Sometimes delays are unavoidable. To prevent developers from having to work unhealthy hours, to ensure the game’s quality upon release, or to avoid launching during a period that suddenly seems unfavorable, delaying a game becomes necessary. It’s not anyone’s preferred course of action, not even for the developers, but sometimes there’s no other choice. This has been the case for one of the most anticipated RPGs of the year, and certainly the most awaited RPG of what remains of the year.
The Thaumaturge, the narrative RPG developed by Fool’s Theory and 11 bit studios, has been delayed until 2024. However, it’s just a small delay. It was initially set to release on December 5th but will now launch on February 20th, 2024, just over two months later.
According to 11 bit studios, the reason for this delay is because “mastering mystical arts is an ambitious task, and so is developing a game when you refuse to compromise on quality. With that in mind, 11 bit studios and Fool’s Theory have mutually decided to give The Thaumaturge additional development time to reach the standards that players expect from the title.” This sounds like a very good reason to delay it.
The issue is that its new release date will make it compete against several heavyweights in the genre. Persona 3 Reload is coming out on the 2nd, The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak on the 15th, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on the 29th of February. This places The Thaumaturge among major releases in the same genre, competing for attention.
With an initial release planned exclusively for PC, followed by versions for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S at a later date, The Thaumaturge faces a tough battle ahead. It remains to be seen whether it can emerge victorious amidst such competition.
