Telltale Games has announced their decision to delay The Wolf Among Us 2 until 2024. Citing an effort to avoid “the crunch” stated Telltale Games CEO Jamie Ottilie in an interview with IGN. A bit longer of a wait is better than receiving an incomplete game.
The original Telltale Games studio went bankrupt in 2018. Revived in 2019 by LCG Entertainment who obtained most of the original IP and assets, they were hit hard during the COVID-19 shut downs. Finding talent since the pandemic was problematic, along with the various COVID restrictions.
In addition to difficulties recruiting talented staff during the pandemic, the decision was recently made to switch from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal 5. While the results will be worth the time, previously done work will have to be replicated. This would mean presenting an unfinished game to the public, who are anticipating an amazing sequel to the first game, or force employees to hunker down and crunch.
Instead of forcing employees to “crunch”, the decision was made to push back the release date. Ottilie stands by having a healthy workplace culture, saying “We just have to stop doing it [crunch] and make better choices.”
The Wolf Among Us 2 will pick up right at the end of the first game with Snow White and Bigby. While still episodic, all episodes will be complete and available at the same time. Telltale Games is also working on The Expanse: A Telltale Series, which is has secured funding for.
Stay tuned for more news from Telltale Games.
Featured image via Telltale Games
