There’s disappointing news coming from Arkane Studios today, as the developer’s upcoming next-gen shooter Deathloop has been pushed back five months, with a new provisional release date of September 14, 2021.
A statement shared to the studio’s Twitter announced the delay, but didn’t give a specific reason. With that said, the mention of “ensuring the health and safety of everyone at Arkane” suggests the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to impact the game’s development. The statement, co-signed by game director Dinga Bakaba and Art Director Sebastien Mitton, assures readers that the delay will help ensure a “fun, stylish, and mind-bending player experience,” so hopes will remain high despite the bad news.
This comes just days after Bakaba unveiled the concept of Deathloop’s multiplayer, which will allow players to anonymously raid their friends’ worlds and wreak havoc. The interview also included details of some of the wacky weapon designs, and news that the game will make use of the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller to provide haptic trigger feedback based on the quality of the weapon the player chooses to use.
It also seemed that the promotional campaign was gearing up to the initial May launch, with a clever April Fool’s joke announcing a Deathloop-branded cereal, appropriately named Deathloops. Despite the delay, it seems the game is somewhere near completion. Based on the statement provided, it’s likely the game was postponed for extended polishing instead of a total overhaul.
Published by Bethesda, Deathloop stars Colt, an assassin stuck in an endless time loop until he completes the task of eliminating eight high-value targets named Visionaries. The first-person shooting mechanics seem heavily influenced by Arkane’s previous work on the Dishonored franchise, and with a main quest set to last around fifteen hours, it’s sure to be the first bona-fide next-gen shooter experience when it launches on PlayStation 5 and PC this September.
