Did a bunch of game developers meet up and decide to announce their delays together? Cyberpunk 2077, Marvel's Avengers, and Final Fantasy VII Remake were officially delayed one after another this week. Some of the delays even seem to cooperate with each other; for instance, while Cyberpunk 2077 has been pushed back to this fall, Final Fantasy VII Remake is set to take its original spot in April. All of the delays also appear to have the same motivation: more time to create an even better game experience.
Besides the numerous delays in this week’s gaming news roundup, players can find news about upcoming Fire Emblem DLC, Sony skipping E3 again, the gaming community continuing to make donations to wildfire relief efforts in Australia, and more.
Highlights From This Week's Gaming News
CD PROJEKT RED Announces Cyberpunk 2077 Delay
Cyberpunk 2077 has lost its April release date, and is now scheduled to launch this September. CD PROJEKT RED co-founder Marcin Iwiński and studio head Adam Badowski shared that the game is actually playable and finished, but the development team needs more time to playtest and refine the game.
Fantasy Flight Shuts Down Star Wars: Destiny
Fantasy Flight Games' card and dice game, Star Wars: Destiny, is wrapping up this year. The game will produce one more release, the upcoming expansion "Covert Missions," and hold one last World Championship at the Fantasy Flight Games Center in May.
Last Fire Emblem: Three Houses DLC Launches Next Month
Fire Emblem: Three Houses will have their last set of DLC, “Cindered Shadows,” launch this February. “Cindered Shadows” will include new quests and classes.
Byleth is Coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
The latest DLC fighter to join Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is Byleth, another character from the Fire Emblem franchise. As a fighter in Super Smash Bros., Byleth will specialize in ranged combat.
GameStop Holiday Sales Down Nearly 30% for 2019
During the 2019 holiday season, GameStop sales dropped almost 30 percent. GameStop CEO George Sherman said that despite this, there has been continued growth in the Nintendo Switch platform, leading to the belief that the upcoming release of new consoles will boost GameStop sales in the future.
Humble Sweet Farm Bundle Takes Us Back to Nature
Humble Sweet Farm Bundle is a new farming-themed sale from Humble Bundle that includes content like Stardew Valley, MagiCat and its soundtrack, and Ultimate Chicken Horse.
There Will Be No PlayStation E3 2020 Conference, Sony Says
Sony is a no-show at this year's E3 again. A representative from the gaming giant said that while they respect the ESA, they didn't feel its E3 showcase was the right fit for them at the moment. The Sony spokesperson added that players can look forward to the upcoming launch of the PS5 and new PS4 titles.
Game Devs For Fireys Get Together to Auction Goodies for Australia
The gaming community continues to put together relief efforts for Australian wildfires. Starting on Jan. 14, game developers and others in the industry gathered under the “Game Devs for Fireys” hashtag to organize auctions raising funds for wildlife organizations and Australian firefighters.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Delayed Until April
First announced during E3 2015, Final Fantasy VII Remake will need a little more time before launch. The highly anticipated game is now set to release this April, not March. Final Fantasy VII Remake producer Yoshinori Kitase thanked fans for their patience, apologized for the delay, and explained that the development team needs more time to increase the quality of the final game.
Crystal Dynamics' Marvel's Avengers Snapped To September
Add another game to the growing pile of delayed titles in 2020. Marvel's Avengers is now scheduled for a September launch, missing out on its original summer release date. Crystal Dynamics co-heads Ron Rosenberg and Scot Amos explained that the team needs more time to refine the game and turn it into the best interactive Avengers experience.
Next Sword and Shield Online Competition Welcomes Galar Newcomers
Pokémon Sword and Shield's second online tournament, “Galar Newcomers,” is scheduled for the end of January. Featuring only new Galar Pokémon and Galarian variants of older Pokémon--except for legendaries Eternatus, Zamazenta, and Zacian--the competition will use a double-battles format.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare Outback Relief Earnings Pledged to Australian Bushfires
All sales of the “Outback Relief” pack (formerly the “Outback” pack) of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will be donated to help with relief efforts for Australian wildfires. The announcement on developer Infinity Ward's Twitter account added that previous sales of the pack will count toward donation.
Critical Role Announces Explorer's Guide to Wildemount D&D Book
The Explorer's Guide to Wildemount has been announced for release this March. Written by Critical Role Dungeon Master Matthew Mercer and the Wizards RPG Team, this new Dungeons & Dragons sourcebook will allow players to craft their own Critical Role campaigns.
Features and Reviews of the Week
From Failure to the Future - How Aquamarine Hopes to Succeed on Kickstarter
TechRaptor talks with Moebial Studios’ Patric Fallon about the upcoming Kickstarter campaign for the sci-fi game Aquamarine. Their discussion includes lessons learned from a previously unfunded campaign, recruiting new development team members, and a look at how the game has evolved.
The Highest Reviewed Games of 2019
The team at TechRaptor reviewed a little over 300 games in 2019, and are now sharing their highest reviewed games. The list includes titles like Wargroove, Control, Children of Morta, and Borderlands 3.
Creativity was sparked in the fandom after the song “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher” debuted as part of the Netflix TV series adaptation of The Witcher. Fans have made several new covers of the song, including a metal remix.
How do you feel about all the recent game delays? What are your thoughts on the gaming community’s continuing efforts to help with the Australian wildfires? Did anything else happen in gaming this week that deserves attention? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
