Developer Sandlot and publisher D3Publisher have announced that Earth Defense Force 6 has been delayed and will now release in the West in Summer 2024 instead of its original Spring 2024 window.

The reason for the delay was that both parties "have decided to extend the launch window to add finishing touches and finalize preparations for its western launch." However, the Asian version is still set to launch on March 14 for PS4 and PS5. The western launch will also include a PC port.

Earth Defense Force 6 is set three years after the events of Earth Defense Force 5. Humanity spent that time rebuilding society while also eliminating any remaining alien forces. However, a mysterious ring-shaped ship appears in the sky, and now the Earth Defense Force has to protect the planet from a new kind of threat.

Its gameplay consists of shooting various giant bugs including ants, spiders, and wasps as they try to invade the planet. This specific genre has gotten a recent spotlight due to the success of Helldivers 2. Earth Defense Force has been around for longer, however. The first game debuted in 2003 as Monster Attack before switching its name to Global Defense Force and then eventually sticking with Earth Defense Force.

Earth Defense Force 6 was first released in Japan in 2022, and the next upcoming game in the series is a spin-off called Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2, set to launch sometime in 2024.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com