Don’t Nod Entertainment first announced their upcoming game Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden at The Game Awards in 2022. Players were told they would have to wait less than a year for the game’s launch on November 7, 2023. With less than two months till the promised release date, Don’t Nod and publisher Focus Entertainment recently stated the game has been delayed to February 13, 2024.
Oskar Guilbert, CEO of Don’t Nod, and John Bert, Managing Director of Focus Entertainment, cite the packed schedule of other big launches during the end of the year for the unexpected delay. They hope that by releasing in February, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, will have a better chance to shine instead of having to fight for the November 2023 spotlight with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, Persona 5 Tactics and even the Nintendo Switch remake of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.
Don’t Nod is perhaps best known for their work on Life is Strange and its sequel, Life is Strange 2. It is clear that their skills in characters and narrative will come to light in Banishers, as the game will have similar player-made decisions that will affect the storyline. Set in The two player characters, Red and Antea, have romantic chemistry that prevails even after Antea’s death. The player will be able to use both Red’s melee combat skills and Antea’s supernatural abilities as the pair of ghost hunters seek to find a way to bring Antea back to life.
This isn’t Don’t Nod’s first time in the action or RPG realms either. Before Life is Strange, Don’t Nod’s first game was Remember Me in 2013. This action game had the player in control of amnesiac protagonist Nilin, who seeks to destroy the corporation that stole her memories. Don’t Nod more recently ventured into RPG games with Vampyr in 2018, where doctor Jonathan Reid is turned into a vampire. Set in London during the Spanish Flu, the player is forced to choose if Reid will remain loyal to his medical background, or murder for blood.
Even with previous experience in all the aspects Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden promises, the delay will give Don’t Nod more time to focus on details of what makes a good game great.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is set to launch on February 13th, 2024 for the Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5 and PC.