Whoever searches for the release date of Elex 2 comes across a lot of contradictory information. When is Elex 2 coming, 2021 or 2022?
We already know so much about Elex 2, but there is no answer to the most important question so far: When will the role-playing game finally be released? A release in 2021 becomes less likely with each passing day, but developer Piranha Bytes and publisher THQ Nordic simply won’t give a concrete release date for Elex 2.
Nevertheless, you can read a lot about the release date between the lines – and we summarise it all for you in this article. In the end, you may still not know when exactly Elex 2 will be released. But at least you’ll be up to date on the release for PC, PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series X and Xbox One.
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What does Piranha Bytes have to say about the Elex 2 release?
At the time of the announcement in June 2021, the developers talked about having a shorter time span between reveal and release this time (remember, the predecessor Elex was revealed in July 2015 and released in October 2017).
Since then, PB boss Björn Pankratz has avoided giving a concrete date for the release of Elex 2. In regular videos on the (YouTube channel of the studio), the topic has always been avoided so far. Even in the intro trailer with render sequences, which was released in September 2021, there was no new information on this:
What indicates a date in 2022?
To capture the all-important Christmas sales, video games are released at the end of the year either in November or early December. However, the corresponding release dates are usually communicated at least several weeks in advance, as the production of retail versions and the cranking up of the advertising machinery typically require a lot of time. Publisher THQ Nordic has so far always kept to this rhythm, which argues against a surprise release of Elex 2, also called “Shadow Drop”.
The USK has reviewed Elex 2 on 2 September 2021 and has given it an age rating from 12 years. For the first part, the review date was in May, about five months before the final release date. That would point to a March 2022 release, just in time for the end of Embracer Group’s next fiscal quarter. Embracer is the listed owner of THQ Nordic.
Elex 2 is also coming out for last-gen consoles, which definitely argues against a release beyond 2022. By 2023 or 2024, it simply wouldn’t make sense to develop for the old consoles anymore.
Elex 2 will also be released for last-gen consoles.
Elex 2 already makes quite an advanced impression, recently the game was previewed by Gronkh on (Twitch and YouTube). There were two years between the first preview of Elex 1 and the final release, this time the period is supposed to be shorter. This means that spring to mid-2022 seems to be a comprehensible timeframe.
Possibly Piranha Bytes had to postpone the release date, which was actually set for 2021, once again. Because it’s not just the pandemic and the resulting home office that is causing the studio problems, but possibly also a new feature of the role-playing game: In Elex 2, you can fly properly for the first time with the jetpack and thus explore the world from the air.
What was on Steam?
Although Piranha Bytes did not want to name a release date so far, things looked different on Steam after the Reveal. There it said 2021 as the release year – a THQ Nordic spokesperson confirmed this information even after being asked by (Wccftech). However, he made the restriction that they were only planning to release it in 2021. Shortly after, the Steam date was corrected, now you only find a vague (Coming Soon).
What do we do with it now?
Our conclusion: Elex 2 is no longer coming in 2021. The year is already too far advanced and an announcement should have been made long ago in order to initiate the time-consuming preparations for the release. Among other things, Elex 2 has to be submitted to Sony and Microsoft to guarantee technical stability on the consoles.
Nevertheless, there is still hope for news about Elex 2 in 2021: THQ Nordic could use the Game Awards on 9 December 2021 to release a new trailer for Elex 2. The show is traditionally used by publishers to announce new games or promote already known titles.
