The Settlers postponed “until further notice”

Ubisoft Blue Byte, known for its work on The Settlers and Anno, announced an indefinite delay for an upcoming reboot of the former series today. First unveiled in 2018, The Settlers originally planned to launch in late 2019 before Ubisoft delayed it to 2020. You can see the original Gamescom announcement below.

The Settlers series was Blue Byte’s claim to fame before it took on Anno in 2009. The two franchises share a lot of DNA, functioning as city-building simulators with real-time elements. The most recent game in The Settlers series, Paths to a Kingdom, released in 2010, shortly before Blue Byte started focusing on Anno.

In the announcement, Blue Byte said it’s “on the right path to deliver a great game.” However, the team needs to “take the time necessary to make it right.” Because of that, the game is delayed “until further notice.” In the announcement, Blue Byte said it can’t confirm a new release date, but it will keep players updated on The Settlers Alliance website.

Will The Settlers actually release?

The Settlers is one of a long list of games delayed this year. In most cases, an indefinite delay is a death wish, ensuring that the game in question will never release. At the very least, such games often end up looking completely different. Thankfully, it doesn’t look like that’s the case with The Settlers. Since the announcement, Blue Byte has consistently published updates on development, showcasing new and returning features.

Although the eighth mainline entry in the series, Blue Byte considers The Settlers a reboot. It’s been 10 years since the last game, so that only seems fitting. The reboot will have the most buildings out of any game in the series, as well as new systems. That said, the core gameplay looks like it was ripped straight from the classics, which is a good thing. Although disappointing, at least we can cross The Settlers off our list of potential games at Ubisoft Forward.