In a year riddled with delays, Metal Slug Tactics is the latest game to slip into next year. Publisher Dotemu has announced that the tactical spin-off of the popular shoot ’em up needs more time to come together and will launch in 2023.
The tweet, embedded below, doesn’t elaborate more than that. We haven’t heard much of a peep about the game since its reveal last summer, making us wonder if a delay was on the horizon.
Marco, Eri, Fio, and Tarma are tinkering away to make #MetalSlugTactics as explosive as possible on release, but the squad needs a bit more time in the shop to prepare for the battles ahead. See you in 2023! @LeikirStudio x @Dotemu
🎨Artwork by @AngryangryD pic.twitter.com/JRKqpnvUQp— Dotemu (@Dotemu) August 11, 2022
Metal Slug Tactics was one of the pleasant surprises of E3 2021. The game, developed by Leikir Studio, transforms the series’ explosive run-and-gun action into a tile-based tactics experience that retains Metal Slug’s signature style and tone. Although turn-based, units still wield classic Metal Slug weapons and can be improved by unlocking abilities and perks on a skill tree.
We’ll have to wait a while longer to see how well Metal Slug translates to this new template. When it does arrive, it will be available on Switch and PC.