ARMA 3 release postponed, requires “additional development time”

Bohemia Interactive had planned on getting ARMA 3 out the door this year but the tactical shooter has now been pushed back.

In a statement from Bohemia Interactive today they announced that the game will be delayed so the project can reach its “full potential”. No new release date has been revealed and they will “finalise release plans in the new year”. The most they can say at the moment is a 2013 release.

The full statement reads:

In what might be described as an eventful year, Bohemia Interactive has decided to postpone the release of Arma 3. The additional development time enables the project to reach its full potential, with the studio expecting to finalize their release plans in the new year.

Recently, Joris-Jan van ‘t Land, a 10-year veteran of Bohemia Interactive, took over the role of Arma 3 Project Lead from Daniel Musil, who left the studio to pursue other opportunities.

Joris-Jan van ‘t Land: “We’ve been in the process of implementing changes that will help us innovate as a studio under unexpected circumstances – facing problems we simply couldn’t have imagined”, referring to the detainment of two Bohemia Interactive employees in Greece. Both were arrested on suspicion of espionage while spending their holiday on Lemnos – an island that served as inspiration for the environment in Arma 3. They have since remained in jail pending legal proceedings. “We’re still trying to make sense of the situation and hope that our colleagues will be released soon. Although their plight has certainly affected us on a personal level, we continue working on the tasks identified as key to the release of Arma 3.”

The new release window of Arma 3 has been set for 2013. Joris-Jan van ‘t Land: “I hope this update provides some answers regarding the status of the project. We’re currently sorting the specifics so we can deliver a more complete announcement at the beginning of next year.”