Outriders has been delayed again – but you can play the free demo next month

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Outriders was due to release in February

Outriders
(Image credit: Square Enix)

Outriders has been delayed yet again, with Square Enix's co-op shooter now slated to release two months later than initially planned.

The delay was confirmed on Twitter by the Outriders team, which revealed that the game's release date of February 2, 2021 has now been pushed back to April 1, 2021, with the team stating this extra time will be used for "fine tuning the game".

But it's not all bad news. While we may not get our hands on Outriders for a while, players who are interested in the game will be able to try it out for free in February "so that you can decide for yourselves whether the game is something you wish to purchase, pre-order or play". Square Enix is publishing a free demo of Outriders on February 25, which will give potential players the chance to play the first few hours of the game. 

Outriders

(Image credit: Square Enix)

This demo will include both single-player and co-op, and will allow players to try all of Outriders' available classes. What's more, if you decide to purchase the full game on release, you can migrate your demo character and progress to the full game.

While details of how this free demo will be available haven't been announced, we are expecting the demo to be available on every platform Outriders intends to release on: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Google Stadia and PC. 

A second delay

Outriders is an upcoming sci-fi co-op shooter from Square Enix and People Can Fly, which was initially due for release in December 2020, before being delayed to February 2021 due to "operational challenges" caused by Covid-19. This February release window was then narrowed down to February 2, but now we won't get our hands on the game until April 1. 

Given the rocky launch of Cyberpunk 2077, which has been plagued with bugs since its release, it's not particularly surprising to see Square Enix delaying one of its biggest titles of the year to fine tune – after all, we saw 343 Industries do the same with Halo Infinite.

While we may not to get to play the full game for a few months, at least we'll get a taster of what Outriders has to offer next month – and for free no less.

Vic Hood
Freelance writer

An award-winning games journalist, with seven years of experience in games journalism and a degree in journalism from City University, London, Vic brings experience from IGN, Eurogamer, The Telegraph, VG247, Dot Esports and more to the TechRadar table. You may have even heard her on the radio or speaking on a panel, as she’s previously appeared on BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5, BBC Radio Ulster and more. Not only is Vic passionate about games, but she's appeared on both panels and podcasts to discuss mental health awareness. Make sure to follow her on Twitter for more.