Mechwarrior 5 dev delays Steam release to avoid Cyberpunk 2077

Another game runs and hides from CD Projekt Red's blockbuster release.

Piranha Games has pushed back the launch of Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries on Steam thanks to Cyberpunk 2077.

In a blog post, the studio said that it wasn't eager to go toe-to-toe with CD Projekt Red's eagerly-anticipated sci-fi RPG, which is set to launch on December 10. Mechwarrior 5 will now be released on Steam and GOG in spring 2021, alongside the Heroes of the Inner Sphere DLC that was set to launch at the same time.

"Any developer wants their titles to get as much attention as possible, and obviously sharing a release date with Cyberpunk was less than optimal," the developer wrote.

"Day one sales and marketing are so important to a successful product launch, and we believe that rescheduling our release date will allow MechWarrior 5 Mercenaries to have the opportunity and attention it deserves."

But Piranha is looking on the bright side of the whole situation. The studio is now able to bring Mechwarrior 5 to Steam, GOG, the Microsoft Store as well as Xbox Series X, Series S and Xbox One consoles at the same time. The developer hopes that this will result in more exposure. Piranha also hopes to make some improvements to the title, including its AI, UI and art.

Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries was released as an Epic Games Store exclusive in December 2019.

Piranha isn't the only studio worried about Cyberpunk 2077 eating up all the attention around its release. Developer Grinding Gear recently bumped the launch of its next big update for Path of Exile to get away from the juggernaut.