“A game is only late until it ships, but a bad game is bad forever”: Doom Alumni Tim Willits Admits Taking Space Marine 2’s Release off the Board to Ensure It Shipped Properly
Initially meant to be launched last year, Saber Interactive decided to take its time perfecting Space Marine 2 instead.
- Saber Interactive didn't want to release an unpolished game, as it knew how much the fans were looking forward to Space Marine 2.
- That led to the developer deciding to delay the Space Marine sequel by nearly an entire year, giving itself more time to perfect the title.
- The studio's Chief Creative Officer wanted to ensure that the Warhammer 40K fanbase came out satisfied with the upcoming game.
As Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 is finally getting close to its release date, with just a few more days left to go before fans get to meet Captain Demetrian Titus once again, Saber Interactive has been busy clarifying details about some important aspects regarding the upcoming title.
In a day and age where developers often rush their video game releases to meet deadlines and to get it out on shelves as soon as possible, many titles, unfortunately, are launched in unpolished and incomplete states, completely destroying the anticipation that led to their launch and ruining their overall image in the eyes of the player base.
To avoid that and ensure that the Space Marine sequel actually proves to be a satisfying experience, the developer and Focus Entertainment seemed to have no problem delaying the release date by nearly an entire year.
Saber Interactive’s CCO Explains Why Space Marine 2 Went Through Such an Extensive Delay
Creating the greatest Space Marine experience ever put into a video game does not come without its challenges, but to make sure that the next Warhammer 40K title delivered on all fronts, Saber Interactive delayed the launch of its highly anticipated title by around nine months.
“We just needed more time to polish it,” answered the studio’s Chief Creative Officer Tim Willits when asked about the reason for such an extensive delay during an interview at Gamescom 2024, as the Space Marine sequel was initially going to be released last year.
Willits, who has titles like Doom 3 under his belt as a game designer during his time at id Software, explained that it is better to delay a release instead of launching an unfinished product that will likely meet less than ideal reception from players, especially when it comes to a high-profile title like Space Marine 2.
Believing in the sentiment that “a game is only late until it ships, but a bad game is bad forever,” the CCO and his team did not want the Space Marine sequel to leave a substandard first impression, which is a glaring mistake that has been plaguing the industry and huge studios in recent times.
With so many aspects at play in the upcoming Warhammer 40K title, including a campaign that can be played solo or in co-op, a PvE mode, a PvP section, and a lot more, taking a few more months to refine the game as much as possible was the approach that Saber ultimately decided to go with.
Tim Willits Didn’t Want to Make Warhammer 40K Fans Angry With a Substandard Product
One of the standout examples of a game that proved to be a massive disappointment at launch due to the developers trying to rush its release is Cyberpunk 2077, which resulted in even a respected studio like CD Projekt Red facing a lot of backlash from the fanbase it managed to garner through excellent titles like The Witcher 3.
That is exactly what Saber Interactive didn’t want to face, as Willits knew how “mad” the Warhammer 40K community would be if the studio “screwed something up” with the sequel to the beloved 2011 title.
“We really wanted to honor the franchise, we wanted to respect the universe, and we wanted to make the game that people want to play,” concluded the Doom alumni, as the expectations from Space Marine 2 have already reached unfathomable heights.
That fear became apparent with the fan reaction towards a simple change in one animation, but considering Willits’ long-running expertise in the realm of video games and an approach that leaves no stone unturned, Saber Interactive seems to be gearing up towards something truly special.
