Wasteland 3 Delayed Due to "Logistical Challenges" of the Coronavirus Pandemic

The longer the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic stretches on, the more likely it is we'll see delays of games slated for 2020 releases. While titles coming out next year or later may never publicly have coronavirus-related delays factored into their release timing, many games looking to launch in the next few months likely will. Today, inXile Studio Head Brian Fargo announced that Wasteland 3 is one of those games, going from a May release to a new launch date on August 28, 2020.

Fargo announced the delay with a statement posted to the Wasteland 3 Fig backer page. "As with most companies, we moved to a work-from-home environment some weeks ago, and that's of course introduced new challenges that many of us throughout the world have been learning to manage," Fargo writes. "We've been excited to see the Wasteland 3 Beta so well received, but the reality is that with these new logistical challenges our release was going to be impacted."

Later in the statement, Fargo notes that Microsoft and publishers Deep Silver have been supportive of inXile's "desire to ensure the game launches in the best possible circumstances" and that the team is focusing on responding to suggestions and feedback received from Wasteland 3's recently released beta.

USG's Mike Williams had some hands-on time with the Wasteland 3 beta, and found its apocalyptic scenarios to be something of a reprieve from all the real world's troubling news of late. "When faced by the horrors of Wasteland 3, the world itself doesn't seem so bad," writes Mike. "I can look out my window and still see the occasional person walking their dog rather than fleeing from raiders. Things are very bad, but civilization is still here."

Wasteland 3's original release date, May 19, was announced back at Microsoft's X019 event. Wasteland 3 will launch on Xbox Game Pass, but it'll also be available for standalone purchase on PC, Xbox One, PS4, Mac, and Linux when its released in August.