The release of the eagerly awaited survival horror co-op FPS, Killing Floor 3, has been pushed back to later in 2025. This decision comes just three weeks before its original launch date, following a closed beta that left many players unsatisfied. Dive deeper into the details of this unexpected delay.
Killing Floor 3 Delayed For Later 2025 Release
Cites Disastrous Beta Test Phase
Image from Killing Floor 3’s official Bluesky account
On March 7th, 2025, Tripwire, the developer behind Killing Floor 3 (KF3), took to the game’s official Bluesky account to announce a significant delay. The game, initially set to launch on March 25th, will now see a release later in 2025. This decision was made after a closed beta that failed to meet expectations.
"We’ve made the decision to postpone Killing Floor 3’s launch to an undecided date later in 2025. After taking the time to gather and discuss feedback from our recent closed beta, we’ve realized that we missed the mark. Our goal isn’t just to make Killing Floor 3 an ambitious step forward for the franchise, but also to maintain the core experience that you’ve come to know and love," Tripwire stated in their Bluesky post. They assured fans that the team is now focused on addressing key issues identified during the beta, including performance/stability, UI/UX, lighting, and weapon feel.
Players voiced their frustrations on social media, describing the beta as "insanely clunky and clumsy," and an "unpolished, glitch-ridden, vomit-inducing wreck." On the game’s subreddit, a user named Captain_Pugman criticized the developers, stating, "At what point did you forget what made Killing Floor special? Because right now, Killing Floor 3 looks like it’s trying to be everything except the one thing it should be: a Killing Floor game." Additional complaints highlighted the shift away from the series' traditional horror elements towards a more futuristic sci-fi theme, and the inability to freely choose characters and classes separately, as classes were locked to specific characters during the beta.
Tripwire concluded their announcement with optimism, expressing their hope to showcase a more refined version of Killing Floor 3 in the future. "We look forward to another opportunity to show you a more polished version of Killing Floor 3, and when we’re ready to share more details, you will be the first to know. Until then, we thank you for your continued patience and overwhelming support."
Pre-Orders Will Be Refunded Automatically Except For Steam
In response to the delay, Senior Community Manager Yoshiro provided details on the Tripwire Interactive Killing Floor 3 forums about the handling of digital pre-orders. Once the delay is updated across all platforms, the refund and cancellation processes will commence.
For users on PlayStation, Xbox, and the Epic Game Store, pre-orders will be automatically canceled and refunded without any action required from the user. However, PlayStation users in the United States will have the option to either cancel their pre-order for a refund or keep it for the new release date. If no action is taken within a specified timeframe, the pre-order will automatically be canceled and refunded.
Steam users, however, will need to manually initiate a refund by canceling their order and submitting a refund request through Steam's support system. Those who pre-ordered through third-party platforms or vendors not mentioned above will need to coordinate directly with those services, adhering to their specific refund policies.
