Evil Dead: The Game joined the recent slew of upcoming games delayed to 2022, but the delay will reportedly give the team enough time to refine the title and add an entirely new gameplay mode.
Developer Saber Interactive announced on Twitter that Evil Dead: The Game will now release in Feb. 2022. While the action-horror survival game set in the Evil Dead franchise originally aimed to release later in 2021, its developer stated it will require more development time to refine the game prior to release "to ensure this is the ultimate Evil Dead experience you're all waiting for." Saber also plans to use the additional time to add a single-player mode to the game, which was originally stated to exclusively feature multiplayer gameplay.
The development team went on to thank the public for its understanding and support in the wake of the news. Saber assured fans should stay tuned for more information about the upcoming title, including new character updates, pre-order availability and the next gameplay video, which will feature Evil Dead star, Bruce Campbell.
In addition to the newly-revealed single-player mode, Evil Dead: The Game will feature plenty of third-person monster-slaying action. In a world inspired by the TV series Ash vs. Evil Dead, players will co-operatively battle against the forces of evil released from the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis. Alternatively, players can compete against each other in player-vs-player combat. Playable characters will include Evil Dead franchise staples Ash Williams, Kelly Maxwell and Pablo Simon Bolivar, all of whom will be portrayed by the live-action actors who originally brought them to life onscreen.
Saber Interactive is far from the first game studio to delay a project to 2022. Blizzard's mobile action RPG Diablo: Immortal, BlueTwelve Studio's cyberpunk cat adventure Stray and Guerilla Games' Horizon Zero Dawn sequel Horizon Forbidden West have all recently been delayed to 2022.
Whereas a myriad of developers, like Saber, have listed time for polish and refinement as their reason for the recent delays, other developers have been more specific. Developer Fatshark directly pointed to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as the main hindrance in the development of Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, stating the pandemic was directly responsible for the delay. While Saber wasn't quite as explicit in naming any specific obstacles, its statement assured fans following the project it plans to overcome the challenges and deliver the ultimate Evil Dead video game experience the franchise's fans have been waiting for.
Evil Dead: The Game, developed by Saber Interactive and published by Boss Team Games, will launch Feb. 2022 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Source: Twitter