Yacht Club Games is one of the most beloved indie developers in the industry. Its debut title, Shovel Knight, became an instant hit and is one of the successful Kickstarter games of all time. Fans have been eagerly awaiting its next game, another Kickstarter success story, but it appears development has hit a snag. The game was apparently all set to go this month, but a last-minute snag has led to a delay. Yacht Club Games did not provide a new release date with this announcement, leaving fans uncertain about when they can experience the studio’s next game.
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The long-awaited Zelda-like Mina the Hollower was scheduled to release on Halloween day, October 31st, for all platforms. But it has been delayed indefinitely as no release date has been provided. However, Yacht Club Games assures fans it is not a major delay and apologizes for making this decision so close to the release date. The official statement from the developer details why the game has been delayed, but it primarily amounts to polish.
“The entire crew has been working tirelessly day and night to finish development for release on Oct 31st, but we’re just not quite there yet. This isn’t a major delay, it’s just a stretch of time to apply some final polish and balancing to make the game truly shine.”
Yacht Club Games further reinforces the state of the game, saying the team is “playing it from start to finish every day,” but that Mina the Hollower needs a little more time. This time will be spent working on finalizing art and sound design, game balancing, localization, and testing across all platforms to ensure the game is ready to go for its next release date. Yacht Club Games will also be spending this time eating cheese to get into the mindset of Mina, the protagonist of the game.
Mina the Hollower is a big departure from Shovel Knight, transitioning from a 2D platformer to a top-down GBA Zelda-like game with Castlevania inspiration. Despite the change in genre, Yacht Club Games’ humor and design are still evident in this upcoming title, and the reception has been positive to the demos made available before release.
Fans are understandably disappointed by this announcement, as Mina the Hollower’s dark charm and aesthetic would have made it the perfect game to play on Halloween. That said, Yacht Club Games has a stellar record, so fans can likely expect the game to be a treat when it releases.
Delays are not uncommon in the gaming industry. Numerous games have seen delays, some close to the release date, like Mina the Hollower. In fact, multiple games were delayed upon Hollow Knight: Silksong revealing its release date. One thing to look at is the developer’s track record and the reason for the delay. Based on Yacht Club Games’ history and its focus on polishing the game, there is still a good chance that Mina the Hollower will release this year rather than in 2026.
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