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System Shock's long-in-the-works remake is now set to launch next year

But in the meantime, new screenshots!

If been wondering where Nightdive Studios' long-in-the-works System Shock remake has got to - given that it's previously announced "late summer" 2021 release window has very much been and gone - the developer says the project is now due to arrive some time next year. It'll be published by Koch Media's Prime Matter division and there are a selection of new screenshots to tide people over until more solid release date news comes their way.

It has, of course, been a long and eventful road for the System Shock remake, which was originally intended to be a remaster of Looking Glass Technologies' cult-classic 1994 sci-fi horror before ballooning in scope. By the time its Kickstarter commenced in July 2016, Nightdive was calling it a "reboot" and, after a rocky period of development, the studio announced it was putting the project on hiatus after letting "things get out of control".

Nightdive eventually managed to get its remake back on track - albeit by essentially restarting with more focussed goals - and development has been steadily ticking forward ever since, with the studio providing frequent progress updates over on Kickstarter, even going as far as to announce that "late summer" release window earlier this year.

Cover image for YouTube videoSystem Shock Research Teaser Trailer - Nightdive Studios
System Shock Research Teaser Trailer.

That, obviously, never came to pass, but Nightdive did address the game's no-show in September, telling Kickstarter backers, "I know there has been some confusion over dates, and announcements which is an unfortunate reality of making games, but I can assure you that System Shock is on the way. We have some big news to share in the future that will help make sense of what's been going on".

That news, presumably, is today's announcement the System Shock remake will now be published by Koch Media's Prime Matter division, marking Nightdive's first external publishing deal. In a statement accompanying the news, Nightdive CEO Stephen Kick said the deal would "allow us to offer System Shock to fans all over the world, both in digital and physical goods formats, as well as fully honour our commitments to our fans and, in particular, to our thousands of supporters on Kickstarter, without whom this game would have never been possible."

This year has seen Nightdive show off its long-awaited System Shock remake in various guises - we've seen new gameplay footage and even a PC demo - but those eager for a more current glimpse of the game's state now have an a fresh selection of screenshots (below) to peruse at their leisure while they await firmer news of its arrival on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC some time next year.