Inflexion Games, the studio founded by former BioWare boss Aaryn Flynn, has announced a delay for its Victorian fantasy adventure Nightingale, with the game now expected to enter early access some time next year.

Nightingale, described as a “shared world survival crafting game”, was initially announced a few years back, but got its first proper unveiling at last year’s The Game Awards. Its reveal was accompanied by an eye-catching trailer in which well-dressed ladies and gents travelled through portals to strange new worlds, full of wonderfully unsettling eldritch creatures.

Inflexion was initially aiming to launch Nightingale into early access at some point this year, but the developer has now revised that plan, pushing the game’s early access release back into the “first half of 2023”.

“The move is based on two considerations,” it explained in a statement posted to Twitter. “The first is an upgrade to Unreal Engine 5. After reviewing the potential UE5 has to offer, we have decided on upgrading now rather than waiting until after release.”

“Secondly,” it continued, “Inflexion Games is committed to delivering the best possible experience and fulfilling the promise of what Nightingale’s universe of realms has to offer players. To achieve that the additional time will allow the team to make key improvements, bolster content and polish gameplay”.

Inflexion says it will be sharing more on Nightingale, including developer updates, “in the coming weeks”. Additionally, specific timings for its revised release will come “at a later stage.”

“Until then,” the developer’s statement concludes, “we thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm for what we’re making. It may take a little longer for the mystical Fae portals to open, but we appreciate you taking this journey with us.”