Biomutant Dev Explains Long Silence Prior To Release Date Reveal

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Biomutant developer Experiment 101 offered an explanation as to why the action-RPG's development has been taking so long to complete. Former Just Cause developers founded Experiment 101 in 2015, then went on to announce their debut project, Biomutant, during gamescom 2017. At the time, publisher THQ Nordic had the title pencilled in for a nebulous 2018 release window, one it ultimately failed to adhere to.

Whenever new gameplay footage of Biomutant hit the web, Experiment 101's work always managed to impress. Inventive combat mechanics, intriguing characters, and a lush open-world kept the action-RPG at the forefront of many a most-wanted games list. As many may know, it appeared on such lists for multiple years. Experiment 101 and THQ Nordic finally lifted the lid on their release plans earlier this week, though, attaching a May 2021 due date to the long-awaited project.

So what's taken so long? Speaking with IGN, studio head Stefan Ljungqvist noted that over time the game expanded in scope. For example, the script as of late 2019 sat between 80,000 to 85,000 words; the script's size has since ballooned to nearly 250,000 words. The sheer size of Biomutant creates a lot of work for a crew of only 20 developers, Ljungqvist explained. Rather than release a glitch-filled title, the group hunkered down and took its time. While Experiment 101 wants to remain small, there's no denying the limitations that crop up in terms of work-flow.
Ljungqvist said QA has proven especially challenging given the game's open-world nature. Once bugs are found, the group of 20 is left to fix them. Of course, no open-world title launches bug-free, but Experiment 101 wants to at least ensure game-breaking glitches aren't an issue. Though Biomutant's QA woes and explosion in size significantly lengthened the development cycle, Ljungqvist insisted THQ Nordic has remained patient. A lack of pressure from the publisher allows the crew to avoid crunch practices that plague other developers. Without crunch, Experiment 101 has a better chance of retaining staff, none of which it can afford to lose considering its small size.

Based on what's been shown of Biomutant, thus far, it's certainly impressive that a mere 20 developers are involved. Not only is the open-world gorgeous, the sandbox itself is replete dynamics possibilitie such as outposts to conquer, competing factions to fight, and more.

2021 is already looking to be packed with interesting releases. Hitman 3 just hit store shelves and dominated right out of the gate. Sony's Returnal arrives in April, not long before Resident Evil Village creeps its way onto last-gen and next-gen consoles. As of now, there's no telling what the usually packed holiday season will have in store.

Biomutant finally comes to PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on May 25.