Double Fine has gone through a tumultuous year, to be sure. Having been focused on Psychonauts 2 since 2015, Double Fine decided in 2019 that the best way to deliver the game it wanted to was to be acquired by Microsoft and join Xbox Game Studios. Psychonauts 2 was pushed to 2020 and Double Fine has remained dedicated to launching this year. That goal remains Double Fine's priority and to that effect, a gameplay showcase for Psychonauts 2 is tentatively planned for July.
In a lengthy post from Double Fine boss Tim Schafer to Psychonauts 2's Fig backers, the source of the project's original funding, Schafer describes what's coming next. Double Fine will be bringing Psychonauts 2 footage to the now-confirmed Xbox 20/20 showcase in July. This event will be for Xbox Game Studios titles, of which Psychonauts 2 is now one.
Schafer admits that Double Fine had big plans for sharing this gameplay during E3 this year. Obviously, with E3 canceled due to COVID-19, that's not going to happen. The July Inside Xbox presentation is Xbox's alternative option -- its plan B. With no other conventions to take E3's place, a digital-only presentation will have to do. But Double Fine is seemingly still very excited for the opportunity.
This won't be the first time that Double Fine has shared gameplay from Psychonauts 2, of course. A demo was shown during E3 2019. Double Fine will likely have something new and exciting to show in 2020 that'll lead everyone to rush out and pre-order the game.
Xbox opting for a July Inside Xbox event rather than a June one, which would better align with E3, makes perfect sense. And Schafer adds evidence to that in his update. Double Fine, like all Microsoft and Xbox teams, is having its employees work from home. While everyone's likely working very hard, logistics and the additional stress of the times can make things challenging. July provides everyone a little more time to wrap up their ideas.
Notably, Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty also announced that Double Fine will have a "debut" at the July event. The implication being that Double Fine will announce a new game at the event. Double Fine is well-known for working on multiple games at one time, though Psychonauts 2 is much larger than the typical Double Fine game. Booty may have been referring to Psychonauts 2, but fans will have to wait to find out more.
Psychonauts 2 releases in 2020 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.