There has been a further update on the development of the upcoming Rugby 24.
Big Ant Studios have announced that the release date has been pushed back to March, having previously pushed their 2023 release date to January 30.
Their initial goal was to have the game ready for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, and then to have it finished for the 2024 Six Nations, which begins on February 2.
Rugby 24 Release Date Pushed Back To March
However, on both occasions they have revealed that they have not been able to secure sufficient access to sides and deliver on their promise of over 130 licensed teams and 15 licensed leagues.
Furthermore, the release in March will only be an early access version, which will be available on Steam. The statement also said that further information on its price/content will be revealed 'in the coming weeks'.
Despite the disappointing announcement, the last major rugby release - Rugby 22 - was an improvement on previous releases, and it is clear that Big Ant Studios are intent on delivering aa well rounded game.
However, the likelihood still is that fans will yet again be dreaming of the heady days of Rugby 06 and 08.
READ HERE: Rugby : Powerful Andrew Porter Netflix Scene Explains Reason For Six Nations Tears
Dear rugby fans, we took the important decision to launch Rugby 24 in Early Access on Steam in March 2024.
Stay tuned for more info. 🏉 pic.twitter.com/9IbWjbf9jC
— RUGBY 24 (@rugbythegame) January 23, 2024
Get into the #RugbyWorldCup2023 with RUGBY 24! 130 playable national teams to choose from, as well as URC, Top 14 and PROD2 clubs.
🏉 Get ready for the main event, out on 7 September on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. pic.twitter.com/AmGm2wzTWi
— RUGBY 24 (@rugbythegame) March 9, 2023
You can read the full statement below:
“Dear Rugby fans,
“As we look forward to another year full of incredible rugby moments, we hope this year treats you well!
“Firstly, we apologise for taking so long to bring you this long overdue update.
“The great news is that we have officially licensed almost all of the rugby world, some 140+ nations and competitions for inclusion in Rugby 24.
“However, due to the intense rugby calendar during the 2023 World Cup year, we have not been able to secure access to enough of the teams to create the considerable amount of content needed to meet our original release time frame.
“We have decided that the best way forward is to release Rugby 24 into early access on Steam after we have a sufficient amount of content captured. We are currently travelling the world capturing teams and expect to have enough content in March, with a view to completing all of the content capture sometime later in 2024, at which time we will release on Console also.
“We will be releasing more information about Rugby 24’s Early Access content and price in the coming weeks.
“We look forward to taking fans on this Rugby journey with us and sincerely appreciate the patience that has been afforded us.
“The Rugby 24 Team.”
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