Console strategy gamers are going to have to wait for an alternative to Civilization, as Amplitude Studios has announced that the console version of its game Humankind has been delayed until further notice. Although Humankind has been available on PC for over a year, it appears the console version is going to take a lot more work before Amplitude feels that it's ready for release.
Amplitude Studios is a juggernaut in the 4X strategy genre with over a decade of successful titles that have players exploring, expanding, exploiting, and exterminating their way to victory in a variety of settings. Best known for the fantasy-themed 4X game Endless Legend and its sci-fi cousins Endless Space and Endless Space 2, Amplitude's games feature strong emergent storytelling elements thanks to their unique civilizations and deep game mechanics. Its latest offering, Humankind, takes on a more traditional Civilization-like approach as human civilizations progress through the eras of real world history while contending for fame and fortune.
Despite Humankind receiving an ESRB rating for Nintendo Switch recently, console players looking forward to giving Humankind a shot are going to have to wait a while as Amplitude Studios has made the decision to postpone the game's console launch indefinitely. In its announcement, the studio stated that "We and our partner Aspyr Media have run into unexpected challenges in porting Humankind to consoles," and that "we're not in a position to give a timeframe on a new release date right now." Amplitude will of course be providing refunds to anyone who has pre-ordered Humankind.
It's interesting to note that this isn't the first time an Aspyr Media project has been delayed, as its highly anticipated Star Wars: Knights of the Old RepublicRemake was delayed indefinitely before being handed off to an entirely different studio. Although that was a much more ambitious project, Aspyr specializes in porting PC games to consoles, making it a good fit for bringing Humankind to consoles. Such delays are both worrying and reassuring, as it's an indication that there are serious problems with the release but that they will hopefully be properly addressed by the time it hits digital shelves.
In the meantime, gamers still have access to an increasing number of excellent console strategy games as the genre continues to step out of its traditional PC-only market. Games like Halo Wars, Civilization, Crusader Kings 3, and XCOM 2 are living proof that the strategy genre can still thrive in the realm of couches and controllers.
Humankind is available on PC. PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S versions are in development.
Source: Humankind
