Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Director didn't want another delay
It's been bit of a rough week for AAA games, as both Respawn Entertainment's Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and Arkane's Redfall have been called out for shaky releases that have been pushed out of the development kitchen before being fully baked.
When it comes to Respawn's much-hyped sequel to 2019's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, it's not like we've had to wait too long to see Cal Kestis pick up his lightsaber. In fact, more time has passed in-game than real life. Still, there are complaints Jedi: Survivor was rushed out.
Did Jedi: Survivor's Game Director refuse another delay?
Jedi: Survivor was originally slated for release on March 17, but faced a small bump back to April 28 for final "bug fixes to enhance performance, stability, polish, and most importantly, the player experience." For anyone who has picked up the sci-fi Souls-like, you'll know more than a few gremlins have snuck through the cracks.
As reported by Insider Gaming, an unearthed interview with Game Director Stig Asmussen suggests that he refused another day, leading to a potential repeat of Cyberpunk 2077's botched release before the title was firing on all cylinders.
When asking the team how much time they needed, Asmussen said they wanted six weeks, which "was exactly April 28...That's no joke." Seemingly locking this date in, Asmussen added that the Survivor team "stress-tested" April 28 and decided it would work.
With a packed schedule of Redfall and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom releasing around this time, Asmussen was aware Survivor could launch against stiff competition. "There was an option of do we want to extend it a little bit longer," he concluded. "But no, we said no, we can get it done in six weeks."
EA apologises for Jedi: Survivor release
This steadfast refusal to delay Jedi: Survivor might've cost the game dearly. Although it's a fine balance of annoying players who are disheartened by another delay and making sure a game is released at its best, Jedi: Survivor fell just short of the mark - especially with its maligned PC release.
Although there was a massive Day One patch, the professional reviews weren't kind to the buggy review copies of Jedi: Survivor that were shipped to journalists. Things haven't got much better since then, with gaming-breaking glitches and a mad scramble to release more patches.
EA has apologised for Jedi: Survivor's release and promised "weeks" of fixes. This has led to some saying we should wait a while before picking up a copy, but good luck with avoiding spoilers. Either way, it's clear lessons have been learned here.
Ultimately, whether Asmussen cracked the whip and forced the devs to work like a loyal Clone Army for an April 28 release or not, Jedi: Survivor is left with an unpolished release that has tarnished a superior sequel. Hey, it could be worse, you could be Redfall.