Video games take a long time to build, and release dates don’t always stick. These are the games that are supposed to release in 2023, but probably won’t.
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Video games take time to build. Shocking, we know, but since developers have to code systems, craft visual assets, storyboard, and make sure everything works when put together, games can take years to create. And even when a company announces a release date, it cannot always stick to it.
Delays in the game industry can result from a multitude of reasons. Maybe a title needs a bit more polish before it’s ready, or maybe the publisher has demanded a do-over. And sometimes, a studio needs to decelerate to avoid wearing down employee morale with unrealistic expectations and unnecessary crunch. We can never predict which games will or won’t be delayed, but we can make educated guesses.
2023 is full of highly anticipated games, some of which have been a long time coming; too long, actually. Still, we should temper our expectations. Some titles have been delayed so many times we wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) be surprised if their development extends past this year. Meanwhile, other titles have languished without any public updates, which calls into question purported 2023 releases.
Here are a bunch of titles that are supposed to release this year, but we have our doubts. We will be overjoyed if any of these predictions are wrong, but we won’t be shocked if they’re right, either.
During E3 2015, Rare announced its pirate simulator „Sea of Thieves.“ Two years later, Ubisoft revealed its rival for Rare’s game, „Skull and Bones.“ Fast forward to 2018 and „Sea of Thieves“ released, but „Skull and Bones“ didn’t. Several years later, the game still seems no closer to leaving port than the day it was announced.
So far, „Skull and Bones“ has suffered numerous delays. Initially, Ubisoft wanted to release the game in 2018, but then it pushed the release window back to 2019-2020, according to Polygon. The studio skipped E3 2019 to focus on development, but that didn’t prevent another delay, this time into the 2020-21 fiscal year (via Engadget). And then again into the 2022-23 fiscal year. Ubisoft finally delivered a November 8, 2022 release date, per IGN, but history repeated itself when the company moved the release back to March 9, 2023. If only that were the end of it.
Ubisoft rang in the new year with some bad news. According to an internal report, the company had canceled many games, some of which had yet to be announced, and also had delayed „Skull and Bones“ until „early 2023-24.“ While the game could launch late this year, that seems unlikely. Given past trends, „Skull and Bones“ probably won’t ship until 2024 at the earliest. Heck, Ubisoft might push the game back until 2025 or even cancel it outright. „Skull and Bones“ is a $120+ million abyss, and since many 2022 Ubisoft games reportedly underperformed, resulting in falling market shares, don’t be surprised if the company finally axes this pirate-themed sunk cost fallacy.
„Assassin’s Creed“ is Ubisoft’s cash cow, and the company has milked it more than any of its other franchises. However, that strategy came at a cost to the series‘ quality and release schedule. After a few underwhelming releases, Ubisoft scaled back its plans, which eventually revitalized the franchise. But now the company is seemingly returning to its old habits.
During the September 2022 Ubisoft Forward stream, Ubisoft announced numerous „Assassin’s Creed“ games, including „Assassin’s Creed Mirage.“ This game is supposed to tell the origins of Basim from „Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla,“ as well as return the series to its non-RPG roots. „Assassin’s Creed Mirage“ is also supposed to release in 2023, which sounds implausibly optimistic.
Unlike recent years, Ubisoft is oversaturating the market with „Assassin’s Creed“ games. The company is also developing „Assassin’s Creed Codename Jade,“ „Assassin’s Creed Codename Red,“ „Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe,“ and „Assassin’s Creed Infinity“ alongside „Mirage.“ Sure, Ubisoft Bordeaux is in charge of „Mirage,“ but who is developing the other ones? Ubisoft has multiple core teams (via GDC 2018), but they usually don’t collaborate or work on more than three or four games at a time. Ubisoft might be stretching itself a little thin, so pushing „Assassin’s Creed Mirage“ will probably help polish the game and avoid the mistakes of „Assassin’s Creed Unity.“ Given the recent fiscal year that convinced Ubisoft to cancel some titles and delay „Skull and Bones,“ a delay might be in the company’s best interest, especially if it stretches past the rumored June 2023 release date.
