There are a lot of franchises in the video game industry that are known for remarkable longevity. Whether it's a yearly first-person shooter or an RPG series that gets a new release once every three years, these series make up the bedrock of the video game landscape. Some of these franchises come from the most unlikely places, and one of the best examples of this is the LEGO series. The family-friendly franchise has earned its place as one of the most well-established in the industry, and the upcoming LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is one of the most highly-anticipated LEGO projects in awhile.
Unfortunately for fans that have been looking forward to the new release, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga has been delayed out of its previous spring 2021 release. Developer Traveller's Tales has assured fans that updates on the game will come out as soon as they're available, but after a string of delays before this most recent one, things are beginning to look bleak. The most concerning thing of all is the fact that now, there's a chance that LEGO fans will go without a new release for two years in a row. Although it's the worst case scenario, the unpredictable nature of the industry right now makes it an unfortunate possibility.
The LEGO Legacy
Like many other franchises in the video game industry, the LEGO games are built on consistency. Ever since LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game came out in 2005, Traveller's Tales has found its formula and refined it to make solid game after solid game. Discovering this formula so early has also allowed the developer to make its games in rapid succession, making little adjustments here and there to improve the experience. This system of production has proven to be very successful for Traveller's Tales, and it gave the developer the ability to release a new LEGO game every year for fifteen years in a row.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga seemed poised to continue this tradition, but then the year 2020 happened. Because of the nature of the Covid-19 pandemic, the entire video game industry was derailed and many developers had to adjust to new ways of working. Traveller's Tales is just one of many developers to have struggled during this time, and The Skywalker Saga certainly isn't the only game to be delayed as a result. Now, it's just a matter of when fans are going to be able to get their hands on the game.
Lego Star Wars Skywalker Saga Release Date - The Worst Case Scenario
Game development has been tricky to say the least for the past year. Before the pandemic, game development was already a process that took many years and could go very wrong very fast. Now that many teams are split up and working from home however, this makes development an even greater challenge. One of the prime examples of a game struggling because of the pandemic would have to be Cyberpunk 2077. Although it's difficult to say to what degree the game's development was affected by the pandemic, the slew of delays that the game experienced in 2020 alone should be enough indication that CD Projekt Red struggled with the game. Of course, there were clearly other problems, but there's little doubt they were exacerbated tremendously.
For LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, there are several indications that the pandemic really did a number on production. The most glaring detail is the fact that the game has no release window whatsoever now. This is usually a safe move on the part of the developer, as it prevents any disappointment if a studio isn't able to meet the release deadline. With this new delay, however, fans have no idea when the game is coming out at this point. In all likelihood, the game could get pushed back all the way to sometime in early or late 2022, which would only break the fifteen year tradition of yearly LEGO games even more. No release in 2020 end that, but no release in 2021 delays the hopeful return to that tradition.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Release Date - The Best Case Scenario
When it comes down to it, no one wants a game to be delayed, but it is oftentimes better than to release something that's not ready. The anticipation around LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga has been so high that some people speculated that the game would get a surprise May 4 release. As it stands right now, however, this is practically impossible, as Traveller's Tales has no solid information regarding the game's production. The developer has ensured fans that a new timing window will be announced when it's ready, but when that will actually happen is anyone's guess.
If LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is in such a state that it necessitates such an indefinite delay, it seems unlikely that the game will release anytime before the holidays. If Traveller's Tales wants to keep its tradition from breaking too, much however, a holiday 2021 release is not totally out of the question. This would keep the time between releases from increasing to a full two years, something that many fans would certainly appreciate, and it would serve as a nice way to spotlight the return of the LEGO series. Fans may need to wait an abnormal amount of time in this situation, but at the end of the day, what's most important is having the game finished and on store shelves.
With how much work Traveller's Tales appears to be putting into LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, combined with the nature of the pandemic, these delays are understandable. Among other formula enhancements, The Skywalker Saga plans to have one of the biggest character rosters in a LEGO game yet. It's a shame that fans of the series are going without a new installment for longer than usual, but this likely does not mean that the quality of the game is going to suffer. Traveller's Tales has had tremendous success with the franchise, and LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga looks like it will continue that success.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.