N1RV Ann-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action, the sequel to the 2016 game VA-11 HALL-A, has been indefinitely delayed. Sukeban Games said when it was announced in 2018 that N1RV Ann-A was expected to be out sometime in 2020, but the production has run into a number of difficulties since then and so the developers have decided that it'll be done "when it's done."
An update on the game's status goes into candid detail about the causes of the delay, including developer Fernando Damas' overlong insistence on being the sole programmer (and resulting burnout), and creative differences about the game's story. Working through that "internal conflict" has led to a better story and more formalized development structure, but it's also forced a "reset on many fronts," which has trashed previous estimates.
"There’s much to be done before we can have any sort of public estimates. Date announcements or announcements of any kind for that matter probably won’t happen until we’re at the final stretch of the project," Damas wrote. "However, rather than go fully radio silent we intend to use stricter planning to be able to be more transparent during development and provide regular updates on the state of the project; it’s just the release date that will be undisclosed for a while."
With the release date now up in the air, Sukeban will start making a more "public push" on other projects. Damas reassured followers that bringing other games to the fore doesn't mean resources are being shifted from N1RV Ann-A, however, saying, "Even with at least two side projects in parallel, we have enough breathing room where N1RV Ann-A won’t be compromised by a lack of attention."
And, of course, he apologized for the delay. "N1RV Ann-A’s production has been a complex beast full of even more growing pains than VA-11 Hall-A. I’ve been on a personal journey of self-improvement during its production and while I can say me, the team, and the project are in the best shape we’ve been in quite a while, time waits for nobody and it is now the end stretch of 2020 with the project at an earlier stage than it should be," he wrote.
"This I can promise you though, the next time you hear publicly and loudly of N1RV Ann-A it’ll be unforgettable, and when the project is done the wait will be worth it."
Despite the delay, N1RV Ann-A remains available for wishlisting on Steam.
