Killing Floor 3 Release Date Postponed Further into 2025 After Closed Beta Disappoints

The much-anticipated survival horror co-op FPS, Killing Floor 3, has faced a significant setback with its release now delayed to later in 2025. This decision comes just three weeks before its initial launch date of March 25th, following a disappointing closed beta phase. Dive deeper into the details of this unexpected announcement.

Killing Floor 3 Delayed For Later 2025 Release

Cites Disastrous Beta Test Phase

On March 7th, 2025, Tripwire, the developer behind Killing Floor 3 (KF3), took to the game’s official Bluesky account to announce the delay. The team cited a disappointing closed beta test as the primary reason for pushing back the release to an unspecified date later in 2025.

"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 shared in their Bluesky post. The developer reassured fans that the team is now focused on addressing key issues identified during the beta, including performance/stability, UI/UX, lighting, and weapon feel.

The community's reaction on social media was swift and vocal, with many players expressing frustration over the beta build. Terms like "insanely clunky and clumsy" and "unpolished, glitch-ridden, vomit-inducing wreck" were used to describe the experience. Reddit user Captain_Pugman voiced a common sentiment 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." Additional criticism focused on the shift towards a futuristic sci-fi theme, which seemed to stray from the series' horror roots, 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 a hopeful message, 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 detailed information on the Tripwire Interactive Killing Floor 3 forums regarding 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 a refund will be issued.

On the other hand, players who pre-ordered Killing Floor 3 through Steam will need to manually cancel their order and initiate a refund request through the Steam support system. Those who pre-ordered via third-party platforms and vendors not mentioned above will need to coordinate directly with those vendors and are subject to their respective refund policies.