It's been one roller coaster of a week for "Uncharted" fans. Just a day after Naughty Dog announced its second multiplayer beta, Sony has revealed that the upcoming action adventure third-person shooter "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End" has been delayed yet again, this time to May 10.
Revealing the distressing news on the PlayStation Blog, Sony Computer Entertainment America CEO Shawn Layden blamed the delay on the game's high demand, saying that the additional two weeks will be used to allow for extra manufacturing time.
"As you know, Naughty Dog is wrapping up production on Uncharted 4: A Thief's End with the game on track to go gold and into production later this month," Layden said on PlayStation Blog. "In an effort to meet the considerable worldwide demand, and to ensure that all gamers worldwide have the opportunity to play the game on day one, we have chosen to postpone the launch of the game by two weeks to allow for extra manufacturing time."
"Uncharted 4" is no stranger to delays. Originally slated for a Christmas 2015 release, the game was pushed back to March 18, 2016 due to development issues. Soon after, however, Naughty Dog delayed the release once more due to similar development issues, pushing it back to April 26.
For fans who have been waiting since 2011s "Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception" for another entry in the franchise, news of yet another delay serves as a staggering blow - a fact that Layden is well aware of.
"We know this news might be disappointing, and we are sorry to have to make you wait a little longer to play Naughty Dog's latest," Layden added in the blog post. "The good news is that the game is phenomenal - we are fully confident that it will be worth the wait and the team at Naughty Dog is eager as ever for you to experience Nathan Drake's final adventure."
There is a bright side to the delay, however, as the extra two weeks gives players a little longer to determine which version of the game to purchase. In addition to the standard version, Naughty Dog is offering two different limited editions: a generic Special Edition and the Libertalia Collector's Edition. The Special Edition of "Uncharted 4" includes a steelbook case, artbook and sticker sheet, while the Libertalia Collector's Edition includes all of that as well as a 12-inch Nathan Drake statue.
As players wait for Uncharted's long-delayed release, they will still be able to tide themselves over with the upcoming multiplayer stress test that will last from March 4-6. Anyone that owns a PS4, regardless of their subscription status, will be able to get a taste of "Uncharted 4's" competitive multiplayer mode for free.
The beta client has been available to pre-load since Tuesday and will run players anywhere between 7GB to 10GB, depending on their region. Naughty Dog stressed that the upcoming stress test is not indicative of what the game's final build will be like.
Check out the story trailer for "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End" below.
