Square Enix delayed its action-adventure role-playing game Forspoken into 2023, the publisher announced Wednesday, calling the move a “strategic decision” that will give developer Luminous Productions more time to polish the game. Forspoken was previously expected in October, but will now be released on Jan. 24, 2023.
“All game elements are now complete, and development is in its final polishing phase,” Square Enix and Luminous Productions said in a tweet announcing the delay. “We would like to thank you for your continued support and patience on this journey. Your excitement for the game inspires us every day and we cannot wait to share more about Forspoken with you later this summer!”
This is the second major delay for Forspoken. The game was originally planned to launch in May of this year for PlayStation 5 and Windows PC, but Square Enix pushed the game to the fall, citing the need to further polish the game.
Square Enix and Luminous Productions revealed Forspoken in 2020, under the name Project Athia. The game sends Frey, a seemingly average young woman from New York City, to the fantasy land of Athia, where her magical abilities manifest. Her mission: cleanse Athia of the Break and dispel the corrupted matriarchs who rule it, the Tantas, using what Square Enix describes as “magic parkour.”