Dead or Alive 6 release delayed until later this year

A tweet from Koei Tecmo has confirmed that the Dead or Alive 6 release has been delayed. Don’t worry, it’s not a massive wait, with the developer moving the game’s launch back two weeks, from February 15 to March 1. A tweet from the developer explained that the extra time was needed to put the finishing touches on the game.

Well, that’s what we think the extra time is for, anyway. Dead or Alive 6 director Yohei Shimbori specifically said that the two-week delay was needed to “polish its balance, gameplay, and expressivity.” He continued to say that in “return for your patience, we commit to bringing you the best Dead or Alive gaming experience,” before finishing by saying that he’s “truly sorry for the inconvenience caused.” We’re not totally convinced that the extra time is being solely devoted to the game’s design and feel, and as for the “expressivity,” I suppose that Dead or Alive 6 is going big with its take on genetics?

The delay also sees the fighting game move out of a fairly ram-packed month. With February seeing the release of Far Cry New Dawn, Metro Exodus, and Jump Force, it’s not too far a reach to say that the delay puts Dead or Alive 6 in a far less competitive window but still sees the fighting game having to compete for players’ cash with The Division 2, The Sinking City, and Devil May Cry 5, albeit with those titles releasing later in the month.

News about Dead or Alive 6 has been pretty sparse, even with its new release date closing in. We had news about a few returning characters late last year, with both Brad Wong and Eliot returning to the fray. Before that, we learned that Bass, Tina, and Mila would also be returning to the game, with Bass and Tina now running a new wrestling organization called “The Muscle,” which isn’t out of place whatsoever for the series.