Every Xbox game delayed out of 2024 so far (2025)

2024's line-up of games has had a fair old reshuffle after a number of delays — here's everything that has been pushed out of 2024.

Heidi Nicholas

Game Pass delays

Avowed

Initial release window: Fall 2024
New release date: February 18, 2025

This was a biggie. Avowed was one of the most-anticipated Xbox exclusives of 2024 and set for a fall launch, until it was delayed into 2025. When the Xbox team made the announcement, they explained that Avowed was moved to allow it some “breathing room” since so many games were coming out around the same time. It’s not too long a delay, however, and “breathing room” at least sounds as though it’s not being delayed because of some last-minute major issue. We now have an actual date, too, instead of a vague fall 2024 window. We’re excited to play this one when it does arrive, and in the meantime, we've rounded up everything we know about Avowed.

The Alters

Initial release window: Q4 2024
New release window: Q1 2025

Sci-fi survival adventure game The Alters was initially down for a day-one Game Pass launch later this year, but was delayed to early 2025 with 11 Bit Studios president Przemysław Marszał explaining that the team wanted more time to finish the game with the quality they expected.

Football Manager 25

Initial release window: November 26, 2024
New release window: March 2025

This was another more recent delay, as Sports Interactive and Sega’s management sim Football Manager 25 had been down for a November launch before being delayed to next March. The game had apparently already been pushed back by a month, but Sports Interactive explained that the extra time wasn’t enough to meet their quality standards and player expectations, adding that it has been a "difficult development cycle for the studio” but that this extra time is needed “to deliver a game that we can all be proud of." When Football Manager arrives in March, there will be two versions: Football Manager 25 for PC and Football Manager 25 Console for Xbox and PC.

Replaced

Initial release window: 2024
New release window: 2025

This is the third delay for 2.5D platformer Replaced, which was moved from its first 2022 release window to 2023, then to its last release window of 2024, before being pushed back once again to 2025. As such, it featured in our last round-up of everything delayed out of 2023, where at the time, developer Sad Cat wanted more time to “make every aspect of it the best it can be” while discussing the difficulties of development. Before that, it was delayed to 2023 due to the war in Ukraine. The latest delay, the Sad Cat Studios team explains, is again to allow for "more time to ensure we meet the high standards we've set for ourselves and to meet the expectations of our fans,” as the "initial release date was optimistic" with Replaced’s development proving "quite a unique challenge."

Cities: Skylines II (Console)

Initial release window: 2024
New release date: Unknown

This is another familiar one. Cities: Skylines II (Windows) is out already, but the Xbox Series X|S version has been pushed back several times, from last October to this spring, then indefinitely but with a vague hope of this October, then entirely indefinitely, since we don’t yet have a new release window. The main issues seem to be around optimizing the game for a console release and achieving the level of stability and performance the team are aiming for.

Towerborne

Initial release window: 2024
New release window : 2025

This is an interesting one. Towerborne was one of the upcoming Xbox exclusives down to launch this year, but announced some big changes with its new release plan. Along with pushing the game back to 2025, the “phased” release plan includes Steam Early Access, then Xbox Game Preview, then a full free-to-play launch in 2025. Towerborne is now out in Early Access on Steam and is aiming for an Xbox Game Preview launch in early 2025, but it’s still early days, so we don’t have a date for the full launch. The devs explained the delay, saying, “With Early Access, the studio can continue that tradition of building a game with consistent input from players invested in Towerborne‘s journey from the start. As a result, Xbox, PC, and Xbox Game Pass players will immediately feel the benefit of the refinement Towerborne will undergo during the Early Access period and beyond.”

Delayed releases

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

Initial release window: 2024
New release date: February 11, 2025

It wasn’t too many months after Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 was announced with a 2024 release window that it was delayed to early 2025, as the devs needed “a tiny bit more time” on the game. It looks incredible, however — we’ve already outlined five things we can't wait for with Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and luckily we don’t have to wait too long to find out what medieval hijinks Henry’s up to in the sequel.

Assassin's Creed Shadows

Initial release date: November 15, 2024
New release date: February 14, 2025

There had been a fair bit of speculation already about Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and not long after hearing that Assassin's Creed games could have longer development cycles as Shadows hit the "right balance", Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed game set in feudal Japan was officially delayed to February 2025. Ubisoft explained that “This is an ambitious addition to the franchise, a rich experience that can be lived through the eyes of two unique protagonists — but we realize we need more time to polish and refine the experience, pushing further some of our key features.” The devs added that preorders will be refunded and "all future preorders will be granted the first expansion for free." We've got more info on our round-up of everything we know about Assassin's Creed Shadows.

Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game

Initial release window: 2024
New release date: March 25, 2025

Weta Workshop’s LOTR life-sim Tales of the Shire rapidly followed up the news of its delay into early 2025 with a new release date of March 25, 2025. At the time, Weta Workshop explained that the delay was to ensure it delivers the "vision” of a new Hobbit moving “into Bywater for the very first time.” Very understandable, since after all the action LOTR games we’ve seen (and all the Gollum shenanigans) it’s a crime we haven’t had much of a cozy-focused Lord of the Rings game yet.

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage

Initial release window: Late 2024
New release window: February 18, 2025

Don’t Nod, the developer behind the original Life is Strange games, delayed its new narrative adventure game Lost Records: Bloom & Rage to avoid clashing with the Life is Strange sequel, Double Exposure. “We know that many of our fans are eagerly awaiting this game, just as they are the recently announced next installment of Life is Strange. Let's give both titles the space they need to be enjoyed by our players within the large community we have built. We firmly believe that the wait for Bloom & Rage will be worth it. We look forward to sharing this new adventure, which we hope will become another memorable chapter in the Don't Nod universe,” the devs explained.

Black Myth: Wukong

Initial release window: August 20, 2024
New release window: Unknown

This was a blow for the Xbox community, as while Black Myth: Wukong launched in August for PS5 and PC, the Xbox Series X|S version was delayed indefinitely. At the time, the devs explained that they were still optimizing the Xbox Series X|S version and bringing it up to their quality standards, but a later report suggested that Black Myth: Wukong for Xbox was delayed due to a Sony exclusivity deal.

Little Nightmares 3

Initial release window: 2024
New release window: 2025

Supermassive Games and Bandai Namco delayed Little Nightmares 3 earlier this year, saying more time was needed to “give the game the care and love it deserves,” as “quality is a top priority” for the team. We don’t yet have a new release date, but Little Nightmares 3 will now arrive sometime in 2025.

It's a fair shift around for some of the upcoming Xbox exclusives, but we've still got some major games coming up, including the new Indy game — check out everything we know about Indiana Jones and the Great Circle for more info!

Xbox Series X|SXbox One

Written by Heidi Nicholas

Heidi tends to lean towards indie games, RPGs, and open-world games on Xbox, and when not playing Disney Dreamlight Valley, happily installs every new wholesome game that appears on Xbox Game Pass, before diving back into favorites like The Witcher 3. She's looking forward to Age of Mythology Retold, Everwild, Fable, and Avowed on the Xbox horizon. Heidi graduated with an MA in English Literature before joining the TrueAchievements team.

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