The Alone in the Dark reboot is delayed until March so developers can 'avoid any potential crunch over the Christmas holidays'

THQ Nordic's Alone in the Dark reboot has been delayed, and is now set to come out on March 20, 2024. The decision to push the game back was made, the publisher said, because if it had gone ahead with the planned release in January, "the Christmas season would have been filled with stress and anything but a jolly time" for developer Pieces Interactive.

"The well-being of the teams is a top priority, and both companies want to avoid any potential crunch over the Christmas holidays," THQ Nordic said. "Furthermore, THQ Nordic and Pieces Interactive want to ensure that the game not only meets but exceeds the expectations of the community, especially with the outstanding performances of Hollywood stars David and Jodie as the main protagonists."

This is actually the second delay for Alone in the Dark. It had been set to come out in October of this year, but in September it was moved to January 16, 2024, "to ensure a breathtaking experience for everyone."

It might just be. Alone in the Dark is a survival horror series that dates back to the early 1990s, and while recent entries haven't impressed—the 2015 reboot Alone in the Dark: Illumination holds a 19/100 score on Metacritic—THQ Nordic and Pieces Interactive appear to be taking the effort seriously. 

The new game stars award-winning actors David Harbour and Jodie Comer, and even better it features an original story written by Mikael Hedberg, a veteran of famed horrorsmiths Frictional Games, whose past credits include Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Amnesia: Rebirth, and the brilliantly twisted Soma. With a little bit of luck, that could add up to an unexpectedly good survival-horror experience, and most AITD fans on social media seem happier to wait than have it rushed.

Alone in the Dark will be available for PC on Steam and GOG. While you wait for March to roll around, the free Alone in the Dark Prologue remains playable on Steam.