Elden Ring has been delayed. It's not news we wanted to hear, either, but given how long it's been in development, along with the sheer scope of the project leads us to not be surprised in the least.
Originally slated for January 21, 2022, Elden Ring was one of the first hugely anticipated games off the blocks for next year. Now, it's been pushed back to just over a month later, on February 25. It's not the biggest delay we've ever seen, and we've stomached much worse (looking at you, Cyberpunk 2077) but Elden Ring now finds itself releasing alongside some pretty fierce competition.
Important message:ELDEN RING will release on Feb 25, 2022, as the depth & strategic freedom of the game exceeded initial expectations. Thank you for your trust & patience. We look forward to seeing you experience the game in the Closed Network Test in Nov.The #ELDENRING TeamOctober 18, 2021
That same week sees the release of the Destiny 2: The Witch Queen expansion as well as a much anticipated series reboot in the form of Saints Row. Oh, not to mention a little-known PS5 title by the name of Horizon Forbidden West. What a week, huh?
Thankfully it's not all doom and gloom. As mentioned in the official tweet above, a lucky handful of fans will get to play Elden Ring ahead of time, thanks to a closed network test happening in November 2021.
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Analysis: Delay as much as you need
Is it disappointing that Elden Ring has been delayed? Of course it is. Both Soulsborne and action RPG fans in general are chomping at the bit to get their hands on FromSoftware's most ambitious title to date. However, if a delay as minor as this allows the team to grant the game that much extra polish, then we say have at it.
As mentioned earlier, Elden Ring is a massive title, and the nature of open world games is that there's usually far more game to run through QA testing to help iron out bugs and glitches on a more momentous scale. Not to mention that Elden Ring is being developed for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC as well as last-gen's PS4 and Xbox One, and there's greater chance for problems to arise on individual systems.
If Elden Ring needs a little more time in the oven, then so be it. Nobody wants the game to be a letdown, so if the delay gives FromSoftware the extra time and resources it needs to iron out the creases, the game will be all the better for it.
In the meantime, there's plenty of other titles to keep us busy. Final Fantasy 14's next big expansion, Endwalker, is out this November, alongside Forza Horizon 5. December (hopefully) gives us Halo Infinite, and should Elden Ring need any further delays, well, we have Saints Row, Destiny 2 and Horizon Forbidden West to fall back on.
Take your time, FromSoftware.
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