The PlayStation 5 has had another exclusive pushed further out of its launch window, as Gran Turismo 7 has been delayed to 2022 due to production issues caused by COVID-19. Gran Turismo 7 was announced during the June 2020 PS5 showcase, where it demonstrated incredible visuals that made the most of the PS5's hardware.
Sony didn't announce a release date for Gran Turismo 7, but many fans assumed that it would launch in 2021. The gameplay footage that was revealed was extremely polished, and while no one expected it to be released during the launch window of the PS5, many believed thatt they wouldn't have to wait too long to play the game. The PS5 was low on launch exclusives when Destruction AllStars was delayed, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was moved out of the launch window into June 2021, so the system could use some killer titles that can't be played on other platforms.
One of the biggest PS5 exclusives won't be released until next year. SIE president and CEO Jim Ryan revealed in an interview with GQ that Gran Turismo 7 has been pushed back to 2022 due to COVID-related production issues. Ryan didn't go into too many details regarding the delay, nor did he narrow down the timeframe for the release outside of a year, but he shared, "And as for Sony’s publishing timetable for the year? Well, Covid has been up to no good again and booted Gran Turismo 7 back to 2022."
Gran Turismo 7 isn't the first PS5 exclusive game to be hit with a delay, as Returnal was pushed back to April. The delay of Gran Turismo 7 might be Sony's most high-profile to date, but at least the company hadn't committed to a release date before pushing it back. There are PS5 exclusives coming out in 2021, like Returnal and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, but the schedule will be dominated by multi-platform third-party games for the near future.
These pandemic-related delays have been hitting the industry at large. The 2020 release schedule wasn't as badly affected, as many of the games that launched last year were close to completion anyway, and the shift to telework didn't adversely affect their production. It's only now that we're seeing the full effect of the lockdown on the game industry, and Gran Turismo 7 is just one of many titles that will be pushed back to 2022. The people who haven't been able to purchase a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S due to shortages shouldn't worry about missing out, as many of the prized console exclusives that were promised when the consoles were first announced could now launch when the systems become more readily available.
Gran Turismo 7 will be released for PS5 in 2022.
Source: GQ