Since its E3 2012 unveiling, Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs has been the next-gen game to watch. Not only did it show what next-gen consoles were capable of visually, but it also showed us a new style of gameplay that was radically different from anything we’d ever seen before. Now those next-gen ambitions have been put on hold as even the mighty Watch Dogs has shown that it’s not immune to the last minute delay.

Ubisoft announced today on its blog that Watch Dogs has been delayed until spring 2014 on all platforms. That means even the current-gen versions of Watch Dogs on the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii U won’t make it in time for the holidays.

So, why was Watch Dogs, a game that was scheduled to launch in a mere four weeks, delayed at the last minute? Ubisoft says it’s all about making sure the game lives up to all the hype:

We know a lot of you are probably wondering: Why now? We struggled with whether we would delay the game. But from the beginning, we have adopted the attitude that we will not compromise on quality. As we got closer to release, as all the pieces of the puzzle were falling into place in our last push before completion, it became clear to us that we needed to take the extra time to polish and fine tune each detail so we can deliver a truly memorable and exceptional experience.

This is undoubtedly a major bummer to all the gamers who had pre-ordered Watch Dogs for the PS4 and Xbox One. The good news is that there’s plenty more games coming at launch for both consoles to keep you satiated. In fact, Ubisoft’s other open world next-gen launch title, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, is still slated to launch alongside each next gen console. It’s certainly no near-futuristic Chicago, but a pirate adventure is the only open world game you’re going to get on next gen consoles this year.

Oh, and if you happened to pre-order one of those PS4 or Xbox One bundles that came with Watch Dogs, you might want to read Kotaku’s report on the fate of your bundle

[Image: Ubisoft/YouTube]