To be fair to Double Fine Productions, Psychonauts 2 has never had a fully confirmed release date. The most recent estimate, as we noted in October when we learned that "it takes nine goats to say the F-word," was that it would be ready to go sometime during the summer of 2018. In a Fig update posted today, however, the studio said that 2018 is off the table.
First, the good news: Double Fine is "very close" (emphasis theirs) to starting production on the first batch of backer rewards, and word on when that stuff will start shipping will go out after the new year. The game is now in full production, with "five full level teams" (emphasis theirs also) working on real and mental worlds, and the gameplay team doing its thing on the mechanical side, which covers things like powers, platforms, puzzles, and combat.
But now, the bad. "Now we are in full swing, we know a lot more about the size and scope of the game we are going to make, how long it will take us to make it, and the amount of time we need to make it be great. From those projections we know that Psychonauts 2 will not be shipping in 2018, like we originally estimated when we published the Fig campaign two years ago," Double Fine said.
"We love the game we're making and we want to make sure that Psychonauts 2 is something you’ll love too—a game that carries on the legacy of Psychonauts in a meaningful and special way. We’re making great progress, but we want to make sure the game has the time it needs to shine."
Delays are no fun, but look at it this way: It took ten years (emphasis mine) from the release of the original Psychonauts before the sequel was even announced. After a wait like that, what's another year or so?
The original Psychonauts, by the way, is on sale in the Steam Winter Sale for $1.
