The Long Dark Episode 4 Release Date Delayed to 2021

Developer Hinterland Studios Publisher Hinterland Studios Release Date August 1, 2017 Genre Survival Platforms PlayStation 4, PC Purchase (Some links may be affiliated) Steam GOG.com Amazon

The Long Wait

Work-from-home challenges will see The Long Dark Episode 4 release date delayed beyond its intended December 2020 launch window. According to the game's developer, we should now expect the next episode to launch sometime in 2021.

The Long Dark is a survival game that stands out from the crowd. There are no zombies or craftable assault rifles with underslung grenade launchers here — this is all about a man trying to survive in the brutal wilderness.

Get a feel for what The Long Dark is all about by checking our Quick Thoughts on the game!

The Long Dark has gone with an episodic story format for its game. Three episodes have been released thus far in the course of the lengthy development cycle — a process that has taken so long that the developers have decided to release Redux versions of the game's first two episodes.

Work on the fourth episode had been happily chugging along for the last several months, but things generally seem to have been slower than expected. As a result, we'll see The Long Dark Episode 4 release date delayed.

Why Was The Long Dark Episode 4 Release Date Delayed?

The reason for the delay was explained by Game Director Raphael van Lierop late last night. It's a story all too familiar to people following what's going on in the gaming industry: the pandemic lockdown has been somewhat of a challenge for this studio.

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"Pretty recently we came to the conclusion that we don’t feel good about releasing Episode Four this year," van Lierop said in a Steam Community news post. "We had originally hoped to have it ready for launch in December, but with everything that’s been going on, it’s just been tough to work very optimally. We’ve lost some momentum and some parts of our production have been slower than usual just because of not being able to work on things face-to-face, nevermind everyone is also juggling their personal situation at home whether it’s being alone all the time, or balancing parenting duties with work, or whatever new personal dynamic we find ourselves in."

When is the New The Long Dark Episode 4 Release Date?

The Long Dark Episode 4 is set to launch sometime in 2021, although Raphael van Lierop declined to announce a specific release date just yet.

"[…] the only way to hit December is if we compromise on quality or scope," van Lierop continued. "We don’t want that, and you don’t want that. So we aren’t going to do that."

"So we’re not shipping Episode Four this year. I’m really sorry about that. We wanted to let you know as soon as we decided to delay, rather than wait another few months."

Hopefully, we won't have to wait too much longer for The Long Dark Episode 4. The game's Creative Director has promised to share "a more uplifting update" in the next few months about the future of the game and what's going on at Hinterland. In the meantime, you can buy The Long Dark on Steam for $29.99 or your regional equivalent.

Robert N. Adams

Senior Writer

I've had a controller in my hand since I was 4 and I haven't stopped gaming since. CCGs, Tabletop Games, Pen & Paper RPGs – I've tried a whole bunch of stuff over the years and I'm always looking to try more!

Original Article