It looks like the Gran Turismo 7 release date is delayed to later in 2021going by a recent change in a PS5 trailer. Furthermore, Project Athia will be a PS5 console exclusive for quite some time.
Gran Turismo 7 is the next great game in the Gran Turismo franchise, a series of racing games that have been exclusive to PlayStation consoles. The last core release in the franchise was Gran Turismo 6 back in 2013 and fans of the franchise were eager to play the next one. Unfortunately, it looks like they're going to have to wait a bit longer.
Check out the PS5's New and Upcoming Games Trailer to see some of the cool new stuff coming to the console in the future!
Why is Gran Turismo 7 Being Delayed?
There wasn't any reason given for the Gran Turismo 7 release date delay. A thread on ResetEra highlighted the apparent change, noting that the above trailer had changed some text regarding the game's release date.
According to screenshots in the thread, the trailer originally had the following text on screen:
Gran Turismo 7, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Returnal: Anticipated first half 2021.
The current trailer live on YouTube now reads as the following:
Gran Turismo 7: In development for PlayStation.
It's unclear if the original release date announcement of "first half 2021" was in error or if something had changed in-between the time the trailer was produced and when it actually went live on YouTube.
When is the New Gran Turismo 7 Release Date?
Unfortunately, there has not been a firm announcement of a Gran Turismo 7 release date just yet, although it looks like the odds are good that it will still be coming sometime in 2021.
Judging by the reported changes in the trailer, it appears that the developers may have been hoping to get the game out the door in the first six months of 2021. With this change, it's more likely that it will arrive sometime later in the year, possibly in September or November of 2021 to capitalize on holiday purchases.
Project Athia Will Be PS5-Exclusive for Two Years
Aside from today's Gran Turismo 7 release date news, there was another surprising reveal in the PS5 games trailer: Project Athia will be a PS5 console exclusive for two years as noted by the following text (via @Wario64):
In development for PS5.
*Also available on PC. Not available on other consoles until at least 24 months after release date.
Of course, it should be noted that Project Athia will be a PS5 console exclusive — the game's official website shows that it's also coming to PC, presumably at or around the same time it launches on PS5.
Having to wait so long for new PS5 games is surely disappointing for fans who were looking for new games to enjoy. That said, it's almost always worth the wait when a game is delayed, so there's a measure of comfort to be taken in waiting for the developers to get everything just right.
What do you think of the apparent Gran Turismo 7 release date delay? Are you disappointed to see Project Athia not coming to Xbox Series X|S for two years after launch? Let us know in the comments below!
