Coming off the back of an awe-inspiring appearance at last week’s The Game Awards 2014, momentum was once again building for the arrival of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, but developer CD Projekt Red has tapered that excitement somewhat after it announced plans to delay the upcoming threequel by three months from February to May 19, 2015.
In a candid open letter to fans, the polish studio apologized profusely for setting the release date “too hastily,” stating that the developing team need a further 12 weeks to refine and polish what could potentially be their magnum opus.
Ever since we started working on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, we knew it would be an ambitious game. We wanted, and still aim, to give you an incredible experience, an epic adventure in a vast, completely open fantasy universe. Even though everyone is working at full speed, we concluded that we need another 12 weeks.
The sheer size and complexity of The Witcher, key features of the title, have had a decisive impact on production. Now, nearing the end of our work, we see many details that need to be corrected. When we release the most important game in our studio’s history, we must be absolutely sure that we did everything we could to limit any bugs to a level that will allow you to enjoy the game thoroughly.
Given that the trilogy-capper boasts close to 100 hours of gameplay across a myriad of fantastical locations, it’s hardly surprising that CD Projekt Red has opted to carve out more development time to perfect its vision. Besides, given the fact that seemingly every triple-A release of late is lumbered with some form of launch issues, it’s refreshing to hear that the studio took the path less traveled by delaying their property.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will now make its bow on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on May 19, 2015.