Outriders Delayed To February, Free PS5 And Xbox Series X/S Upgrades Coming

Outriders developer People Can Fly has announced that its sci-fi co-op shooter will be slightly delayed from its original December 2020 release date and will instead launch on February 2 for current and next-gen systems. In a blog post, community manager Toby Palm explained that the COVID-19 pandemic had affected development on Outriders, but that the core game had been completed.

"COVID-19 has certainly affected our operations over the past months, but the teams have all worked extremely hard to adapt to changing circumstances," Palm explained. "While the core game is now in a largely complete state, our testing operations were unfortunately among the most affected by the work-process-restructuring caused by the novel coronavirus. To that end, we need a bit more time to get it right and ensure that the Outriders experience will be as smooth and issue-free as it possibly can be when we launch."

There is a silver lining to this delay, as players will be able to upgrade the game forto free on their respective next-gen systems. Xbox One users will be able to play Outriders on Xbox Series X and Series S through Smart Delivery, while PS4 owners of the game will also receive a free cross-play update on PS5. If you'd prefer to experience Outriders on the cloud, it'll also be available on Google Stadia, or you can grab it on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Outrider's last big reveal was during Gamescom's Opening Night Live, where it showed off the dangerous planet of Enoch that players will be able to explore as one of four distinct classes. These classes can use exotic superpowers to wipe out entire hordes of enemies.

Technomancers can control crowds and summon lethal turrets, Devastators are close range powerhouses who can absorb an incredible amount of damage, Tricksters bend time and space as hit-and-run assassins, and the Pyromancer specializes in reducing everything around them to ashes.

People Can Fly has plenty of experience with the action genre, as it was the studio behind Gears of War: Judgement and the cult classic Bulletstorm that was re-released on Nintendo Switch last year.