Fast & Furious Game's Release Date "Uncertain" In Wake of Fast 9's Delay
Following the upcoming film's not-so-fast delay, Fast & Furious Crossroads' release date is now a little nebulous.
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With the COVID-19 outbreak, people across the globe are being advised to self-isolate. This has come to have a huge impact on the entertainment industry, from convention and event cancellations to film delays. This week, Disney delayed the releases of Mulan (which was set for worldwide release on March 27), The New Mutants (yes, again), and Antlers. No Time to Die, the latest Bond film, was pushed last week from its April 2020 release to this coming November. It wasn't the only big action movie to suffer such a fate: yesterday, Universal Studios postponed the release of the highly anticipated Fast & Furious 9 from May 2020 to April 2021.
Yes, we have to wait almost a year longer to see the return of Han. Also scheduled for release in May 2020 is a Fast & Furious spin-off game called Fast & Furious Crossroads. Crossroads is currently set for release on May 29, a week following Fast & Furious 9's original release date. While Crossroads is a standalone game, we were curious if the delay would affect the video game's planned release date. A representative from Bandai Namco, the publisher of Slightly Mad Studios and Codesmasters' upcoming game, provided the following statement:
"Bandai Namco Entertainment is working closely with our partners at Universal regarding F9's newly announced theatrical release date of April 2021. While not directly tied to the film, news and updates pertaining to the Fast & Furious Crossroads video game will be shared once they become available. The development team at Slightly Mad Studios and Codemasters will continue to finalize the game as planned."
In an announcement from Codemasters Group Holdings Plc early Friday morning, Codemasters said the timing of Crossroads' launch is now "uncertain" due to the delay of the film. "A further announcement will be made in due course to confirm the release date of the F&F Game following discussions with Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe and Universal Games and Digital Platforms," the announcement reads. When followed up for further clarification, Bandai Namco had no additional comment on the matter.
Fast & Furious Crossroads was unveiled at The Game Awards 2019 by actors Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez, who will both be reprising their roles from the film series for the game. Tyrese Gibson will also be reprising his role in the game's cast.
Naturally, games delay all the time. Cyberpunk 2077, Marvel's Avengers, and The Last of Us Part 2 all slipped to later in the year. Judging from the forecast, Crossroads' release seems likely to change in the coming weeks or months. For now, Fast & Furious Crossroads is scheduled for release on May 27 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.