Bossa Studios has announced that its open world persistent sandbox game Worlds Adrift has been delayed out of its original end of 2016 release window into sometime in Q1 2017.

The news come via a blogpost from game's developer Poppy Brown who says the following in regard to the delay:

"We really did hope to release the game in 2016, but we still have a little more work to do to ensure the game is fun, balanced and of course, optimized. It was gratifying to see that you, the community, also stressed the importance of releasing Worlds Adrift when it is in tip-top condition rather than rushing it out half-baked. We really appreciated your candor on this matter and it certainly gave us pause for thought!"

There’s currently a closed alpha happening, which will soon receive its largest update yet. You can read about what the new update brings below:

• Knowledge – Islands now have ancient Saborian databanks scattered around. Scan these for Knowledge, which you can use to specialize your character in the Knowledge tree tab of your character sheet.
• New Shipyard – The new Shipyard makes its debut! Build your custom ship frame exactly how you want: tall and skinny or wide and flat, small and sleek or big and bulky, it’s all up to you
• Loot – Islands now contain lootable containers, where ancient schematics are now found.
• Pistols – The crossbow has been replaced by the pistol, which should be easier to aim with.
• Combat – ranged combat has had a complete overhaul, and rebalance, so ship combat will involve lots of cannons, and big ship fights.
• Male character – Many of you have been asking for this feature for a long time. Well, it’s finally here. You can now play as a gentleman of the skies.
• Sails – Sails are now craftable and attachable to decks. A ship now only technically needs a core and a sail to fly, though it’s probably still a good idea to add a reviver. Pay attention to the direction of the wind!

Never heard of Worlds Adrift? No problem -- here's an overview courtesy of the game's Steam page:

Worlds Adrift is an unscripted, sandbox game with real-time physics, set in a world that is permanently changed by players’ actions. This new breed of MMO is set in a universe that was destroyed by the overmining of its precious levitating mineral, the Atlas stone. All that remains of the planet surface are the thousands of floating islands still rich in the precious mineral and scattered with artifacts from many lost civilizations.

Players will build a legendary skyship and escape to the clouds, forming a crew to seek the lost history of this mysterious world.

Worlds Adrift is one of the first games created using Improbable's unique technology, which allows Bossa Studios to simulate real-world physics on a scale never achieved before, for thousands of players in real-time.

Worlds Adrift is set to release via Early Access on PC sometime in Q1 2017. A price point has not been divulged.