Previously slated for a debut on February 9, publisher 2K Games has confirmed plans to push upcoming MOBA-styled shooter Battleborn back to May 3, 2016.
Announced during Take-Two’s earnings call earlier today, the postponement means that the release of the new IP falls outside of the company’s current fiscal year, which will end on March 31. Reshuffling release dates for all-new properties is hardly uncommon in the AAA development space, and last year Evolve – also published under 2K Games – was also the subject of numerous delays.
As for Battleborn, it’s in development at Gearbox Software, and was recently paraded in front of the gaming community during a beta test, and it’s not unreasonable to link the public bout of testing with today’s delay. Smashing genres together in a style similar to that exhibited in the studio’s Borderlands series, Gearbox’s new IP is billed as a fusion of a traditional, online-centric first-person shooter and the gameplay elements associated with a MOBA.
Much like any delay that is issued on a high-profile title in the vein of Battleborn, the reason for the push, at least according to 2K, was to afford Gearbox more time in order to polish the hyper-kinetic, competitive shooter.
Following today’s announcement, Battleborn is now on course for a release on May 3, 2016.