Evil Genius 2 delayed into the first half of 2021

Evil Genius 2: World Domination, the Rebellion-developed sequel to Elixir Studios' cult-classic management sim, will no longer release this year as originally announced, and is now expected to arrive on PC in the first half of 2021.

For those unfamiliar with the series, the original Evil Genius released back in 2004 (its developer, Elixir Studios, was founded by former Lionhead and Bullfrog alumni Demis Hassabis) and cast players, appealingly, as an international super villain intent on global domination.

In real terms, that meant an enjoyable, wonderfully campy experience focussed primarily on base building and defense, with players carving out an underground lair for their villainous machinations, bossing around minions, and simultaneously attempting to stave off attack from do-gooders determined to thwart their evil schemes.

Rebellion has been relatively tight-lipped regarding details of its sequel since the projects's早在2017年就宣布, but finally broke cover this June to share a first gameplay trailer, which looked extremely faithful to the original, right down to the delicious 60s aesthetic.

Unfortunately, the developer has now announced that fans will need to wait a little longer to experience its efforts in crafting a worthy sequel, explaining that "the impact of COVID-19, transitioning from the studio to our homes and adapting to new ways of working all contributed to [the] difficult decision" to delay the game into next year.

"We want to deliver a sequel that will do justice to the franchise and be loved and played by the Evil Genius community for years to come, just like the original," Rebellion'sstatementcontinued, "And while we know many of you will be disappointed to wait a little longer, launching next year affords us the time to do precisely that".

Rebellion says it will have a further update "sooner rather than later" and that a final release date will be announced as soon as it can. "We're going to be showing you much, much more of Evil Genius 2 over the coming months, as well as sharing some information on the upcoming closed beta," the developer concluded, "We can't wait to see what you think."