Arc System Works America announced that HUNTER×HUNTER NEN×IMPACT has been delayed. Originally announced with a 2024 launch, the game's release has been pushed back to 2025.
"We sincerely apologize for the trouble caused by this delay to the players who are looking forward to the game’s release," the publisher announced on social media.
"This delay is so that we will be able to implement rollback netcode for release," they explained. "Rollback netcode is a system that reduces the feeling of connection delay when playing online matches. We made this decision out of concern that players would not be able to fully enjoy the game in a state where some players would encounter issues with online play, given the nature of fighting games."
Developed by Eighting Co., Ltd, HUNTER×HUNTER NEN×IMPACT is a 2D fighting game based on the Hunter X Hunter Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi. Although the manga first debuted in 1998, this is the first full-fledged video game adaptation.
HUNTER×HUNTER NEN×IMPACT features a story mode that allows you to experience some of Hunter x Hunter's most famous scenes and battles. For those who aren't too familiar with fighting games, some of the stages serve as tutorials, teaching the basics of how to play.
As a fighting game, there's almost certainly going to be a competitive online scene, and this is where the netcode becomes important. The game will feature "serious competition" with players on network for rank points. Your rank will change depending on the points you have, so you'll want to aim for "Three Hunter Stars."
Hunter x Hunter has been both a huge critical and commercial success, becoming one of the best-selling manga series of all time. So naturally, there's a ton of excitement surrounding the video game. But unfortunately, we'll have to wait a bit longer to play it. When it does release, it will be available for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
To help pass the time while we wait for the game to release, you may want to check out the anime television series adaptation by Nippon Animation. The 62-episode anime adaptation ran from October 1999 to March 2001 can be streamed on number of platforms, including Crunchyroll, Netflix, Prime Video, Pluto TV, and more.