Arkane delays Deathloop to the second quarter of 2021

The release date for Arkane Studios’ Deathloop has been delayed from this year to the second quarter of 2021.

The first-person shooter was previously due to launch this holiday season for PC and PS5 as a timed console exclusive.

Explaining the delay on Tuesday, Arkane Lyon said: “As we’ve adjusted to work-from-home, we found that delivering this new and exciting experience, at the polish and quality level that defines both an Arkane game and a true next-gen experience, is taking longer than normal.

“The extra time will allow our team to bring Deathloop‘s world to life with as much character and fun as you’ve come to expect from our team.”

Announced at E3 2019, Deathloop takes place on a lawless island called Blackreef. Its central mechanic is the ability to replay sequences in order to approach situations in different ways.

Players take on the role of assassin Colt, who’s stuck in a time loop which sees him wake up on the same beach each day to find he’s the subject of an island-wide manhunt.

In order to break the loop he must use weapons and supernatural abilities to take out eight targets before the clock strikes midnight.

However, there’s also a rival assassin locked in the time loop called Juliana. Her job is to protect the loop by eliminating Colt.

An optional multiplayer element will enable you to step into Juliana’s shoes and invade other players’ games.