If you were hoping to get your hands on Axiom Verge 2 this year, I'm afraid I bring some bad news. In a fairly lengthy announcement, the one and only developer Tom Happ revealed that Axiom Verge 2 has been delayed until the first half of 2021, with no concrete date available just yet.

"So why is it taking so long," Happ explains. "First, the enemies in Axiom Verge 2 are much more sophisticated than those in the original Axiom Verge. Whereas in the original all of the enemies followed a set path, in Axiom Verge 2 some enemies scan the environment for you, and if they detect you, they’ll give chase."

"Next, those of you who played the original Axiom Verge will recall one of its most distinctive features, the Address Disruptor tool. That’s the tool that lets you glitch enemies and the environment. I don’t want to spoil too much, but Axiom Verge 2 has something that serves a similar function but in a way that gives the player more control over the outcome."

"Third, the art style for Axiom Verge 2 is far more complex than that of Axiom Verge. You’ll notice in these side-by-side views that in the first game, each tile was distinct. This created an intentionally blocky, alien world as befit the storyline. Axiom Verge 2 on the other hand, takes place on a more earth-like planet with natural inclines and dips. In order to capture that difference, it was critical to formulate seamless tiles that can blend into one another. This may seem like a subtle change, but it has far reaching implications for the design, art, and ultimately feel of the game."

Combine all of that with the world being a bit of a wonderland right now, and it's really not that surprising to see Axiom Verge 2 join the ever-growing list of games delayed until 2021. So as always, I can only hope the extra time will do Axiom Verge 2 good, and that it'll end up being even better than its predecessor!

Once the new release date gets announced, as well as the fate of the PC version revealed, I'll make sure to let you know. Until then, you can read a little bit more about Axiom Verge 2 and its future over at the official website.