Video games usually take a few years to create. That’s long enough for hardware to evolve, trends to change, and players to start asking when the game is actually coming out. But some projects operate on an entirely different timeline.
Whether because of changing technology, ambitious ideas, studio problems, or endless redesigns, the games on this list spent so much time in development that entire console generations came and went while they were still being built. Some eventually became classics. Others arrived carrying the weight of impossible expectations. Either way, these are the games that took the scenic route to release.
Alan Wake (7 Years)
Remedy spent roughly seven years developing Alan Wake before its 2010 release. The project started as a much larger open world experience before evolving into the atmospheric psychological thriller that eventually became one of the studio’s most beloved games.
L.A. Noire (7 Years)
L.A. Noire took around seven years to complete, largely because Team Bondi was attempting something few studios had ever tried before. The groundbreaking facial capture technology required an enormous amount of work, helping turn development into a marathon.
Spore (8 Years)
Will Wright spent approximately eight years bringing Spore to life. During that time, expectations grew so large that the game became one of the most discussed video games in the industry long before anyone could actually play it.
Team Fortress 2 (9 Years)
Valve worked on Team Fortress 2 for roughly nine years, completely reinventing the project multiple times. Early versions looked like realistic military shooters, while the final release embraced the colorful cartoon style that players still recognize today.
Diablo III (11 Years)
Although the gap between Diablo II and Diablo III stretched over a decade, Blizzard spent approximately eleven years shaping the sequel into a game capable of carrying one of gaming’s most respected franchises.
Trending on realmoneygamer.com
Final Fantasy XV (10 Years)
Few projects changed identities as dramatically as Final Fantasy XV. Originally announced as Final Fantasy Versus XIII in 2006, the game finally launched in 2016 after a decade of redesigns, engine changes, and creative shifts.
The Last Guardian (9 Years)
Announced in 2007 and released in 2016, The Last Guardian spent about nine years in development. Technical challenges, changing hardware, and repeated delays eventually turned the game into a symbol of development limbo.
StarCraft II (7 Years)
Blizzard spent approximately seven years developing StarCraft II. Expectations were enormous because the original game had become one of the most influential strategy titles ever released, particularly in the growing esports scene.
Prey (11 Years)
The original Prey became famous for its unusually long development cycle. Depending on where the timeline begins, the project spent roughly eleven years in development before finally arriving in 2006, making it one of the industry’s earliest examples of development hell.
Shenmue (6 Years)
Creating a living world with schedules, dynamic weather, voice acting, and interactive environments was an enormous challenge in the late 1990s. The six years spent developing Shenmue helped make it one of the most expensive video games ever produced at the time.
Cyberpunk 2077 (8 Years)
CD Projekt Red publicly announced Cyberpunk 2077 in 2012, and the game finally launched in 2020. The eight year journey created extraordinary expectations that would ultimately become part of the game’s story.
Too Human (9 Years)
Too Human spent approximately nine years moving through different concepts, platforms, and publishing arrangements. By the time it launched, the game had already become known as much for its troubled development as for its gameplay.
Duke Nukem Forever (15 Years)
No discussion about delayed video games feels complete without Duke Nukem Forever. Development began in 1996 and the game finally arrived in 2011. Fifteen years of engine swaps, redesigns, and delays transformed it into one of the most famous development stories in gaming history.
Beyond Good & Evil 2 (More Than 15 Years And Counting)
Originally teased in 2008, Beyond Good & Evil 2 remains one of the industry’s longest-running development stories. More than fifteen years later, the game continues to occupy a unique place in gaming culture, existing somewhere between anticipation and legend.
Sometimes those extra years helped create memorable experiences. Other times, they simply made expectations impossible to satisfy. Either way, these video games prove that in the gaming industry, the road to release can be just as fascinating as the destination. And while players usually remember what happened after launch, some of these video games are just as famous for the years they spent trying to get there.
