Gran Turismo 7 Isn't Coming Out Until 2022 Thanks To Covid

It’s been seven years since the last regular instalment in the Gran Turismo franchise was released, but by the time the next one’s here, that gap will have stretched to over eight.

Gran Turismo 7 hasn’t had a firm launch date as of yet, but Sony had initially given a window of the first half of 2021 in its adverts for the game, later suggesting it’d merely be out at some point during the year. Now, though, we’re looking at 2022.

The news has come via an interview between GQ and PlayStation boss Jim Ryan. When asked about GT7’s release date, a PR representative stepped in to give the following statement:

“GT7 has been impacted by Covid-related production challenges and therefore will shift from 2021 to 2022. With the ongoing pandemic, it’s a dynamic and changing situation and some critical aspects of game production have been slowed over the past several months. We’ll share more specifics on GT7’s release date when available.”

Even under normal circumstances, Gran Turismo creator Polyphony Digital is no stranger to pushing back release dates, with the most recent title in the series (GT Sport) also subjected to delays. With the challenges of developers having to work from home for extended periods over the last 11 months, it’s not a big shock to see GT7 miss its original release window.

The silver lining? Sony will have gotten on top of its PlayStation 5 supply issues by then, ensuring a wider group of gamers will be able to enjoy GT7. It’s notoriously difficult to get a PS5 at the moment, with unscrupulous scalpers exacerbating the situation further. In the GQ interview, Jim Ryan blamed “difficulties in the semiconductor market” combined with high demand and a move to online-only sales for the problems.

Gran Turismo 7 should be worth the wait, from what we’ve seen so far. As well as looking gorgeous, it’ll bring back all sorts of favourite fan features not seen in some time including the famed map menu and the used car showroom. It’ll carry over all of the tracks from GT Sport with plenty of additions, including icons like Trial Mountain. The cars spotted in the announcement trailer and gameplay footage also point to a nicely varied set of vehicles to pick from.

Roll on 2022…