MechWarrior 5 Steam Release Delayed To 2021 To Avoid Cyberpunk 2077 Clash

Originally an Epic Games Store timed exclusive, Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries would have been available on other PC digital distribution platforms from December 10, but developer Piranha Games has decided to delay the game's launch to 2021.

The date coincides with possibly the biggest game of 2020, Cyberpunk 2077, and the studio has admitted that it doesn't want its own release eclipsed by developer CD Projekt Red's long-in-development game (which you can read about in our Cyberpunk 2077 review).

"Any developer wants their titles to get as much attention as possible, and obviously sharing a release date with Cyberpunk was less than optimal," the studio said in a statement. "Day one sales and marketing are so important to a successful product launch, and we believe that rescheduling our release date will allow MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries to have the opportunity and attention it deserve."

Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries and its Hero of the Sphere DLC will instead arrive in Spring 2021 on Steam, GOG, EGS, Microsoft Store, and Xbox consoles. Piranha Games will make use of its largest marketing initiative to date to drive as much attention as possible towards its game.

The positive side-effect to this delay is that the studio will be able to further polish Mechwarriors 5, adding more improvements, quality of life features, and fine-tuning the single-player experience further.

Cyberpunk 2077 launches on PC, Stadia, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S / Series X next month.

While recent Night City Wire episodes have shown what the game will look like on Sony and Microsoft's new consoles through backwards compatibility, a full-fledged next-gen upgrade will be available next year for free. Check out our Cyberpunk 2077 preorder guide to learn more about the game.