Cyberpunk 2077's Launch Postpones Another Game, MechWarrior 5

As we've mentioned before, Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the most impactful games of all time, and it hasn't even been launched yet. Game developers are so concerned about its inevitable success that smaller studios and games have been scrambling to get out of its way when it eventually lands. Earlier this year, we reported that Path of Exile decided to postpone their newest update in response to CD Projekt Red's new launch day, and now the same thing is happening to MechWarriors 5's steam release:

As many of you know, the delay in the release of Cyberpunk 2077 until December 10th had us reconsidering our release date for the Heroes of the Inner Sphere DLC, as well as the launch of MechWarrior 5 Mercenaries on Steam and GoG. Any developer wants their titles to get as much attention as possible, and obviously sharing a release date with Cyberpunk was less than optimal. Day one sales and marketing are so important to a successful product launch, and we believe that rescheduling our release date will allow MechWarrior 5 Mercenaries to have the opportunity and attention it deserves.

Part of me hopes that Cyberpunk 2077 is awful, because it would make all this pre-release anxiety and panic from consumers and businessmen alike hilarious in retrospect.

As for MechWarrior 5 developer Piranha Games, they're taking the decision with stride, and are looking at the bright side of things.

Along with the XBox release, this delay will allow us some additional opportunities that will benefit the game, as well as the MechWarrior community at large. First and foremost, the combined release on Steam, GoG, EGS, Microsoft Store, and XBox consoles will give us more exposure and a broader reach than we've ever had before. We will capitalize on this increased exposure with our largest marketing initiative to date, bringing as many new eyes to the MechWarrior franchise as possible. This will give us more time to add improvements and quality of life features to the base game, including AI, UI, art, customization, and content. We will continue to tune the single player campaign and new career modes, making running your Mercenary Unit the most rewarding experience possible.

How swell.