The sudden closure of Telltale Games in September shocked a number of people. With almost its entire staff unexpectedly laid off, it meant that many of Telltale's planned projects were sadly canceled, including The Walking Dead: The Final Season, which had already released two episodes, leaving fans with an abrupt ending to Clementine's story without any proper resolution. But fans weren't the only ones upset with this, as Skybound Games, also eager to see the series get a proper conclusion, jumped in to salvage what was left and complete the project.
While Skybound confirmed that they would be finishing off the point-and-click title, there was still little information regarding exactly when the next episode of The Walking Dead would actually release, with Skybound only stating that it would come out before the end of 2018. A new statement from the developer, which is part of a wider company that works solely on Walking Dead media, was very recently released and confirms that development on the next episode has now officially resumed. It also further clarifies that many former staff members from Telltale have been brought on to help finish the game. Considering the amount of backlash Telltale faced for how it treated its staff and handled their departures, this decision has no doubt generated some good press for Skybound.
It’s been a ton of work logistically and legally to get us to a place where we’re able to roll up our sleeves and get to the actual work. After Telltale shut its doors, the game was, unfortunately, unable to be worked on and hence the release dates of Episodes 3 and 4 have been delayed. But, we’re excited to let you know that many of the talented, passionate team members who originally worked on the game are resuming development efforts today!
The statement again reassures fans that exact release dates for Episodes 3 and 4 will be announced soon, but arguably more importantly promises that those who purchased the game's season pass when it first released will still be able to access the last two episodes so they don't need to worry about having to pay again. It also says that previous seasons of The Walking Dead may become temporarily unavailable for purchase but will be brought back online ASAP. Hopefully, this will also apply to the first two episodes of The Final Season, which were taken down from all digital stores following Telltale's closure and have yet to be brought back.
The Walking Dead: The Final Season will be made available once more for PS4, Xbox One, PC and Switch.
Source: Skybound Games