Uncharted 4 Delay Has Pushed Release Date Into April

December 23, 2015

As we head into 2016 we approach the release of more than a dozen highly anticipated games. Among them is Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, a game that is looking to kick the year off with a bang. Although it was hoping to debut in March, Naughty Dog has requested an additional month of development time, pushing its release back four weeks.

The news of Uncharted 4's delay was made in a PlayStation Blog post by Bruce Straley and Neil Druckmann. Below is an excerpt from what they had to say:

Let’s start with the good news: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is wrapping up production and is shaping up to be the proper send off for Nathan Drake that we’ve promised you. The bad news is that we need a bit more time to finish the game so that it meets our standards and vision. Let’s cut to the chase, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End has a new release date in North America of April 26, 2016.
This is our largest Uncharted game to date, and the team has been working incredibly hard to meet the challenge of closing out the game’s development in a timely manner. However, as we approached our final deadlines and started wrapping up the game’s levels, we realized that several key sequences needed extra resources to bring them to the finish line. After carefully considering all of our options, we decided to extend our schedule, making sure that we get a few more polish passes before submitting our gold master (the final disc for manufacturing).

This news has brought with it some disappointment among fans who were hoping to play the game in three months. The game now sits within weeks of the launch of Dark Souls 3 and Ratchet & Clank, making April a huge month for PlayStation gamers.

Although patience will be required, the delay is a good thing. Uncharted 4 will be the final game in the series by Naughty Dog, and it needs all the development time it can get to be a great, polished conclusion to Nathan Drake's story. The wait won't be so bad with The Witness, Gravity Rush Remastered, Heavy Rain PS4, and several compelling multiplatform games arriving before April, anyway.

Although Jonathan Leack began covering the gaming industry in 2009, his earliest roots date back to 2004 when he wrote his first of many reviews to come. Equipped with a B.S. in Computer Information Systems and several information technology certifications, he provides a unique perspective that is technological and business conscious. Having acquired the role of Executive Editor in 2016, his mission is to make GameRevolution a gaming site that thoughtfully considers the consumer perspective, and has a knowledgeable presence of PC gaming, console, hardware, and eSports coverage.