Hotly-anticipated shooter BioShock: Infinite has been delayed until early 2013, publisher 2K Games has announced.
Originally scheduled for an October 2012 release, the Irrational Games title will now be released globally on February 26, 2013.
Infinite’s creator, Ken Levine, took to the developer’s official website today to explain the reasoning behind the slip:
“When we announced the release date of BioShock Infinite in March, we felt pretty good about the timing. Since then, we’ve come to realize that some specific tweaks and improvements will make Infinite into something even more extraordinary."
“Therefore, to give our talented team the time they need, we’ve decided to move the game’s release to February 26, 2013. We wanted to let our loyal (and very patient!) fans know this as soon as possible," he added.
In addition to the delay, Levine also confirmed that Irrational does not intend on showcasing Infinite at E3 or Gamescom later this year. However, he did indicate that the next time it does rear its head, it’ll be in a near-complete state.
“We are also going to hold off on showing BioShock Infinite at the big events of the summer, like E3 and Gamescom. That way, the next time you see our game, it will be essentially the product we intend to put in the box. Preparing for these events takes time away from development, time we’re going to use instead to get the best version of Infinite into your hands in February,” explained Levine.
BioShock: Infinite is due out on PlayStation 3, PC and Xbox 360.