Prey 2 delayed, but not cancelled publisher says

Prey 2 hasn't been cancelled but it has been delayed, with publisher Bethesda Softworks saying that "game development has not progressed satisfactorily this past year, and the game does not currently meet our quality standards."

Prey 2 won't be hitting its 2012 release date because development on the game hasn't "progressed satisfactorily" over the past year, publisher Bethesda Softworks said in a prepared statement today.

"Development of Prey 2 has not been cancelled but the game will not be released in 2012 as planned," according to the statement released by Bethesda. "The delay is due to the fact that game development has not progressed satisfactorily this past year, and the game does not currently meet our quality standards.

"Prey 2 has shown great promise and we regret disappointing our fans. We have made a substantial investment in game development to deliver the experience fans want. We are determined only to release the AAA game that fans rightfully expect, and are unwilling to compromise our quality standards to meet a release schedule."

The surprise statement comes about a month after Dutch gaming site PS Focus reported a rumor that the game had been cancelled. And while the delay is good news for those looking forward to the parkour-flavored sequel to 2006's famously delayed (and delayed) original, it shows an unusually public vote of no confidence in the developer, Wisconsin-based Human Head Studios.

In Prey 2, players take control of U.S. Marshal Killian Samuels who begins the game on a passenger plane shown crashing in the original Prey game. After being taken to the alien world of Exodus, Samuels becomes a bounty hunter.

The game's release date was just set for 2012, there was never a specific time frame announced. It seems telling that while Bethesda reaffirms its commitment to the game, it didn't share an updated release window, making it sound a bit like the game is on an indefinite hold.