In the 2020 edition of the Game Developers Conference's annual survey, 33% of developers said they experienced delays in their games due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the early months of the shift to telecommuting. This impact continued throughout the year and extended to major titles such as Halo Infinite and Far Cry 6. Even the punctual Final Fantasy 14 had to postpone its update. So, according to a survey of more than 3,000 game developers conducted by GDC this year, nearly half have experienced delays due to the pandemic.

In 2021, 44% of respondents said their games were delayed due to Covid-19, citing a variety of reasons. Some developers cited the complexity of dealing with children and work-life balance while telecommuting. Others said that working remotely made it difficult to collaborate. One developer wrote, "COVID basically disrupted our communication and work rhythm."

Others cited the technical challenges of telecommuting. One respondent wrote, "It is difficult to adapt development testing and development from home when you need a good internet connection and a development kit that only works via VPN because 1st Party Partners does not consider how to facilitate telecommuting."

Despite the delays, 66 percent of developers say their productivity has increased or stayed the same. Others appreciate the solitude and time savings from not having to commute. Others cited virtual meeting fatigue and the lack of a focused work environment, which I think sums it up nicely:

"Groundhog Day feeling."

Hopefully by the time of the 2022 survey, Covid-19 delays will no longer be a relevant topic.