Bioshock Infinite Delayed, Now Scheduled For February 2013 Release

Shhhh….can you hear that? That’s the collective groan of gamers all around the world over the news that Bioshock: Infinite won’t be releasing on schedule. The game was planned to be coming out this October and many were giddy with excitement but creative director at Irrational Games, Ken Levine, has burst their bubble by issuing the following statement today.

When we announced the release date of BioShock Infinite in March, we felt pretty good about the timing.

Since then, we’ve come to realize that some specific tweaks and improvements will make Infinite into something even more extraordinary. Therefore, to give our talented team the time they need, we’ve decided to move the game’s release to February 26, 2013. We wanted to let our loyal (and very patient!) fans know this as soon as possible.

I won’t kid you: BioShock Infinite is a very big game, and we’re doing things that no one has ever done in a first-person shooter. We had a similar experience with the original BioShock, which was delayed several months as our original ship date drew near. Why? Because the Big Daddies weren’t the Big Daddies you’ve since come to know and love. Because Andrew Ryan’s golf club didn’t have exactly the right swing. Because Rapture needed one more coat of grimy Art Deco.

The same principle now applies to BioShock Infinite.

What does this mean for you? It means a bit more waiting, but more importantly, it means an even better BioShock Infinite. The great can be made greater, and we owe it to both ourselves and to you, our fans, to take this opportunity. Irrational Games is one of those rare developers lucky enough to ask the people who sign the checks: “Hey, can we have a few more of those checks?”

We are also going to hold off on showing BioShock Infinite at the big events of the summer, like E3 and GamesCom. That way, the next time you see our game, it will be essentially the product we intend to put in the box. Preparing for these events takes time away from development, time we’re going to use instead to get the best version of Infinite into your hands in February.

So, no Bioshock at any press events this year and the game will be released on the 26th February 2013.

Now, pick yourself up off the floor, wipe away those tears and think back to your time with the original Bioshock…that was good, wasn’t it…and that took some time too. Speaking for myself, I’m fine with Irrational having a few more months to dot their Is and cross their Ts. It was a title that many were looking forward to playing in 2012, but at this stage, what’s a few extra months? Put your faith in Ken and co. that they are making something great, and greatness can take time.