Homeworld 3’s release has been delayed yet again

Blackbird Interactive and Gearbox Publishing have delayed Homeworld 3 for a fourth time.

Originally planned for release in 2022 before being pushed to the first half of 2023, then to February 2024, and then to March, it will now be released in May.

The announcement follows this week’s release of a limited-time Steam and Epic Games Store demo, as well as recent external playtests.

“Watching you share your experiences, exchange and debate strategies, and give us constant feedback has been incredible,” Blackbird and Gearbox said. “This was our first time seeing the game played at scale, which is always an equally thrilling and nerve-wracking moment.

“We also recently gathered a dedicated group of players from outside our organizations to play through the full game. This resulted in additional insights and perspective that will be incorporated to make Homeworld 3 the best experience possible.

“After careful analysis of feedback, we made the decision to delay the global launch of Homeworld 3 until May 13, with advanced access set for May 10, to ensure that we’re making the final tweaks needed to deliver at the level of quality that we strive for and you deserve,” the companies continued.

“To say that you as a community of players have been waiting patiently for this next installment would be an understatement, and we are deeply appreciative of that. We will continue to keep you updated on our progress.”

Announced at PAX West in August 2019 to coincide with the franchise’s 20th anniversary, the 3D real-time strategy game is set in space generations after the events of Homeworld 2, which was released in 2003.

Blackbird’s most recent game was last year’s Minecraft Legends, which was co-developed with Microsoft’s Mojang Studios.

Mojang announced last month that it was ending Minecraft Legends development, but said support for the multiplatform action-strategy game would continue for the foreseeable future.