As a result of the ongoing pandemic, video game delays in 2021 have been all too common, and the most recent victim is the upcoming PlayStation 5-exclusive Ghostwire: Tokyo. Ghostwire has been delayed to "early 2022" without any further details about when exactly fans can expect to see it. While delays are common, especially over the last year, the game's delayed release is bad news just about everyone, and especially for Xbox owners.
Despite the game's current existence as a PS5 exclusive, there's still hope that Ghostwire: Tokyo will release on other platforms, specifically on the Xbox Series X and S. Although there's no official confirmation that the game will ever become a cross-platform title, those waiting anxiously for an announcement of that sort will likely have to wait even longer as a result of the delay. Looking at a title in a similar position might shed some light on what fans can expect from Ghostwire: Tokyo's release.
Deathloop is Coming to Xbox
It's been known for a while that both Ghostwire: Tokyo and Deathloop will be timed PS5 exclusives, and then will make their way to Xbox platforms once their exclusivity deals are up. Sony was pretty transparent when initially advertising for the PS5 about which of its titles will be exclusives and which will be released elsewhere. Both Ghostwire: Tokyo and Deathloop are being published by Bethesda Softworks, and the fine print on all of their trailers said that they'd be PS5 exclusives for 12 months following their PlayStation debuts.
Following Microsoft's $7.5 billion acquisition of ZeniMax Media in fall 2020, all eyes were on the company to see how it would handle the exclusivity deals that certain ZeniMax-owned studios had made with Sony. Microsoft said that it would be honoring the contracts previously made, and so Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo will be only available on the PS5 until their contracts run their courses. Once the contracts are up, however, it's likely Microsoft will go all out for both games to arrive on their platforms. With the company's E2 2021 press conference being so Xbox Game Pass-centric, it's likely that Ghostwire: Tokyo and Deathloop will come to the service the moment they're available.
Now that Deathloop's release is growing closer, information on when it'll be available for Xbox consoles is beginning to come together, ultimately informing what the release of Ghostwire: Tokyo might look like as well. The Deathloop trailer from the July State of Play said the game will be available outside of the PS5 after September 14, 2022, meaning that Deathloop's exclusivity is based off of when the game actually releases and not when it was initially supposed to. Deathloop was originally meant to release on May 21, 2021, but like many AAA titles this year was pushed back.
Ghostwire: Tokyo's PS5 Exclusivity Deal and Release
Deathloop's release situation is very telling for how Ghostwire: Tokyo's release will likely be handled. Up until recently, the dates explaining Deathloop's exclusivity situation were as vague as its finalized release date, but now the September 14, 2022 date is all over its marketing in the fine print. This means that Ghostwire: Tokyo will likely share the same fate, becoming available on multiple platforms exactly one year after it actually goes live, not when it was initially supposed to release.
Unfortunately, these types of exclusivity deals are rarely detailed in the public eye, so it's impossible to confirm that Ghostwire: Tokyo and Deathloop's situations are identical. However, because they're both being published by the same studio, it's likely that they'll be sharing a similar fate. Adding even more to the evidence that both games will receive similar treatment, their status as Microsoft-owned IPs being published exclusively to a Sony platform puts them in a unique situation that will likely result in equal treatment.
The question now is about when Ghostwire: Tokyo is actually going to be releasing. Despite supposedly coming out in October 2021, the game has been relatively quiet, without any new information or trailers being released for some time. Its "early 2022" release date from the recent statement by Tango Gameworks, the studio behind Ghostwire, is similarly vague so there's really no telling as to when the project will be finished.
When Ghostwire: Tokyo Will Be Heading to Xbox
At the end of the day, Ghostwire: Tokyo's delay might be frustrating for fans who are anticipating the title, but it's a good thing in terms of the game's development and quality. While PS5 owners might be disappointed, things look bleakest for Xbox owners who are patiently waiting for the game to cross the console aisle potentially a year following its release. The Ghostwire: Tokyo delay means that the wait will be even longer for Xbox owners, extending from waiting until late 2022 to early 2023. The upside is that both Ghostwire: Tokyo and Deathloop are likely to be debuting on Game Pass the day they launch on Xbox platforms.
It's also worth noting that there's been no official announcement regarding Ghostwire: Tokyo's eventual arrival on Xbox, but it feels like only a matter of time until an announcement comes. It's likely such a statement will come after one regarding Deathloop as the Arkane title is releasing first. However, it makes sense that Microsoft will say something as Ghostwire's exclusivity contract comes to a close. When that will be specifically is still unclear. In the meantime, there's not much else anyone can do other than to keep eyes open for new Ghostwire: Tokyo trailers, wait patiently for "early 2022," and hope that that means a January release rather than a March one.
Ghostwire: Tokyo will launch in early 2022 for PC and PS5, and is rumored to release at a later time on Xbox Series X/S.