It has been a long and winding road forShenmue 3, whichhad been set to release August 27 of this year as per the game’strailer at Gamescom 2018. However, in a recent update by game director Yu Suzuki and publisher Deep Silver, it was announced that there will be a slight delay inShenmue 3’s release. The newShenmue 3release date is June 18, 2025.
It should be noted here thatShenmue 3has experienced multiple delays at this point. Initially unveiled atSony’s E3 2015 press conference, where it was announced thatShenmue 3would be funded through a Kickstarter campaign, the game had been scheduled for a December 2017 release. Then, it was pushed back to the second half of 2018. A while later, it had been delayed into a 2019 release. As mentioned previously, the game had been slated to release on August 27 this year until today when its November release was announced.
Suzuki and Deep Silver provided reasoning for the decision on the Kickstarter page where they stated, “Whilst almost ready, the game simply needs a little more refinement before being truly finished.” They added, “We feel that the extra time we have will help us deliver the true Shenmue experience players around the world deserve!” They also expressed their graciousness to the patience of their fans and otherwise anxious gamers anticipating the release ofShenmue 3.
Many fans are likely to be disappointed by this news. However, it may be less of a surprise to some given multiple prior pushbacks. However, as Suzuki and the development team put it, the delay is to ensure that the game is as polished and ready for release as possible. Given the long wait for the sequel, fans are likely expecting the “true Shenmue experience” described by Suzuki and Deep Silver. For that reason, the delay may be worth it in the end.
Shenmue 3is set to release June 27, 2025 on PlayStation 4 and PC.
