If 2021 has a theme, in videogame terms it's probably "delays." We said months ago that 2022 is becoming "a monster year for PC gaming" because of all the 2021 games being pushed back, and the situation hasn't improved since then. Even the Steam Deck is delayed until February next year.
One of the many games to be pushed into 2022 is Sifu, the extremely stylish singleplayer brawler that takes a year off your life every time you take an ass-kicking. It was supposed to be out later this year, but in July developer Sloclap decided that early 2022 would be better—a window eventually nailed down to February 22.
Today, however, it undelayed the game ever so slightly, announcing that instead of February 22, Sifu will in fact go live on February 8.
"We have made good progress on getting our game ship-ready and we are excited to be able to launch Sifu two weeks earlier than anticipated," Sloclap said. Exactly how it was able to move the release up by two weeks isn't made but, but the why of the matter is hinted at: The studio said the new date will give fans the opportunity to play Sifu "ahead of an incredibly big month for highly anticipated AAA releases."
More to the point, Sifu's original release date of February 22 has the potential to be a big day. 02/22/2022—Twosday, as Tyler cleverly coined it—is the next big novelty release date, and it has the potential to be very crowded. The only thing specifically set for that day at this point is Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, which is a big one, but Total War: Warhammer 3, Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, Ghostwire Tokyo, Lord of the Rings: Gollum, and Warhammer 40,000: Darktide are all still looking for release dates in early 2022, and could opt to capitalize on the unique date.
And even if February 22 doesn't turn into a Very Special Day for videogames, three days later the hammer falls when Elden Ring arrives on February 25. It's no wonder Slocap wants a little extra distance between Sifu and all that.
The new release date isn't the only Sifu news of the day. We've also got a new trailer showcasing Sifu's complex, brutal combat:
And another one revealing more about the game's aging system.
To my mind, this is what makes Sifu especially interesting. Every time you "die" in a fight, you have the opportunity to get up and carry on—but when you do, you age. At first your age advances by a year with each resurrection, but as you get older, your decrepitude begins to creep up more quickly: Instead of growing a year older, you'll age two or three years. The process enables you to become a powerful kung fu master, but time takes its toll, and if you don't complete your quest (for revenge, naturally) you will ultimately suffer a final death.
I'll be the first to admit that I'm terrible at this kind of game—I just don't have the patience or coordination for them—but I think Sifu looks great and I'm eager to give it a try. Sifu will be available on PC exclusively via the Epic Games Store, and you can find out more at sifugame.com.
