The Outer Worlds on Nintendo Switch has been delayed — somewhat indefinitely. According to the game’s publisher, Private Division, the Switch version will have a new release date. The reason? The coronavirus outbreak in China, which prompted the team porting the game, Virtuous, to temporarily close its offices.
The Switch version of The Outer Worlds was originally set for launch on March 6, though it’s been pushed back to sometime in Take-Two’s 2021 fiscal year. That doesn’t mean it won’t release until 2021, though. Take-Two’s fiscal year starts in April and runs through March, so 2021 starts in April for Take-Two.
We’re delaying @OuterWorlds on Nintendo Switch due to the coronavirus impacting the Virtuos team working on the port, to provide them enough time to finish development. We’ll now be releasing the physical version on cartridge. Once we have a new launch date, we’ll let you know!
— Private Division (@PrivateDivision) February 6, 2020
The Outer Worlds‘ official Twitter account and Private Division both followed up to say the Virtuous team is healthy, and the closings are just precautionary to ensure the team’s safety.
On the bright side, when the semi-open-world sci-fi RPG does release, the physical Switch copy will be on a cartridge; previously, the physical version was just going to be a box with a download code.
For those itching to play the latest game from Obsidian Entertainment, The Outer Worlds is currently available on the PC on the Epic Games Store, the PS4, and the Xbox One. It is also on Xbox One Game Pass, which is one hell of a steal.
2020 is turning into the year of delays for the video game industry. Square Enix delayed Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Marvel’s Avengers, then Cyberpunk 2077 was delayed to September. In the case of The Outer Worlds on Switch, though, at least the delay is meant to keep everyone involved safe and healthy.
Whether we’ll see more cases like this in the near future is unclear, though it’s possible Nintendo Switch manufacturing will be impacted by the coronavirus, as well as the upcoming PlayStation 5, according to some reports.
For more on The Outer Worlds, be sure to check out our review, where we compared its Edgewater, Byzantium, and beyond to Fallout, Borderlands, and Bioshock. Stay tuned to GameSkinny for more The Outer Worlds on Nintendo Switch news as it blasts off.
