At Sony's PlayStation Event last June, Insomniac Games announced Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, a sequel to the franchise's 2016 soft reboot. Although the period between the two games is only four years, the look and gameplay for Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is obviously superior, given that it will be a PS5 exclusive game.
At the moment, Insomniac still hasn't revealed a release date for Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, but the developer provided a release window of 2021. Now, for players interested in knowing when the game may actually be released, here is everything we know about Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart's release date.
Early 2021 Release Date Confirmed
Several days ago, Sony released a new PS5 advertisement to promote the launch of the next-generation console. The ad featured a highlight reel of some of the highly-anticipated games coming to Sony's next-gen console, and it also confirmed the release window of some of them, including Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. As previously mentioned, Insomniac revealed a release window of 2021, but the latest PS5 ad now confirms that the game will be released in the first half of next year.
Unfortunately, the studio did not specify when in this half of 2021 the game will be released. However, players should expect to see more trailers and gameplay reveals in the coming months, and maybe even an actual release date. As for now, here are some theories on the likeliest launch date of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart Spring 2021 Release Date
Given that Insomniac Games has confirmed the release window of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart to early 2021, it is now easy to predict when exactly next year the game will see the light of day. First, it is likely that Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart will be released in the Spring of 2021, as stocks for the PS5 stabilize. Another wave of players looking to purchase the PS5 is expected in the Spring of 2021, given that not everyone was able to get the console during launch day and Black Friday. With this expected spike in console sales, Insomniac has the opportunity to also boost the performance of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, given that many may want to purchase it as their first game on the PS5.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart Summer 2021 Release Date
On the flip side, if Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is not releasing in Spring, then the likeliest release date would be in the Summer of 2021 unless Insomniac delays the game to a late 2021 launch. Of course, it is no secret that developers release some of its biggest games during the Summer and Fall seasons, which is why it is likely that Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart could be released sometime in either June or August if slightly delayed out of the window. In the end, the exact release date of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart could be anytime in early 2021, which is understandable, especially with all the flashy features that Insomniac has been talking about ever since the announcement of the game.
One important thing to remember is that Insomniac Games has already confirmed that Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart will be a PS5 exclusive game and won't release to the PS4, unlike Horizon Forbidden West or Spider-Man: Miles Morales. However, the move to keep it exclusive to Sony's next-generation console is hardly surprising, given that Insomniac revealed that much of the game's features are only possible with the PS5's SSD. To those unfamiliar, Ratchet and Clank will have players traveling between half a dozen worlds in under a minute or two. Obviously, this is an attempt from Sony to showcase just how powerful the PS5 is, specifically its SSD, which allows for lightning-fast loading speed capable of rendering an entire world in seconds.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is scheduled to release in early 2021, exclusively for the PS5.