Generally speaking, when you’re talking about “mechs,” you’re talking about massive machines of war in games like Battletech (opens in new tab) or Iron Harvest (opens in new tab). Lightyear Frontier (opens in new tab) is an unusual but fun-looking twist on that formula: It’s a farming sim, and your mechs are farm machines—the fusion-powered, bipedal tractors of the future. Autocannons are out, irrigation hoses are in.
The gameplay reveal (opens in new tab) at the 2022 Future Games Show looked promising, but today developer Frame Break announced that it has decided to delay the early access launch (opens in new tab) that was planned for this spring. A new release target has not been set.
“With Lightyear Frontier, we want to make sure that you feel powerful and engaged in the mech while starting your own homestead, constructing a variety of structures, farming exotic alien crops, and exploring on a vibrant and unfamiliar world,” the studio said.
“Not only do we want to design the game to be fun, but also well-balanced with each aspect of the game intertwining with one another, and we remain committed to building a thoughtfully-designed experience and continuing the conversation with your community in the process.”
The Lightyear Frontier Steam page (opens in new tab) had previously indicated that an early access release was planned for 2023, but it now states simply “coming soon.” Developer Frame Break said that it “can’t commit to a launch window right now,” but will announce one as soon as possible.
Despite that open-ended delay, the reaction to the delay announcement was widely upbeat: Steam user Manji (opens in new tab) may have captured the mood most aptly, writing, “Better a late start than a bad start.”