The information was shared via a blog post on Shenmue 3’s Kickstarter page. While the post did not specify what about the game would be refined, it did state that the delay was because both parties wanted to “deliver the true Shenmue experience players around the world deserve.”
Shenmue 3 has been a long time coming. The game was originally announced by Suzuki on Twitter just prior to E3 2015. The game was officially unveiled the next day during Sony’s E3 press conference.
Originally set for release in 2017 for PC and PS4, Shenmue 3 was initially delayed to 2018 because Suzuki said that “new technology” would allow the team to explore new avenues and provide new experiences for gamers. That year, Shenmue 3 made various most-anticipated lists.
In August of last year, the game finally received a firm release date: August 27, 2019. Or at least we all thought it was firm at the time.
Shenmue 3’s Kickstarter campaign was a rousing success when it initially launched in 2015. The game quickly rose the list of the most-funded Kickstarter projects of all time. Having raised $6.3 million to date, Shenmue 3 is currently the fifth most-funded gaming Kickstarter as of January 2019.
As of this writing, there are still no plans to bring Shenmue 3 to Xbox One or Nintendo Switch.
