Hopoo Games, the team behind the multiplayer action game Risk of Rain 2, has delayed the project’s PC full release from early access until August 2020. Originally released in early access on Steam on March 28, 2019, the game arrived on Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One later that year. In the intervening months, Hopoo added a steady trickle of items, bosses, and playable characters, building up to the 1.0 update slated for this spring.
Risk of Rain, the 2013 predecessor to Hopoo’s latest project, placed players in dangerous environments to face off against hordes of enemies and collect loot. One to three players could together to take on alien hordes, giving them a better chance to escape enemy-riddled landscapes. Risk of Rain rendered its gameplay on a 2D plane which its sequel then promptly dispensed with in favor of a Fortnite-like third-person perspective. Despite the differences, the core gameplay loop remains the same - players pit their weapons against titanic beasts to accrue loot.
Hopoo Games wrote a lengthy Steam post on May 23 explaining the delay, noting that the coronavirus has not significantly impacted development and isn’t the delay’s primary cause. Instead, the developer wants to fine-tune the game’s systems, including Risk of Rain 2’s matchmaking system, and make additional quality of life updates. Hopoo Gaes decided to make additional, unplanned improvements following fan . Console players will also have to wait a little longer too, as June’s content is still on track, but the 1.0 update has been pushed back to the fall.
Game contributes to crunch culture, extra time potentially alleviates the pressure on devs to deliver a lot of content in not a lot of time.
Risk of Rain 2 is already playable across every major platform, and the delay may push back exciting new toys for players to test, but the fundamental experience remains available. Risk of Rain 2 is poised to improve thanks to an extra few months of work, which is ultimately something that people can look forward to. Though disappointing, Hopoo’s decision benefits everyone eagerly anticipating the game’s full release.
Source: Hopoo Games/Steam
