There's bad news for Metroidvania fans: an Axiom Verge 2 release date delay has been announced by Thomas Happ Games. Although it was originally intended to launch this fall, the Axiom Verge 2 delay means it will now launch sometime next year.
Axiom Verge 2 continues the story of the first game in a somewhat unconventional way. It is certainly part of the same universe, but it is also a completely new game with new powers, enemies, and the like. This means that you can play it before or after the original Axiom Verge without worries of spoiling anything.
This pre-sequel to Axiom Verge was intended to launch sometime in the fall of 2020. Unfortunately, a number of difficulties that have arisen during development have caused Thomas Happ to make the difficult decision to push it back to next year.
Why is There an Axiom Verge 2 Delay?
The Axiom Verge 2 release date delay was largely caused by four factors, one of which isn't all that surprising. The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic certainly haven't made things any easier for Thomas Happ Games, but that's far from the primary reason for this game getting its launch pushed back.
To start, Happ says that the enemies in Axiom Verge 2 are "much more sophisticated" than those of the first game, partially due to their ability to scan the environment and chase the player down. Adding to the challenge is a new piece of equipment similar to the "Address Disrupter" from the first game.
Finally, the art style is substantially more complex than that of the first game. While Axiom Verge used tiles to make its levels, this upcoming follow-up has slopes, inclines, and overall smoother terrain.
"[Axiom Verge 2] takes place on a more earth-like planet with natural inclines and dips," Happ said in the Axiom Verge 2 release date delay announcement. "In order to capture that difference, it was critical to formulate seamless tiles that can blend into one another. This may seem like a subtle change, but it has [far-reaching] implications for the design, art, and ultimately feel of the game."
When is the New Axiom Verge 2 Release Date?
Thomas Happ doesn't want to give a specific Axiom Verge 2 release date just yet. For now, he's targeting sometime in the first half of 2021.
"[The] closest I’ll go to making another prediction is that [Axiom Verge 2] will be out in the first half of 2021," Happ said. "Hopefully sooner in that window than later, but I don’t want to disappoint anyone so I’ll just leave it there."
Waiting several more months for this game is a real downer, especially because we aren't entirely certain which platforms it's coming out on; thus far, the Nintendo Switch is the only confirmed platform for Axiom Verge 2. For now, you can buy the first Axiom Verge on PC and current-gen consoles via the game's official website starting at $19.99.
Are you disappointed by the Axiom Verge 2 release date delay? What did you think of the original? Let us know in the comments below!
