During last year's Game Awards showcase, Square Enix announced it would be bringing the Just Cause series to mobile devices, showing off a trailer for Just Cause: Mobile. While the game's reveal sported a 2021 release window, it seems the portable take on the series needs a little longer in the oven than expected, with the team behind the title recently confirming it's been pushed back.
As announced over on the game's official Twitter account, Just Cause: Mobile will now launch in 2022, with a statement from Square Enix citing the COVID pandemic as a key reason behind the decision. "We've had to adjust to a new way of working," the statement reads, clarifying that these changes have led to "delays to our development schedule."
Just Cause: Mobile joins a lineup of titles that have pushed back their release dates due to the unforeseen consequences of the pandemic, including Hogwarts Legacy, Lord of the Rings: Gollum, Gotham Knights, Need for Speed, Sifu, and the new God of War. Only yesterday, another title joined that list, with Tango Gameworks confirming its delayed Ghostwire Tokyo to 2022 to help protect the health of those involved.
For those who haven't been following Just Cause: Mobile, the game will center around a new cast of characters and feature a fresh story set in the Just Cause universe. Unlike Just Cause's typical third-person mayhem, its mobile spin-off will be framed from a top-down, isometric view, seeing players roam open-world environments, engage in multiplayer PVP battles, and enjoy an online challenge mode. The latter allows players to go head to head in various fun competitions, such as races and frantic battles to see who can cause the most destruction in a limited amount of time.
The Just Cause: Mobile cinematic trailer shown off during E3 was a strong indicator of the tone Square is looking to capture through the spin-off, seeing a squad of four characters blast their way through a heavily guarded military base while atop rockets, flying helicopters, and driving cars through walls. It already looks to be an interesting new take on the franchise that will still be familiar to Just Cause fans.
While players wait for the 2022 release, they can dive into the mainline series, which currently boasts four entries. The latest, Just Cause 4, was released back in 2018 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, seeing returning protagonist Rico Rodríguez travel to the fictional country of Solís. There he's faced with brand new dynamic weather effects, including chaotic tornados and sandstorms, as well as an army of elusive enemies called the Black Hand.
Just Cause: Mobile is slated to launch in 2022 for mobile devices.