One of the most prominently featured PlayStation 5 releases showcased over the past several months won't be arriving in 2020 after all. Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a fantasy action-adventure game in which the player controls a variety of spiritual pets. Kena's cartoonish aesthetic and quirky gameplay endeared it to many PlayStation fans, but what once could have been a PS5 launch title is now being pushed into a window that's less crowded.
The delay announcement was shared today by Kena's developer on social media. The Ember Lab team first shared how much the excitement and positivity for Kena over the past weeks and months meant to the studio, saying, "your kind words and excitement for the game have been an inspiration to the team." However, the challenges of 2020 have hit the Ember Lab team especially hard, much as they have hit many studios. Ember Lab specifically cites transitioning to working from home as slowing Kena's development.
"We have not made this decision lightly," says the Ember Lab team, as the extra time is what the team believes is best for not just the game, but for the development team's "well-being" as well. Healthy developers make great games, and with the extra time, those healthy developers say that they'll be able to polish Kena up to the quality that it deserves. With expectations raised for Kena, Ember Lab hopes to meet them.
While a delay is frustrating, those looking forward to the next-generation game won't have to wait too much longer. Kena was originally announced for a late-2020 launch. The new release window is in Q1 2020, so the first three months of next year, making the delay effectively just 2-4 months as a result, which is hardly a significant delay at all.
If anything, the delay will mean a lot to prospective PS5 buyers. It's already confirmed that the PS5 will be available only in limited quantities when it launches, and every extra month will mean a significant number of new PS5 users. Odds could be that the PS5 will even still be in short supply through Q1 2020. For a young studio like Ember Lab, those extra PS5 owners could mean the difference between finding success and not.
PlayStation fans can count on more information about Kena being shared soon. Whether it's an updated release window or more gameplay teasers, Sony is certain to keep this spotlight on Keny regardless of when it eventually launches.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits releases early 2021 on PS4, PS5, and PC.