Bethesda has announced that shooter sequel Prey 2, the sequel to 2006's Prey, will be delayed until next year due to a disappointing lack of progress in development.

"The delay is due to the fact that game development has not progressed satisfactorily this past year, and the game does not currently meet our quality standards. Prey 2 has shown great promise and we regret disappointing our fans. We have made a substantial investment in game development to deliver the experience fans want," said the company on its official blog.

Rumor has it that the holdup in development happened because Human Head, the company that has been working on the game since November 2011, is off the project due to failed contract negotiations with Bethesda's parent, Zenimax.

The Human Head team expected to restart work once more favorable terms were reached, but Zenimax called their bluff and cut off communication, and here we are.

The good news is that Prey 2 is not cancelled, and now has a TBA 2013 release date.

[gamefreakz / g4tv.]