PlayStation just lost one of its big 2023 console exclusives

You win some, you lose some. PlayStation is learning this the hard way with news of considerable delays for one of its console exclusives.

Although it’s a positive sign that the game hasn’t been completely scrapped, learning that Pacific Drive has been pushed back to “early 2024” is still a hard blow to fans who’ve been patiently waiting for it to launch this year.

We must wait, but wait in style and watch Pacific Drive's trailer!

Ironwood Studios first announced the game was in the works in September 2022, with the aim being that 2023 would be its launch date, most likely in Q4. This run-based survival game promises supernatural threats, hostile environments, and other hallmarks of a solid action-packed outing. Coming exclusively to PlayStation and PC, gamers have had this one bookmarked since its announcement, so when Ironwood Studios shared their update, fans were notably sad.

“As summer comes to a close, we'd like to share that Pacific Drive is moving its release to early 2024," begins Ironwood Studios' statement. "This decision gives us the room to make Pacific Drive the best it can be, while still prioritising the health of our team. As you may know, we've been hard at work bringing this idea to life for quite some time, and every day adds even more to a game we're all proud of. In this final stretch however, it's important to us that we stay true to ourselves, and not compromise on the team's well being."

From there, the devs went into a few details about upcoming trailers, features – the usual extras designed to soften the blow of bad news. Still, while this is surely sad news for PS players, they should be pleased that the devs take such pride in their work that they know when to delay a game. We all remember the fiasco of Cyberpunk 2077, it’s the stuff of legend; it’s the one of the reasons players praised Bethesda for delaying Starfield until it was completely ready.

Despite inevitable disappointment, fans seem to be taking the update well, with that same level of respect passed on to the creatives behind Pacific Drive. Even though there's a couple of Reddit posts about the delay, nobody has commented on either of them yet – if people were going to get upset, we’re pretty sure they’d have started in earnest by now. Maybe it’s because a lot of PS5 owners are looking ahead to the Baldur’s Gate 3 launch, which has just been hit with another delay rumour, one which the devs immediately put a stop to.

With BG3 on the way, this is actually a smart move by Ironwood Studios; they get to spend longer on creating a stellar game, and protect their mental health, while PS5 gamers can lose themselves to a fantasy RPG. Surely, this is a win-win when you think about it.

Pacific Drive has been delayed until Q1 2024.