Don't Nod Entertainment, the studio behind Life is Strange, revealed its <a href="https://www.gameinformer.com/the-game-awards-2022/2022/12/08/dontnod-entertainment-reveals-actionrpg-banishers-ghosts-of-a-new" target="_blank" rel="noopener">action RPG, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, during The Game Awards last year</a>. Earlier this year, in June, Don't Nod announced Banishers will be released in November but today, the studio delayed its release to next year. More specifically, Banishers will now hit PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on February 13, 2024.
As for why, Don’t Nod CEO Oskar Guilbert says the team is aiming for a “less saturated period” of video game releases, alluding to the swath of games releasing in the coming weeks, including next month’s Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Alan Wake 2, and more (and that’s just some of what’s releasing in October, which then leads right into November).
“We have decided to postpone the release of this new franchise by three months, as the market is experiencing an intense release cycle for AAA titles on PC and consoles at the end of the year,” Guilbert writes in a press release. “We are convinced that a commercial release of Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden during a less saturated period will give it the attention it deserves.”
Around the same time, Don’t Nod released a separate statement on Twitter:
“With so many unforgettable games in 2023, it’s important that each of them shines brightly. Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is no exception. Though finished and set for release, we want Red and Antea’s story to get the spotlight it deserves. As a result, with our publisher Focus Entertainment, we took the decision to postpone its release on PC & Consoles to February 13, 2024. A perfect date for an epic love story. Thank you for your patience.”
— DON’T NOD (@DONTNOD_Ent) September 26, 2023
Don’t Nod follows a growing trend of smaller developers announcing delays in light of major upcoming releases. Summefall Studios delayed Stray Gods: The Role-Playing Musical to get its release away from Baldur’s Gate 3, and in August, Ubisoft pushed Assassin’s Creed Mirage’s release date up a week. While Ubisoft didn’t say why, a look at October’s release date calendar makes the message clear (although admittedly, that’s speculation on our end). Alone in the Dark was pushed to January to avoid Spider-Man 2’s blast radius. And last month, Remedy Entertainment delayed Alan Wake 2 by 10 days to give players “space for everyone to enjoy their favorite games.”
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on February 13, 2024.
For more about the game, watch the Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden reveal trailer.
[Editor’s Note: This story was updated to include a statement from the studio]
Do you think Don’t Nod made the right call delaying Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: Game Informer
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