop. While it may not have released as a launch title on PS5 like originally planned, you can get your hands on it closer to the summer.
Destiny 2: The Witch Queen
Destiny 2's The Witch Queen expansion was set to release sometime this year; however, the developer realized that it needed to add one more unannounced chapter after its Lightfall expansion to conclude the story satisfyingly, so The Witch Queen got bumped to 2022. When it does release, it will represent "an important evolution in the ongoing story of Destiny 2."
Release date: 2022
Destiny 2: Beyond Light
$40 at Walmart $40 at GameStop
You'll need to wait a little longer to play The Witch Queen, which may feature Savathûn, the Taken King's sister. The upcoming expansion is due out in 2022.
Dying Light 2
Dying Light 2 can't seem to catch a break. It was supposed to hit consoles and PC sometime in Spring 2020, but Techland has since delayed it to December 2021, surprising everyone who thought that the game would languish in development hell.
Release date: December 7, 2021
Dying Light 2
$60 at Amazon $60 at Best Buy $60 Walmart
After creating the Dead Island series, developer Techland moved onto Dying Light, and it became exactly the type of zombie apocalypse game it was hoping for. Dying Light 2 aims to continue the trend whenever it eventually releases.
Far Cry 6
Ubisoft intended to release Far Cry 6 in Feb. 2021, but the company has since delayed it later into the year. Ahead of E3 2021, Ubisoft confirmed that it would be releasing over the fall in October. This delay was attributed to the ongoing pandemic.
Release date: October 7, 2021
Far Cry 6
Far Cry 6 stars Giancarlo Esposito as a dictator raising his son to follow in his footsteps. You'll be able to play it and explore its "tropical paradise" later in 2021.
Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach
The next entry in the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise was due out in 2020, but the developer has since pushed it to late 2021. Scott Cawthon says he's "made the decision to put more time and money into it to make sure it's finished properly." FNAF: Security Breach is expected to launch on PS4, PS5, and PC.
Release date: Late 2021
God of War Ragnarok
We don't know much about the untitled God of War sequel that fans have taken to calling God of War Ragnarok, but we do know that it won't release in 2021 as initially planned. Sony Santa Monica needs some more time and has bumped the release date to sometime in 2022.
Release date: 2022
Gotham Knights
WB Games Montreal's highly anticipated Batman title won't be making its planned release date of 2021. To deliver the best experience possible, Gotham Knights was delayed until next year. When it does launch on PS5, players will be able to take control of the Bat Family and uncover the secrets behind the Court of Owls.
Release date: 2022
Gran Turismo 7
The next entry in Sony's racing franchise was initially planned to hit store shelves this year. Due to the pandemic impacting development and causing production problems, PlayStation boss Jim Ryan revealed that Gran Turismo 7 was bumped until sometime in 2022. The company will share more details when they become available.
Release date: 2022
Hogwarts Legacy
WB Games unveiled Hogwarts Legacy during one of Sony's PS5 press conferences. The upcoming RPG was set to take us back to the popular Wizarding World sometime later this year, but to create "the best possible experience," it was delayed until 2022. It looks like we'll need to wait a little while longer, but hopefully, it's worth it.
Release date: 2022
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Kena: Bridge of Spirits debuted at Sony's PS5 conference in June and was expected to release this holiday, but it was delayed due to development hurdles caused by COVID-19. To give it some extra polish and ensure that it lives up to people's expectations, Ember Lab moved its release date to Q1 2021 and eventually settled on a release date in August.
Release date: August 24, 2021
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga was set to bundle up all nine movies and completely remake the original Lego saga in a new package, but it won't hit its Spring release date after all. TT Games has revealed that it's been delayed, and it will provide more information soon as to when the new launch date is.
Release date: TBD
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
We'll need to wait longer to re-experience the adventures of Anakin, Luke, and Rey in Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. On the bright side, a galaxy far, far away will never look better in Lego form when it comes to PS4 and PS5.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Ubisoft is remaking the classic Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, but in all honesty, the reveal trailer looked... rough. Nothing like what a proper remake should. Though it was intended to release in January 2021, it was first delayed until March 2021 and then delayed indefinitely.
Release date: TBD
Psychonauts 2
Psychonauts 2 has been developing for a few years now, ever since it was crowdfunded through Fig. Last we heard from Double Fine, Psychonauts 2 is set to hit consoles and PC in August 2021. Though the developer is now owned by Microsoft, the game will still come to PlayStation.
Release date: August 25, 2021
Psychonauts 2
Psychonauts set the bar for a psychological platformer, with cleverly implemented humor and understated messages about mental health and the state of the mind. We'll just need to wait a little longer to get our hands on it.
Rainbow Six Extraction
Rainbow Six Extraction — initially titled Rainbow Six Quarantine before the pandemic — was delayed a couple of times before Ubisoft re-revealed it at E3 2021. It is expected to release in September.
Release date: September 16, 2021
Rainbow Six Extraction
Team up and take on a mutating alien virus in Rainbow Six Extraction. It's an entire game inspired by Rainbow Six Siege's Outbreak event in Operation Chimera. The developer ensures that the enemies this virus creates are more lethal than ever.
Riders Republic
Deemed a massive multiplayer sports playground by Ubisoft, Riders Republic was initially meant to release in early 2021. Unfortunately, it's been pushed back until September, right along with the launch of Rainbow Six Extraction.
Release date: September 2, 2021
Riders Republic
The action-packed sports game from Ubisoft was meant to hit relatively soon but was pushed back later into 2021. Hopefully, when it releases, it can live up to the promise of a sports paradise.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is an interesting one. It's easily by far the biggest and most ambitious title from developer Daedalic Entertainment, so it makes sense that it needs more time to ensure that it meets expectations. Daedalic said that it should "fully leverage the power of the new generation of consoles" and "the universe will be faithfully represented" when it launches in 2022.
Release Date: 2022
Skull & Bones
This isn't the first delay that Skull & Bones has suffered, and it probably won't be the last. It was expected to release in Q3/Q4 of 2018 before being pushed into 2019. We can see how that panned out as it's 2020 and it has still yet to release.
Release date: After March 2021
Skull & Bones
Were you ever playing Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and thought it would be awesome to have a full game based on piracy and naval combat? Well, soon (possibly, maybe soon-ish) you can in Skull & Bones.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
Fans have eagerly awaited over a decade for this sequel to the cult classic. Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 was initially scheduled to hit store shelves in March 2020 but was delayed later into 2020 and then further until sometime in 2021 at an unspecified date. The publisher went on to remove the development team completely and delayed it indefinitely.
Release date: TBA (Delayed indefinitely)
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
$60 at Amazon $60 at Best Buy $60 at Walmart
Vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures have secretly shaped all of human history in Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. As a thinblood vampire, your character is weaker than most, but you can work your way up the ladder.
