The current COVID-19 pandemic has done a number on the development side of the games industry and has caused a large swath of delays over the last year. Deathloop, Arkane Studios’ upcoming title, has now been affected once again and will now be releasing on September 14th.
An update on DEATHLOOP from @ArkaneStudios: pic.twitter.com/tJwUSM5vum
— DEATHLOOP (@deathloop) April 8, 2021
The game’s director and art director both appeared in a video on Arkane’s Twitter account to shed light on this latest delay. In short, the studio wants to ensure that the game gets all of the time it needs while also trying to keep its crew safe during these unprecedented times. At the end of the day, the safety of those involved with the development of Deathloop is the most important thing. Given Arkane’s pedigree for quality, it’s safe to say that they want more time to bring players something truly enjoyable as long as the team is also taking care of themselves.
This is not the first delay that Deathloop across its development. The game was originally slated for a late 2020 release before being delayed to May of this year. With the new date now being September 14th, Arkane will have extra time to polish the game as they see fit. A task that seemingly was not feasible with its previous release date coupled with the coronavirus looming over the industry.
As sad as it may be that a game that many people were clamoring for has been pushed back, it’s a decision that makes sense given the current state of things. Delaying games has become a common practice in the wake of a global pandemic, but if it means the safety of those behind the scenes then they are always going to be the best course of action.
