BattleTech reboot delayed until 2018
Beta adding PvP support in the next month.
Turn-based Mechwarrior spin-off BattleTech has been delayed until 2018, publisher Paradox Interactive has announced.
The crowdfunded strategy game has a storied history with BattleTech and Mechwarrior creator Jordan Weisman at the helm, with his studio Harebrained Schemes (Shadowrun Returns, Necropolis) on development duties. When Weisman and company asked for $250k on Kickstarter, the developer made over 11 times that much, raking in nearly $2.8m - plus another $772k from late backers.
At the time Harebrained Schemes was hoping to release BattleTech by mid 2017, but that's not going to happen.
"Throughout development our Backers have been clear: 'Don't rush it, just make it great.' and we have taken that advice to heart," said Weisman of this highly anticipated reboot.
"The feedback and enthusiasm from Beta participants has shown us just how great BattleTech can be, and rushing development to fit a timeline would be a disservice," added Paradox CEO Fredrik Wester. "We believe in the Harebrained Schemes team, and want them to give the game the time and attention they need to create a turn-based game worthy of the name."
The good news is the beta will be updated a fair amount this week, offering a multitude of gameplay tweaks like AI upgrades, UI enhancements, and balance tweaks. A subsequent update will add PvP modes.
The BattleTech beta will last at least another month and folks can still buy access to it should they pledge upwards of $60.