'Dishonored' follow-up 'Deathloop' delayed to Q2 2021

Another high-profile video game has slipped into 2021. The latest casualty is Deathloop, the next game from Arx Fatalis and Dishonored creator Arkane Lyon. The French studio attributed the delay to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has forced the team to work from home and, by extension, demand more time than expected developing the game. "We found that delivering this new and exciting experience, at the polish and quality level that defines both an Arkane game and a true next-gen experience, is taking longer than usual," the team said in a tweet. Deathloop is now expected to launch in the second quarter of next year.

The game was first announced at Bethesda's press conference last year. In a cinematic teaser, the publisher revealed that the game will center on two "extraordinary assassins" who are picking their way through a lawless island called Blackreef. Both are trying to kill each other and, depending on their perspective, either protect or destroy the otherwise endless 'deathloop.' Then, last June, Arkane Lyon returned with a trailer that included some Dishonored-inspired stealth and powers. Unlike the studio's previous games, however, there will be an optional multiplayer mode that allows other players to invade your game. (The concept sounds a little like The Crossing, an old Arkane Lyon project that was ultimately cancelled.)

Deathloop was originally supposed to come out this holiday season on PlayStation 5 and PC. Like Ghostwire: Tokyo, It's a timed exclusive on console, which means the game could come to Xbox Series X a little later.