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Every video game delay that has happened in 2023 so far

Tomas Franzese
By

Few things feel as inevitable in the video game industry as delays. Ever since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, game delays have only become more and more common as developers find previously set timelines unrealistic and adjust their release plans accordingly. Even just about one month into 2023, notable games like Skull and Bones and The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR have already gotten delayed. Because video game release date delays are so common, it can be tough to keep track of every game that has had its launch date shifted in some way.

That’s why, just as we did in 2021 and 2022, Digital Trends is rounding up every game delay that’s announced throughout 2023. Here are the high-profile ones that have happened so far, listed chronologically by their new intended release dates.

The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR (March 16)

The player shoots at a zombie in The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR.

As Until Dawn: Rush of Blood is one of the best games for PlayStation VR, The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR, Supermassive Games’ PlayStation VR2 successor, is a highly anticipated launch title for the upcoming VR headset. Unfortunately, it will no longer make PlayStation VR2’s February 22 launch and will instead be released on March 16. On Twitter, a message from Supermassive Games says this delay will ensure that players “receive the most polished, terrifying experience possible” at release.

Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key (March 24)

Ryza explores an open area in Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key.

Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key is the latest in a long line of niche RPGs with a very dedicated fan base. While it was supposed to release on February 24, publisher Koei Tecmo decided to push the game’s release back one month to March 23. “In order to make this game a fitting finale for Ryza and her friends, we have taken on challenges such as adventuring in a vast open field and graphics that express the charm of these characters to the fullest extent,” producer Junzo Hosoi explained in a tweet. “Our team will take this additional time to fine-tune the final touches so that we can deliver to all of you who have been following the series the best possible experience in this culmination of Ryza and her friend’s adventures.”

The Last of Us Part I for PC (March 28)

Ellie pets a giraffe in The Last of Us Part I.

Originally slated for March 3, fans will need to wait a little bit longer for The Last of Us series’ debut on PC. One month ahead of that original release date, Naughty Day announced that the PC version of The Last of Us Part One was delayed by a couple of weeks to March 28. The developer says this delay “will allow us to ensure this version of The Last of Us lives up to your, and our, standards.”

EA Sports PGA Tour (April 7)

A golfer swings from a sand pit in EA Sports PGA Tour.

With less than a month to go until its release, EA made the decision to push back EA Sports PGA Tour by two weeks. Originally slated for a March 24 release, the golf game will now come out on April 7, with those who pre-ordered the Deluxe Edition getting early access on April 4. EA pushed it back slightly to line the release up better with the Masters Tournament and “add a few final touches to the game that we are very excited to deliver to all of you, including updates to some favorite courses to reflect 2023 designs.” 

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (April 28)

Cal Kestis looking out over a desert town.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the eagerly anticipated sequel to Respawn Entertainment’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, got pushed back by six weeks, just a month and a half before its originally intended March 17 release date. The game will now come out on April 28, but should be a more polished and less buggy experience because of that. “In order for the team to hit the Respawn quality bar, provide the team the time they need, and achieve the level of polish our fans deserve, we have added six crucial weeks to our release schedule,” director Stig Asmussen explained in a tweet about the delay.

Amnesia: The Bunker (May 16)

The player looks at fire in Amnesia: The Bunker.

Originally announced last December with a March 2023 release window, Amnesia: The Bunker will now be released by Frictional Games on May 16. The developers gave no reason for this two-month delay, but likely realized they needed more time to polish the experience. That’s because this is going to be a systems-heavy horror game that relies on player choice as they explore a creepy bunker during World War I. Still, at least horror fans now know exactly when they can expect the game, rather than just having a month-long release window. 

The Day Before (November 10)

A player walks through an abandoned city in The Day Before.

The most suspicious delay to happen yet this year is for The Day Before. This game gained fame for becoming Steam’s most wish-listed game, but has encountered controversy over its developer’s lack of transparency and use of volunteers. Developer Fntastic and publisher Mytona claim that someone else has trademarked the game’s title before they could. Because of this, Fntastic said on Twitter that it needed to delay the game to November 10 from March 1 “to ensure we release the best possible game,” much to the ire of fans of this anticipated zombie MMO. We’ll need to wait and see if The Day Before can sort out this trademark dispute and make the new release date.

Forza Motorsport (TBA 2023)

A car rendered in beautiful detail in Forza Motorsport for Xbox Series X.

Forza Motorsport had a spring 2023 release window when it reappeared at 2022’s Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, but when it was featured in January 2023’s Developer_Direct, that release window changed to just 2023. “We’re not ready just yet to share our release date, and the wait will be worth it when we launch this year,” a Microsoft spokesperson tells Digital Trends. “We know the community is excited for more updates, including our release date, and we’re fortunate to work on a game and franchise that means so much to so many. We can’t wait to share more details soon.”

Skull & Bones (early 2023 to 2024)

Ubisoft’s long-awaited and oft-delayed pirate game Skull and Bones has made the list yet again. It finally seemed like the game was going to come out on March 9, but after the underperformance of Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, Ubisoft announced a delay into the wide release window of “early 2023 to 2024” in order to ensure Skull and Bones’ quality. “The additional time has already paid off and brought impressive improvements to its quality, which has been confirmed by recent playtests,” Ubisoft said of the delay. “We believe players will be positively surprised by its evolution. We have decided to postpone its release in order to have more time to showcase a much more polished and balanced experience and to build awareness.”

