Shenmue III release date pushed back to November

Shenmue creator and visionary, Yu Suzuki, and publisher, Deep Silver, have announced today, via Kickstarter that Shenmue III’s launch date has been delayed.

The good news is that the delay is only a short one, just a few months. The game was originally slated for release August 27, 2019, but it is now scheduled to launch November 19. 2019.

In the update, Yu Suzuki/Deep Silver said this delay was purely to refine the game and deliver the best Shenmue experience possible:

Whilst almost ready, the game simply needs a little more refinement before being truly finished.

We feel that the extra time we have will help us deliver the true Shenmue experience players around the world deserve!

We thank you for your patience and understanding,

Yu Suzuki & Deep Silver

While there are obvious financial reasons why this doesn’t happen too often, I wish more game developers did this – take a few extra months to ensure that their games are the best they can be, before launch.

Honestly, we’ve waited 18 years for a sequel, so if Yu and his team at Ys Net need some more time to bring us the ultimate next-gen Shenmue game, then I’m more than happy to wait a little longer. Crack on Yu and take all the time you need! …well, within reason…