Ghost of Tsushima has been slightly delayed from its original release date and is now coming on July 17, as Sony announced today.
"As our teams at Sony Interactive Entertainment and Worldwide Studios approach development milestones and confront a world changed by COVID-19, we find ourselves having to adapt to today’s ever-changing environment," Sony Interactive Entertainment head Hermen Hulst said of the delay.
"I want to personally congratulate and thank both the teams at Naughty Dog and Sucker Punch Productions on their achievements, as we know it’s not an easy feat to reach the finish line under these circumstances," he added.
Ghost of Tsushima's delay, it was originally supposed to launch June 26, was announced alongside a new The Last of Us 2 release date, which is now coming on June 19. The Last of Us Part 2 was most recently delayed due to complications caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and while Ghost of Tsushima was rumored to be delayed to August, it appeared that Sucker Punch was essentially ready to go. Fortunately, its actual delay is only a few weeks.
It's possible that Ghost of Tsushima has also been affected by COVID-19, but it's equally possible that Sony pushed it back a bit to prevent it from competing with The Last of Us Part 2. Everyone involved wants to get The Last of Us Part 2 out the door as quickly as possible, and there's certainly precedent for shuffling exclusives to avoid overlap.
In any case, with Ghost of Tsushima coming a bit later than expected, this summer is going to be absolutely stacked with PS4 exclusives. It's looking like a strong finale before the PS5.
If you haven't already, here's how you can sort out a Ghost of Tsushima pre-order.
