Last year, a surprising revival of a classic IP was announced in the form of Metal Slug Tactics, a strategy RPG inspired by SNK's classic 2D action series. While fans were initially surprised that the long-dormant series had switched genre, it didn't take long for many to warm to the return of the beloved franchise, especially since it's coming from Streets of Rage 4 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge publisher Dotemu. While the game was expected to release later this year, Dotemu has now announced that Metal Slug Tactics has been unfortunately delayed to 2023.
The Metal Slug series originated as a 2D action series developed by Nazca Corporation before it merged with SNK Corporation in 1996. The series follows a group of soldiers as they fend off military, alien, and zombie invasions. The series' gameplay consists of run-and-gun platforming combined with shoot-em-up mechanics and is most identifiable by the intensely detailed pixel art that has defined the series since its inception.
Metal Slug Tactics, the first entry in over 13 years, was first announced at Summer Game Fest Kick-Off in 2021. The game is currently in development at Leikir Studio, a French developer known for indie games such as Rogue Lords and Wondershot. In February 2022, the studio was acquired by European publisher Focus Interactive, while publisher Dotemu was also acquired in August 2021.
Gameplay for Metal Slug Tactics was shown at an Indie World event hosted by Nintendo in August 2021, where it was confirmed for release on Nintendo Switch and PC. Since this event, Metal Slug Tactics has gone very quiet with little to no updates throughout 2022. Today, Dotemu announced alongside fresh art from the game that Metal Slug Tactics is delayed to 2023. No further release details were provided.
Despite the delay in Metal Slug Tactics and the delay for Firaxis Games' upcoming Marvel's Midnight Suns announced earlier this week, strategy RPG fans still have a lot to look forward to this year with titles like The DioField Chronicle and Tactics Ogre: Reborn confirmed for release in 2022. It is worth also keeping in mind that with the ongoing Russo-Ukranian War, many developers are cautious of releasing games based in war settings, especially light-hearted titles. This is the reason why Nintendo and WayForward's Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp has been delayed indefinitely and will likely not even release in 2022, despite being originally planned to release back in April.
Either way, Metal Slug Tactics is shaping up to be an exciting and fresh blend of tactical RPG gameplay with the distinct visual flair that SNK's beloved series is known for, so giving it more time in the oven can only be a good thing given how solid gameplay teasers have been.
Metal Slug Tactics will release on PC and Nintendo Switch in 2023.
