After nearly twenty years since the previous game in the series, Homeworld 3 is almost here. However, fans will have to wait a little longer for this new installment, as the developers have announced a delay in the game's launch.
Homeworld 3 is the latest entry in the classic Homeworld series of space strategy games, developed by Blackbird Interactive and published by Gearbox. Blackbird Interactive previously developed a prequel to the original series, Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak.
In a short post, Blackbird Interactive acknowledges the importance of making Homeworld 3 the best it can be, and it cites the company's commitment to healthy and sustainable development as the reason for the delay. The new launch is set for the first half of 2023, so it is not a major shift since the original Homeworld 3 gameplay reveal set the launch window for Q4 2022. However, the extra time will allow the game to be further polished, hopefully without pushing the developers into crunch periods or other unhealthy practices.
Homeworld fans still have something to look forward to soon, though; the announcement also mentions that Homeworld 3 will be present at Gamescom 2022, with the "deepest look yet" at the game. The Homeworld 3 gameplay trailer already showed off a lot, but it was mainly a look at some of the environments and the focus on movement around structures; the UI and methods of controlling units were not shown. Hopefully, the Gamescom deep-dive can give more detail on how the game is actually played.
Game delays can be mildly disappointing, but the extra time is given to polish and refine the title before it launches helps avoid frustrating issues and can decrease the load of post-launch support as players inevitably discover problems. After several high-profile bug-plagued releases like Cyberpunk 2077 and Battlefield 2042 linger in recent memory, seeing a studio take the time it needs even if it means a delay is refreshing. Homeworld is a series many PC gamers remember fondly, and evidently Blackbird Interactive cares about doing it justice with the series' comeback entry.
Crunch culture, where developers are manipulated or coerced into working long hours to finish a game by a deadline, is a massive problem in the game industry. In recent years public outcry over crunch culture has forced introspection in some studios, with smaller ones working with forgiving publishers having the flexibility to delay games and avoid unhealthy work environments. With some Bethesda employees having come forward about Fallout 76's excessive crunch recently, studios like Blackbird Interactive making active efforts to avoid such unhealthy conditions are a welcome change of pace.
Homeworld 3 will release in the first half of 2023.