The developer of PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS has presented the new updated roadmap for the release of the successful shooter in an update.

PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS - Release until Q4 2017

In the first interviews, a release within 6 months of the start of Early Access was targeted. After the game just had its 3 month update, the developers decided not to let the 6 months peg down. A release is still planned for 2017, so it should be ready in quarter 4 at the latest.

One of the reasons for the decision is certainly the desire not to publish a half-finished product. While players bought the PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS in Early Access and are aware of the risks and problems, buyers of the finished product expect different qualities.

Even if games like PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS are never 100% "finished", but are always kept fresh with balance patches, new weapons, etc. A release requires a certain stability of the server or optimizations of the graphics which do not always enjoy the highest priority during an Early Access development phase.

Below you will find the original message from the developers:

Players,

Today I want to update everyone on PLAYERUKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS progress through Early Access. The amount of support and feedback we have received from our community has been incredible. I want to thank you all for your bug reports, feedback and suggestions. As we continue to fix bugs, improve gameplay and add new content, it's important to for us to deliver you a fully realized and polished Battle Royale experience as we look towards launch.

 Over the past few months I have done a lot of interviews, and in many of them, I said we hoped to be out of Early Access six months after we first launched. I've come to realize that restricting the window to a specific month could hinder us from delivering a fully featured game and / or lead to disappointment within the community if the launch deadline is not met.

 So, we have decided that we are going to push the full launch back a bit from the initial six-month timeframe, but want to assure you that we are still planning a full release before the end of Q4 2017.

 We will continue to push weekly and monthly updates until full launch as we want to ensure that the game we release is the best version possible. This is why we're giving a launch window rather than an exact date. We hope this makes sense, and appreciate your understanding.

 As always, I want to thank you all for your continued support.

 See you in-game,

 PLAYERUNKNOWN