The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a tidal wave of delays for a lot of industries – and video games are no exception. Some very big AAA-titles were scheduled to come out this year have gotten their release date moved into next year. So without further ado, here are the biggest 2021 video game delays that got moved into 2022.

2021 Video Game Delays:

Diablo Immortal

The mobile spin-off to Blizzard's classic roguelike series, Diablo Immortal, was originally set to release this year. It has since then been delayed to sometime in the first half of 2022. It had its Closed Alpha test in December of last year, but Blizzard claims that it needs the time to work on the feedback they've received since then, saying:

“However, these changes and additional opportunities to improve our gameplay experience will not be realized in the 2021 timeframe we had previously communicated. So, the game is now planned for release in the first half of 2022, which will allow us to add substantial improvements to the whole game.”

Since the Diablo Immortal 2021 video game delay though, Blizzard has found itself in a lot of hot water and is currently facing a lawsuit. You can check out the details of the case here.

Digimon Survive

Originally announced in 2018, Digimon survive was originally supposed to come out in 2019. After that, Bandai Namco announced that it was getting delayed into 2020, and again to 2021… and now after its third delay, it's slated for release next year, in 2022. There's currently no exact release date for the monster-collection JRPG, but here's hoping we don't get a fourth delay.

Ghostwire Tokyo

Another one of the 2021 video game delays is Tango Gamework's Ghostwire Tokyo. They originally set the game for a Fall 2021 release date, but this has since been moved to Early 2022. Ghostwire Tokyo is a game in the horror genre, but in contrast to Tango's previous work, it will focus more on its action-adventure elements.

Gran Turismo 7

Gran Turismo 7 is one of the biggest video game titles hit by the 2021 wave of delays. It was originally slated for a first-half-of-2021 release. However, GQ has delayed it into 2022 with an announcement back in February. In an official statement, they said:

“GT7 has been impacted by Covid-related production challenges and therefore will shift from 2021 to 2022,” the representative said, via GQ. “With the ongoing pandemic, it’s a dynamic and changing situation and some critical aspects of game production have been slowed over the past several months. We’ll share more specifics on GT7’s release date when available.”

Gotham Knights

Set to be a Batman-themed co-op action game from Warner Brothers, Gotham Knight's delay was announced back in August. Players will be able to step into the shoes of Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin, and Red Hood, with each of them having their own unique playstyle. Batman's iconic sidekicks will be taking the reins from their beloved mentor after his death in an open-world environment.

God of War Sequel

Probably the most-awaited game on this list of 2021 video game delays, the upcoming God of War sequel was also set to release this year but was delayed to 2022 back in June. PlayStation Studios head Herman Hulst discussed the delay in an official PlayStation Blog Q&A, saying:

“We’ve made the decision to push that game out to next year, to ensure that Santa Monica Studio can deliver the amazing God of War game that we all want to play.”

However, Sony fans might have something to look forward to about the game in the upcoming PlayStation Showcase happening on September 9.

Hogwarts Legacy

The delay for the long-awaited Harry Potter RPG was announced way back in January this year. Its developer, Portkey Games, had the following to say:

“Creating the best possible experience for all of the Wizarding World and gaming fans is paramount to us so we are giving the game the time it needs.”

Horizon Forbidden West

Rumors for the delay of one of Sony's premier exclusives, Horizon Forbidden West, have been brewing since July. At Gamescom a couple of weeks ago, however, they finally announced the exact release date. Horizon Forbidden West is coming out on February 18, 2022. It will be coming out simultaneously on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Additionally, after much fan uproar about there being no cross-gen upgrade, Guerilla Games has since then reneged on their decision. Horizon Forbidden West's PS4 version will now be upgradeable to the PS5 copy for free.

They announced this change with the following statement:

“Last year we made a commitment to deliver free upgrades for our cross-gen launch titles, which included Horizon Forbidden West. While the pandemic’s profound impact pushed Forbidden West out of the launch window we initially envisioned, we will stand by our offer: Players who purchase Horizon Forbidden West on PlayStation 4 will be able to upgrade to the PlayStation 5 version for free.”

Just Cause Mobile

Square Enix announced the delay of the mobile spinoff coming to the Just Cause series back in July. The game is slated to be a free-to-play action shooter with co-op and PVP game modes. Players will also be able to create their own characters, a first for the series.

Life is Strange Remastered Collection

The remastered collection containing remasters for Life Is Strange, Life Is Strange 2 and Life Is Strange: Before the Storm has been delayed into 2022. The remaster collection will be available on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Stadia and Switch by next year. However, Life Is Strange fans can still look forward to playing the sequel, Life Is Strange: True Colors on September 30.

Lord of the Rings: Gollum

This is the second in this list of 2021 video game delays to be a game based on a literary IP. The Lord of the Rings: Gollum was originally slated for a late 2021 release date, but has since then been announced to release in January 2022. This title by Nacon Games will put players into the role of Gollum, and cover certain events of Middle-Earth's third age from his point of view.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake

Personally, The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake delay is one of the biggest stings for me. It's been a while since we've seen an update to the Prince of Persia series, and there's been a lack of new action-adventure platformers lately, what with both Uncharted and Tomb Raider currently having no new entries announced. Ubisoft has delayed the classic's remake once before, hopefully they manage to deliver their promise “to deliver a remake that feels fresh while remaining faithful to the original.”

Rainbow Six: Extraction

The upcoming addition to the Rainbow Six franchise got its delay announcement from Ubisoft in July. Rainbow Six Extraction was slated to be out by September of this year. Its new release date is sometime in January 2022. While waiting on the game's release, you can catch up on everything you need to know for the upcoming game in this article here. This entry into the 2021 video game delays is sure to be a bummer for FPS fans looking for a twist to Rainbow Six: Siege

Resident Evil Re:Verse

Originally slated to release alongside Resident Evil Village, Resident Evil Re:Verse got delayed into 2022. The game is supposed to be a multiplayer spin-off to the Resident Evil series featuring asymmetrical gameplay. One team of players will be playing as the series' heroes and heroines, while the opposing team will play against its iconic villains. Currently, there is no definite release date for Resident Evil Re:Verse outside of the year – 2022.

Sifu

The creators of Absolver, Sloclap Games, announced the delay of their upcoming game, Sifu, back in July. This addition to the long list of 2021 video game delays comes unsurprisingly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They announced the delay to the martial arts action game with the following statement:

“We were hoping to release Sifu before the end of 2021, but this won’t be possible without compromising quality and having the team crunch for months, neither of which is acceptable. Even if it’s for the best, we're VERY sorry for the delay. Thank you for your patience!”

Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong

The next game in the Vampire: The Masquerade series, based on the tabletop role-playing game, was originally slated for a 2021 release. However, back in July this year, developers Big Bad Wolf announced the game's delay into February 2022. This announcement coincided with their release of a new trailer featuring Galeb, one of the game's three playable characters.