The much-anticipated survival horror co-op FPS, Killing Floor 3, has been delayed to a later date in 2025, just three weeks before its initial release. This decision comes in the wake of a disappointing closed beta phase. Dive deeper into the details of this announcement below.

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 Interactive, the developers behind Killing Floor 3 (KF3), took to the game's official Bluesky account to announce a significant delay. Originally set for a March 25th launch, the game will now see a release later in 2025. This decision was made after a closed beta test 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 are now focusing on addressing key issues identified during the beta, including performance/stability, UI/UX, lighting, and weapon feel.

The gaming community expressed their dissatisfaction on social media, describing the beta as "insanely clunky and clumsy," and an "unpolished, glitch-ridden, vomit-inducing wreck." A Reddit user, Captain_Pugman, criticized the developers on the game’s subreddit, 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." Many players felt that the game had shifted too far from its horror roots towards a futuristic sci-fi theme, and were frustrated by the inability to choose characters and classes separately, as classes were locked to specific characters during the beta.

Tripwire concluded their announcement with optimism, stating, "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 default to cancellation and refund.

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.