Following a disastrous beta test, Killing Floor 3 is delayed less than three weeks before launch: 'We've realized we missed the mark'

Killing Floor 3 screenshot — (Image credit: Tripwire Interactive)

The upcoming zombie horde shooter Killing Floor 3 recently held a closed beta test ahead of its planned launch on March 25, and it did not go well at all. The response from Killing Floor fans was so negative that less than three weeks ahead of release, the game has been delayed to an unspecified date later in 2025.

"After taking the time to gather and discuss feedback from our recent closed beta, we've realized that we missed the mark," Tripwire wrote in a message posted to Bluesky. "Our goal isn't just to make Killing Floor 3 an ambitious step forward for the franchise, but also to maintain the core experience that you've come to know and love.

"With the full support of our parent company Embracer Group, we're working together on a timeline to address many of the common issues players had during the beta, including performance/stability, UI/UX, lighting, and weapon feel. While it's too early to say which fixes will be implemented by launch, we can confirm that an update allowing you to independently select your perk class and character is planned for post-release."

That sounds like an awful lot of problems for a game that was on the cusp of release, but judging by the reaction on the Killing Floor subreddit, the beta did not impress. Complaints range from technical issues—inconsistent frame rates and poor online performance—to broader dissatisfaction with guns, gore, and the game's futuristic setting.

By contrast, the responses to the delay have been very largely positive: Some worry that there's not enough time left in the year to rework Killing Floor 3 to the extent that's really required, and I have to question that myself, especially given that Tripwire can't say what it will have fixed in time for launch. But the simple fact that Tripwire has acknowledged the problems and pumped the brakes has given the community some small hope that Killing Floor 3 won't be a forgettable mess when it arrives. It's not much, but it's a start.

We've made the decision to postpone Killing Floor 3's launch to an undecided date later in 2025. After taking the time to gather and discuss feedback from our recent closed beta, we've realized that we missed the mark. Our goal isn't just to make Killing Floor 3 an ambitious step forward for the franchise, but also to maintain the core experience that you've come to know and love. With the full support of our parent company Embracer Group, we're working together on a timeline to address many of the common issues players had during the beta, including performance/stability, UI/UX, lighting, and weapon feel. While it's too early to say which fixes will be implemented by launch, we can confirm that an update allowing you to independently select your perk class and character is planned for post-release. — (Image credit: Tripwire Interactive)

A Killing Floor 3 FAQ says that as a result of the delay, any preorders of Killing Floor 3 on consoles will be automatically cancelled and, where necessary, refunded; PlayStation owners in the US will be given the option to maintain their preorder if they wish. Preorders on the Epic Games Store will likewise be cancelled and refunded, but preorders on Steam will be maintained unless a refund is requested. If you preordered through a third-party storefront and want a refund, you'll have to go back to them and deal with whatever policies they have in place.

Correction: The story originally referred to the Killing Floor 3 beta test in February as an open beta. It was in fact a closed beta.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.

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