Square Enix's upcoming action-RPG Forspoken has been delayed to January 24, 2023.
Announced on Twitter, developer Luminous Productions explained that the decision was "a result of ongoing discussions with key partners", and reassured fans that the game is "in its final polishing phase." It's possible that the decision has been made to move the release of the new IP away from other major game releases.
The delay announcement also says that the game will receive a further showing "later this Summer".
An update on #Forspoken. pic.twitter.com/sRLvXX2kjS
— Forspoken (@Forspoken) July 6, 2022
Forspoken was originally due to be released on October 11. That date itself followed a delay, after the game was originally announced for May 25. Incidentally, that first delay message also said that the extra months would be used for polishing the game.
The PS5 and PC game was announced in 2020, but has been notably quiet. In a hands-off preview last year, we said that the game – which is being created primarily by Final Fantasy 15 developers – has an "off-kilter take on the JRPG formula," and "looks more like an open-world RPG in the vein of Assassin’s Creed and The Witcher than anything I’ve previously seen from Square Enix."
Luminous is aiming for the "highest quality visuals ever" in an open world game, and brought in Rogue One writer Gary Whitta and Uncharted creator Amy Hennig at different points of the development process.
Starring Frey, a young woman pulled from modern New York into a fantastical realm called Athia, the game will feature a focus on magic, parkour and high-speed action. Despite the delays, the game still has a number of editions lined up for preorder.
Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].