CrossfireX is the upcoming shooter from Smilegate Entertainment and Remedy. For the release, Smilegate is handling the multiplayer segment, while Remedy comes in to put together the single-player campaign. The split in development was always going to make things a little trickier than if it were a single studio; however, COVID-19 seems to have introduced some new challenges. Today, the developers

An important announcement regarding #CrossfireX's development: pic.twitter.com/8L1qzgcHvw

— CrossfireX (@PlayCrossfireX) November 19, 2020

" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced that they'll be delaying the game back to 2021 in light of the pandemic.

As with all delays in 2020, this isn't too surprising. After all, studios moving to a work-from-home environment in the middle of development was always going to introduce new problems. At this point, it's almost more surprising when a game isn't delayed by COVID-19. And, if there's a studio I'm more than willing to wait on, Remedy is up there with the best of them.

I'm not much of a shooter fan, especially multiplayer-centric ones. Therefore, I've never played any of Smilegate's previous Crossfire games. That said, with a name like Remedy attached, CrossfireX immediately shot to the top of my most anticipated list. The studio just knows how to build excellent campaigns. When they listed inspiration like Metal Gear Solid and Resident Evil, I get very excited. If they can even get close to matching up to those games, I'll be an incredibly happy gamer.

CrossfireX launches for Xbox One and Xbox Series X sometime in 2021. Make sure to stay tuned for future updates. While you wait, do yourself a favor and play Control if you haven't yet.