It looks like we’ll be waiting a little bit longer to get our hands on Metal Slug Tactics. The title has officially been delayed until sometime in 2024. The announcement was made on their official Discord server by Digital Hamster, who works for Leikir Studio and is also affiliated with the main publisher Dotemu. Hamster states in their post that the delay was so that they could “make the game worthy of the Metal Slug franchise” as well as the fans’ expectations.
Hamster continues in their statement saying that they appreciate the fan’s “understanding and patience,” and that they are looking forward to 2024. This is now the second time that Metal Slug Tactics has been delayed. The title was originally slated to launch sometime in 2022 before it was delayed until 2023. With only two weeks left in the year, the likelihood of them actually launching it in time was obviously getting extremely slim. Thankfully, the were able to address it in time and give us an update before the year ended.
On top of that, it’s also great to see that the project is still very much alive. Throughout the entirety of 2023, neither Leikir Studios nor Dotemu gave any updates, showings, or information on Metal Slug Tactics. There was some fear from the fanbase that the project was going to be canceled, but this recent update at least lets us know that it is still going strong. Metal Slug Tactics will be the newest entry in the fabled classic series, albeit with a twist on gameplay. Instead of the standard side-scrolling adventure shoot-em-up, we’ll instead be playing as Marco, Eri, Fio, and Tarma, in a Tactical RPG setting, where players take turns and use strategy to defeat their opponents.