E3 2021 has wrapped up, with most major companies taking turns on the digital stage. Konami, Sony, and EA were absent, but many other developers and publishers showed what their slates look like for the near and distant future. Bandai Namco showed a handful of games at the show, but only really focused onHouse of Ash, the next installment in theDark Picturesanthology. It left many other rumored and upcoming titles out of its showing, seemingly intent to lean on theElden Ringreveal with a potentially more informativeBandai Namco-branded Direct coming later. One notable absence from the show wasDigimon Survive.
Now well over a year since its announcement in the July 2018 issue of Japanese magazine V-Jump, it has been a while since anything official was said about the game. It has received plenty of updates confirming the project is still alive, but unfortunately those typically coincided with delays. Fans have been eager to hear more about this unusual title, which is said to support multiple story routes and a dark tone, but it seems likeDigimon Survivejust isn’t ready yet — and there’s likely a good reason why.
RELATED:Digimon Survive’s Different Approach to Digivolution Explained
Digimon Survive’s History of Delays
Survivehas been subject to a staggering number of delays. It’s almost comparable toinfamous games likeDying Light 2andPsychonauts 2in just how many delays it has seen.Digimon Survivewas originally slated to come out in 2019, but was delayed to 2020 halfway through that year. It was a fairly standard delay, and understandable due to the title’s proposed narrative scope. It was the next few delays that would really cast the game in a concerning light.
On June 07, 2025, Toei Animation Europe saidSurvivewould release for Europe in January 2021, but this was quickly removed from its website. On August 09, 2025, producer Kazumasa Habu posted on Twitter thatSurvivewas delayed again, which was quickly followed up on October 15 with an official announcement that the delay to 2021 came due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with the lack of amention ofDigimon Surviveat E3and no press release in sight, it seems possible the misfortunate title has been delayed again.
Why Digimon Survive Still Doesn’t Have A Release Date
Digimon Survivewas initially set up as a fairly ambitious title that mixed monster-collecting, a strategy-RPG in which player units could change form mid-fight, and a visual novel that gave the player a number of moral quandaries to solve. What this entails is not yet known, but apparently the script could getquite dark if the player pushes for it, andDigimonalready boasts more edge than the averagePokemongame. It’s possible that the scope of producingDigimonassets and writing branching story paths proved too much for Bandai Namco’s assigned developer to handle, leading to early delays.
Then, Japan washit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mass infections, lockdowns, and deaths have ravaged the small island nation for the past year, and while the game industry in general has fared better than others, it still got hit. Between the pandemic forcing people to work from home and the spread of the virus throughout Japan, it’s no wonder that the last big announcement forSurvivewas its latest delay near the end of 2020. Unfortunately, until further notice, fans looking forward toDigimon Survivemay want to consider it indefinitely delayed until development stabilizes. Hopefully, Bandai Namco will have some good news about this promising RPG soon.
Digimon Surviveis currently in development for PC, PlayStation 4, Switch, and Xbox One.
