In a statement by the game's publisher, it was announced that the release date for Shenmue 3 would be delayed until 2019. Accompanied by a comment from designer Yu Suzuki, the statement gave only vague details explaining the delay, arguing that more time would be utilized to give the long-anticipated title the polish it deserves.

This marks the second considerable delay in Shenmue 3's release timeframe. Just under a year ago, after the development team canceled their E3 appearance, Yu Suzuki announced that the release window would move from its initial target, December 2017, to the later half of 2018.

Shenmue director Yu Suzuki appended the statement by Deep Silver with an apology to the project's backers and a promise to use the extra time to improve the game. The news comes only months after we reported on an optimistic message from one of Shenmue 3's developers, who seemingly confirmed a 2018 release date.

Considering today's news, it may seem premature to begin speculating about sequels to Shenmue 3, however director Yu Suzuki recently revealed that the upcoming release won't be the end of the Shenmue franchise. Responding directly to a question from GamersFlag, Suzuki replied, "Yes, the end will be open for a sequel. It will not be possible to finish with this third episode."

As disappointing as this news might be for fans who have kept up with Shenmue 3's progress since its announcement back in 2015, it's clear the development team is working diligently to bring a worthwhile sequel to a franchise so near and dear to so many. Recent images revealed by Suzuki showcase improvements in facial animation over what we'd seen prior, alleviating some concern from a presentation standpoint.

shenmue 3 ryo hazuki ling shenhua

Sega just last month confirmed that remasters were in the work for Shenmue 1 and 2, and that the collection would release in 2018. Given its proximity to Shenmue 3's release window, the remaster project may be partially responsible for the delay of Shenmue 3. While Sega is publishing the remasters and Deep Silver is publishing the sequel, it's possible that, in favor of chronology, an agreement was made to have the remasters available before the release of the third game.

Shenmue 3 is expected to release on PC and PS4 in 2019.

Source: Kickstarter