The prison management simulator game Prison Architect 2 has been delayed indefinitely.
Paradox Interactive announced the news in a recent forum post, where the published explained that it will be delaying the game ahead of its September 3 release in order to make improvements to both performance and content.
“Our continuous internal reviews and beta test groups have highlighted areas that we need to focus on more, mainly performance and content, which we need to address before launch to ensure that you, the players, get a good experience in the game,” Paradox said. “We need to raise the quality a bit more to meet the standards we’d like to achieve with this sequel.
“We are confident that the sequel to Prison Architect will be great, and we’re looking forward to showing you all the new ideas brought into it: the switch to 3D, multi-floors, and the new behavior system that all bring a new dimension to the game and open new gameplay possibilities for the players. However, we want to make sure the game lives up to the franchise’s legacy and is released in a state that satisfies both you, our players, and the Prison Architect 2 teams at Kokku and Paradox Interactive.”
After it was announced in January, the sim game was initially set for a March 26 release before it was delayed to May 7. At the time, Paradox said it was “confident in the quality of the game” but needed extra time to identify bugs and optimize the game for all platforms”. However, Prison Architect 2 was then delayed once again in April, and received a new September 3 launch date.
Following the latest announcement, the publisher was unable to share a new release date, meaning the Prison Architect 2 has been delayed indefinitely until Paradox can “re-assess the scope of the work needed to be done before the game is release-ready.”
The post continued, with Paradox saying that over the next few months it will focus on improving the game and building a “more robust release timeline”, but that it will be limiting communications with fans until it has one its comfortable with.
Due to the indefinite delay, pre-orders on all platforms – including PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Steam – have been refunded, and pre-order items will instead be added to the base game.
“We are confident that delaying Prison Architect 2 is the best path forward for the game, allowing us more time to deliver a high-quality experience that honors the legacy of Prison Architect,” Paradox added. “This is not the announcement we hoped to make, but it is necessary, as we believe this will result in a better game for you.”