The Wolf Among Us 2 (2024)

After reemerging last year with a 2023 release window, Telltale Games’ highly anticipated sequel to The Wolf Among Us has been pushed back to 2024. Speaking to IGN, Telltale CEO Jamie Ottilie explained that its developers are upgrading The Wolf Among Us 2 from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal Engine 5, and are pushing it back to avoid any crunch. “If we put this game out and it’s not ready, we’re going to get torn to shreds,” he explained. “I’ve done [crunch], and I don’t want to do it again, and it’s not fair to ask it. You can’t plan a business around it. So yeah, part of it is about maintaining a healthy work culture. We don’t want to burn out our good people.” 

Warhammer 40K: Darktide for Xbox Series X/S (TBA)

A horde rushing at the player in Warhammer 40K Darktide.

The Xbox Series X/S version of Warhammer 40K: Darktide was supposed to release alongside the PC version in September 2022, but that’s not how things ultimately played out. When the game got pushed back to November 30, 2022, the Xbox Series X/S version of the sci-fi shooter lost its release date, but was said to launch “shortly after” the PC version. Sadly, that’s no longer the case. The Xbox port hasn’t released in the months since Warhammer 40K: Darktide’s launch, and in a new message on Twitter, the developers at Fatshark revealed that they have indefinitely pushed back the Xbox Series X/S release so they can focus on reworking the crafting and progression systems, fix bugs, and improve the game’s performance on PC over the next few months. Hopefully, the port will eventually see the light of day later this year. 

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Warhammer Skulls stream spotlights Darktide, Boltgun, and more
Tomas Franzese
By Tomas Franzese
June 1, 2022
A space marine stars at the camera in the trailer for Warhammer: Space Marine 2.

Games Workshop held a Warhammer Skulls livestream today where it gave updates on existing and announced Warhammer games, in addition to revealing a couple of new ones. 
Fatshark kicked things off by affirming that the release date for Xbox console-exclusive Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is still September 13 via a new cinematic trailer. In the wake of Starfield and Redfall's delay to 2023, this is currently one of the bright spots of Xbox Game Pass' 2022 lineup. As a cooperative shooter, it seems like Warhammer 40,000: Darktide will be a good fit for Xbox Game Pass in the same way that games like Back 4 Blood and The Anacrusis are.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide - Rejects Will Rise
We also got a look at other announced but unreleased Warhammer titles like sports RPG Blood Bowl 3 and AAA action game Space Marine 2, but there wasn't much in the way of substantial updates for them outside of a new beta for Blood Bowl 3. In addition, 2D cooperative shooter Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood, and Teef got an October 20 release, but isn't currently confirmed for Xbox Game Pass like Darktide. You can "WAAAGH!! with da Boyz" according to the trailer, though. 
Updates for Warhammer games like Total War: Warhammer 3, Chaos Gate Daemonhunters, Vermintide 2, Battlesector, Inquisitor -- Martyr, and some mobile titles also populated the showcase, but the most interesting parts of Warhammer Skulls were the new announcements. Players that enjoy Hearthstone, Legends of Runeterra, or Marvel Snap will welcome the announcement of Warforge, an upcoming Warhammer CCG for PC and mobile that also contains a healthy amount of single-play content.
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun - Reveal Trailer
Those looking for a meatier Warhammer experience will want to keep an eye on the newly announced Boltgun and Rogue Trader. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is an FPS game from Auroch Digital that emulates old-school PC shooters like Doom with its visuals and gameplay. It's part of the ever-growing boomer shooter trend and launches for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X in 2023. Meanwhile, Pathfinder: Kingmaker developer Owlcat Games is creating Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, which is, surprisingly, the first traditional CRPG set in the Warhammer universe. If you enjoyed the Pathfinder video games or Pillars of Eternity, keep an eye on Rogue Trader.
Announcement Teaser Trailer | Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader
Overall, it's clear that Warhammer fans have a lot of options at their disposal right now when it comes to new games to play. Some of these, like Darktide and Space Marine 2, also have the potential to become more mainstream than we might expect. 
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The best video games for kids
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Finding the best video games for kids is no easy task. There are a lot of video games geared toward children, and some of the bestselling games of all time are made for a younger audience, but sifting through all the options to find what's "good" is quite the undertaking.

Thankfully, you don't have to go through the process. We've rounded up 30 of the top games for children across PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC. Although we've included ESRP ratings for reference, some of them don't quite fit. For example, Super Mario Odyssey is rated E10+ for everyone 10 and older, but the game doesn't feature any content that really earns that rating, especially compared to previous 3D Mario games.

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Xbox Game Pass adds Madden 22, but loses Titanfall
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The Green Bay Packers vs the Minnesota Vikings in Madden NFL 22.

Microsoft revealed on Xbox Wire the Xbox Game Pass titles we can expect in the back half of February. While Total War: Warhammer 3 and Madden NFL 22 are coming to the service, it's an otherwise quiet lineup preceding the removal of some good indie games and the original Titanfall.
Total War: Warhammer III is the latest game in Sega's real-time strategy game series based on the popular board game. The game sits at a score of 87 on review aggregate site Metacritic and is a day one Game Pass title --  but it's only available on the PC version of the service.

The next most notable title is Madden NFL 22. EA's annual football franchise is one of the most popular series in gaming. It will be available through EA Play (an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate bonus) on console and PC.
Outside of that, Xbox Game Pass subscribers can expect a couple of simulation games on console, as well as Alice: Madness Returns on PC and the Mass Effect Legendary Edition on the cloud. Here's the full list of titles joining Xbox Game Pass during the remainder of February: 

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