Windjammers 2 Delayed To 2021 As Devs Explore Adding Rollback Netcode

Good things come to those who wait, but frisbees thrown with the speed of a bullet can only be caught by those with the quickest reflexes. It seems, then, that development on Windjammers 2 needs a bit more time in order to ensure that its frenetic, balletic disc-tossing is dialed in just right.

This morning, developers Dotemu announced that Windjammers 2 will now launch in 2021 as the team works to address some “mixed opinions” offered by players earlier this year. An in-progress demo of Windjammers 2 was made available during the Steam Game Festival this summer, and it seems that both players and Dotemu weren’t entirely happy with some of the sequel’s fundamentals.

Of particular note, Dotemu says that rollback netcode (now practically the standard for competitive fighting games, which share a lot of technical overlap with Windjammers) was “unanimously praised in everyone’s feedback.” The demo that was released on Steam didn’t have rollback implemented, so now it’s on a list of features that Dotemu is looking into adding.

First announced in 2018, this does come as another setback on Windjammer 2’s launch. It was originally intended for a 2019 debut before being pushed into 2020 during last year’s Gamescom.

“This decision is a tough one and it has serious consequences for all of us,” reads a statement attributed to the Windjammers 2 team, “but we think it’s fair enough if it allows us to give you the Windjammers 2 you expect and you deserve.” Dotemu also promises more regular updates on the sequel’s content, characters, and stages in the buildup to its release.

Windjammers 2 is currently planned only for a launch on PC, Nintendo Switch and Google Stadia. If you’re interested in playing the fun-as-hell original, you can find Dotemu’s port of it for the Switch, PlayStation 4, and even the Vita if you’re so inclined.