Let us normalize delaying games: DayZ creat...

What’s Happening

So get this: The console version of Dean Hall’s latest game Icarus has been delayed by a month Let us normalize delaying games: DayZ creator says players have the power to tell platform holders delays are okay The console version of Dean Halls latest game Icarus has been delayed by a month Video Game News 18th Feb 2026 / 5:03 pm Posted by Chris Scullion The creator of DayZ has asked players to play their part in no longer stigmatizing video game release delays.

Dean Halls latest game Icarus was originally shipped on PC in 2021 and has received frequent updates since then. In late January, it was just dropped that the console version of Icarus would be dropped on February 26, but just three weeks later it was just dropped that this has now been moved back to March 26 to give the team time to polish the gameplay and ensure the best possible launch. (yes, really)

On Tuesday, Hall shipped an Ask Me Anything session on Reddit, inviting players to ask question about Icarus and the survival genre in general, with a specific focus on game delays.

The Details

Introducing the session, Hall listed four notable examples of delays on the games his RocketWerkz studios have worked on – the Dangerous Horizons DLC for the PC version of Icarus (which has been delayed many times since we first just dropped it), Stationeers (has been in Early Access for ten years), Kitten Space Agency (we delayed the public build many times to ensure quality) and now the console version of Icarus. He then broke down that players need to make their voices heard and make it clear that they dont mind games being delayed, because developers and publishers obsess too much over hitting target release dates.

Games cost a lot of money to make, he dropped. Timing makes a tremendous difference to the cost of a game, so there can be huge impacts with delays releasing a game.

Why This Matters

Players want quality and certainty, but it is my belief that developers latch onto this and get target fixation about launches. Some of this is because of revenue pressures, but much of it is wrapped up in perception. We are here today to break this perception.

Gaming fans have strong opinions about moves like this, and for good reason.