Delaying games should be normal,” says DayZ creator Dean Hall, urging players to make it clear to platform holders that postponements are okay

Icarus, the latest title from Dean Hall, originally launched on PC in 2021 and has been consistently updated ever since.

In late January, it was confirmed that the console version would arrive on February 26. However, just three weeks later, the release was pushed back to March 26 to allow the team more time to “polish the gameplay and ensure the best possible launch.”

Earlier this week, Hall hosted an Ask Me Anything session on Reddit, inviting players to discuss Icarus, the survival genre, and—most notably—game delays.

At the start of the AMA, Hall pointed to several delay examples from projects developed by RocketWerkz. These included the Dangerous Horizons DLC for Icarus (which has reportedly been postponed multiple times), Stationeers (in Early Access for ten years), Kitten Space Agency (whose public build was delayed repeatedly to maintain quality), and now the console release of Icarus.

Hall argued that players should make it clear they are comfortable with delays, suggesting that developers and publishers often become overly fixated on hitting release targets.

“Games cost a lot of money to make,” he explained. “Timing has a tremendous impact on costs, so delays can have major financial consequences. Players want quality and certainty, but developers can develop ‘target fixation’ around launch dates.

“Some of this comes from revenue pressure, but much of it is about perception. We’re here to change that perception.

“Not delaying games also fuels crunch culture. So I’m on a mission—let’s normalize delaying games. Consumers have the power to show platform holders like Xbox and PlayStation that delays are acceptable.”

During the session, Hall also addressed lesser-known reasons why delays occur. According to him, most postponements stem from failing to meet quality standards.

“Even when developers want to deliver quality, they don’t always have the financial runway to achieve it,” he said. “So sometimes they try to hide or ignore issues. That’s what happened with the Icarus launch, and we paid the price with Mixed reviews on Steam.”

As the studio secured more financial stability, Hall said it worked to break that cycle. Before launch, the team plays the game internally without shortcuts and holds “go/no-go” meetings to determine whether it meets their desired quality bar.

Responding to a comment suggesting that delays are often treated as symptoms rather than addressing root causes, Hall agreed. He noted that developers frequently communicate “at” communities through layers of marketing, legal, and management rather than speaking directly and transparently.

He emphasized the importance of honest communication—even when it means admitting tough truths, such as early design decisions limiting later fixes.

According to Hall, building genuine rapport with players makes it easier to explain delays clearly, whether due to insufficient mission content, excessive bugs, or underwhelming rewards—all cited as real reasons behind past postponements.

The console version of Icarus is currently available for pre-order on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Hall offered a candid take on pre-orders: “Personally—don’t pre-order games, folks. Commercially—please pre-order games, as it’s the only way PlayStation and Xbox notice us.”