As we all know, Cyberpunk 2077 will release on December 10, 2021. For realsies this time. It’s happening and we all better be prepared for it.

For gamers, that’s easy. It just means having 80GB of space available on your drive for whatever platform you choose (preferably a new PS5 or Xbox Series X, but a PS4 and Xbox One version will also be available). But for developers, that’s a bit trickier. Everyone expects the vast majority of gamers to be laser-focused on playing Cyberpunk 2077 on December 10, so releasing anything at the same time as Cyberpunk is likely to just be completely ignored.

Piranha Games, the small indie developer that’s making MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, realizes that competing with Cyberpunk for attention isn’t likely to be a recipe for success. That’s why they’ve decided to push back their planned Steam release of MechWarrior 5 to be sometime other than December 10.

“Any developer wants their titles to get as much attention as possible, and obviously sharing a release date with Cyberpunk was less than optimal,” noted Piranha Games in their most recent update. “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.”

MechWarrior 5 will now release on both Steam and GOG this upcoming spring. The game was initially released on the Epic Games Store last December, but the Steam release was expected to generate much greater interest in the game thanks to a simultaneous launch of its first expansion DLC, Heroes of the Inner Sphere.

However, this delay isn’t just to get around Cyberpunk. Piranha Games also announced that MechWarrior 5 will get a console release on the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S at the same time as it launches on Steam and GOG. This will represent the MechWarrior game on a home console since MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf.

MechWarrior 5 isn’t the only game to be pushed back thanks to Cyberpunk. Path of Exile delayed the launch of its upcoming expansion, and Everspace 2 also delayed its early access release into 2021.

Source: Piranha Games