Terminator 2D: No Fate has been pushed back a second time, as its publisher scrambles to assemble physical copies after tariff-induced shipping woes: 'We are sincerely sorry for the repeated delays'

Promotional art for Terminator 2D: No Fate, showing Sarah Connor wielding a sniper rifle, superimposed onto a T-800 endoskeleton head and the T-1000 reforming after being shot in the head.

(Image credit: Reef Entertainment)

Terminator 2D: No Fate has been delayed a second time, with the release date now pushed back into December. Bitmap Bureau's action throwback was originally slated to launch on October 31, but was bumped back to November 26 due to global financial instability. This remains the cause of the additional delay, though significant progress has been made in the interim.

As Reef Entertainment explained in September, No Fate was initially postponed due to "ongoing global trade and tariff changes that delayed shipment of the components for our Day One and Collector's Editions." Since Reef is "committed to launching all editions together" it shunted back the release date for both physical and digital versions.

Whether the original shipment took even longer than anticipated, or Reef simply didn't account for assembly time in its initial delay, is unclear. Nonetheless, the publisher says it is "sincerely sorry for the repeated delays. We don't take your patience for granted, and we never want to disappoint our community. Our goal has always been to deliver the game that you deserve, and we're almost there."

Terminator™ 2D: NO FATE – Official Game Overview Trailer - YouTube

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The good news is that Terminator 2D looks like it'll be worth the wait. Bitmap Bureau's retro blaster aims to replicate the events of James Cameron's action-movie classic in a glorious 16-bit style, while also expanding upon the story in both its future and present timelines. Although primarily a run-'n'-gun affair, No Fate also incorporates beat 'em up mechanics, vehicular chases, and even a sprinkling of stealth, as seen during Sarah Connor's hospital escape glimpsed in the trailer. As Rich Stanton pointed out when No Fate was revealed "it feels laser-targeted at those of us who grew up sometime in the '90s and adored this movie."

It's worth noting that No Fate isn't the only Terminator game currently in development. Nacon Studio Milan is currently working on Terminator: Survivors, in which players scavenge an open world prowled by Skynet's legions in the aftermath of Judgment Day. It's a bit of a segue from the studio's previous experience making racing games, but its parent company did publish the surprisingly decent Robocop: Rogue City, so hopefully some understanding of how to handle an 80s action license has carried through.

Rick has been fascinated by PC gaming since he was seven years old, when he used to sneak into his dad's home office for covert sessions of Doom. He grew up on a diet of similarly unsuitable games, with favourites including Quake, Thief, Half-Life and Deus Ex. Between 2013 and 2022, Rick was games editor of Custom PC magazine and associated website bit-tech.net. But he's always kept one foot in freelance games journalism, writing for publications like Edge, Eurogamer, the Guardian and, naturally, PC Gamer. While he'll play anything that can be controlled with a keyboard and mouse, he has a particular passion for first-person shooters and immersive sims.

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