Update: Insomniac Games has confirmed the Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart release date to be June 11.
Original story follows.
One of the PlayStation 5's most anticipated exclusives, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, has been missing in action ever since its release window was confirmed at Gamescom: Opening Night Live. Insomniac Games has claimed that Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will release within the PlayStation 5's "launch window," and despite not releasing yet, the game has been a major part of Sony's marketing campaign throughout the console's launch. While most fans would have assumed the game would be out by now, the wait for Rift Apart may be coming to an end as the game has just been rated in Taiwan.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was announced at Sony's Future of Gaming event in June 2020, alongside the reveal of the PlayStation 5 console. While many of the games announced at the showcase were revealed to be cross-generation titles, such as Hitman 3 and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Rift Apart was one of the few that was strictly exclusive to PS5. Many fans noted it as being one of the best examples of being a "next-generation" game, with the gameplay demo showcasing the power of the PS5's fast SSD, loading in areas seamlessly and opening up new gameplay opportunities for developer Insomniac Games.
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Insomniac Games showcased the game once again at Gamescom: Opening Night Live, hosted by The Game Awards creator Geoff Keighley. The developer revealed an extended version of the original gameplay demonstration from the June showcase, which featured upgraded visuals only two months later. It was here that Insomniac Games revealed that Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart would launch within the PS5's "launch window." This announcement gave fans hope that the game would launch close to the PS5's November launch, but was also left intentionally vague. It seems now that Insomniac Games is gearing up for the game's launch soon.
Twitter user Andrew Marmo noticed that Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart has been rated by the Taiwanese games rating board and is now listed on its website. Generally, a game is only certified by rating boards such as the ESRB and PEGI in the final months of development, as all of the game's content is ready and it is one of the final steps required for a game to take in order to be released in a certain country. The Taiwanese rating board in particular has a history with leaking information about games, as it has in the past with the likes of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, No More Heroes for Nintendo Switch, and NieR: Replicant. The listing also revealed that a "Digital Deluxe Edition" is in the works, although there are no further details hinting at its cost or contents.
Fans also recently noticed that the game's "Release Date: To Be Revealed" disclaimer was removed from the game's page on the official PlayStation website, indicating that the announcement of a solid release date is imminent. Sony may be planning to drop a State of Play presentation for the game at any moment, much as it did for Destruction AllStars in the weeks leading up to its release. Many have assumed that Rift Apart will release in May, pitting it up against titles such as Resident Evil Village, Deathloop, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, and Biomutant, which are also releasing within May.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is slated to release in the first half of 2021, exclusively on PlayStation 5.