In a new development update video for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, project leader Koji Igarashi announces that the game will be delayed until the first half of 2018.
Following the departure of Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi – aka IGA – from Konami in 2014, fans were wondering what the esteemed developer would do next. This question was answered emphatically when IGA announced that he was planning to make Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night through the help of Kickstarter, which proceeded to become one of the highest crowdfunded games ever. Needless to say, many fans are eagerly anticipating the game’s release, but according to a new development update from IGA himself, it appears that fans will have to wait a little longer than expected for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.In a new development update video released on the Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night YouTube channel, IGA announced that in order for the game to meet his quality standards, he will be bringing on a new development team to assist in the project’s production, and as a result, the title will now be delayed from early 2017 to the first half of 2018. While no concrete release date has been set in stone, IGA has stated that he intends to get Bloodstained “done right the first time” before offering up an apology to all backers and fans.
Despite the delay, IGA did say that development was still progressing nicely – as evidenced by the release of the Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night E3 2016 demo as few months ago – and that the team will share more information with everyone “soon.”
While the delay is undoubtedly disappointing to all backers and fans, it is far from the first time that a crowdfunded project has been delayed. Just recently, fellow crowdfunded project Mighty No. 9 was finally released after multiple delays over the course of its development. While Mighty No. 9 ultimately proved to be disappointing, that’s not to say that Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night will follow the same trajectory.
Kickstarter-announced projects are generally revealed very early in development, which is why delays are common and release dates are constantly pushed back. But given that the development team for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has managed to release a demo already and is bringing in more staff to help polish the game, this is a promising sign that the final product may actually live up to the hype and, potentially, help crowdfunded games regain the faith of gamers.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is scheduled for release in the first half of 2018 for Linux, Mac, PC, PlayStation 4, PS Vita, Xbox One, and Wii U.