prior announcement that the game would hit stores on October 16th of this year, director Ken Levine has now revealed a new release date of February 26, 2013.

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In a letter released today, Levine says the team at Irrational has “come to realize that some specific tweaks and improvements will make Infinite into something even more extraordinary” and that the delay will give the development team "the time they need.” According to Levine, the original BioShock saw a similar delay shortly before its initial release date.“I won’t kid you: BioShock Infinite is a very big game, and we’re doing things that no one has ever done in a first-person shooter,” Levine wrote. “We had a similar experience with the original BioShock, which was delayed several months as our original ship date drew near. Why? Because the Big Daddies weren’t the Big Daddies you’ve since come to know and love. Because Andrew Ryan’s golf club didn’t have exactly the right swing. Because Rapture needed one more coat of grimy Art Deco. The same principle now applies to BioShock Infinite.”

You'll have to wait a bit longer to be terrified by these guys.

Levine says the delay “means an even better BioShock Infinite,” adding that “we owe it to both ourselves and to you, our fans, to take this opportunity.”The game also won’t be shown at upcoming trade shows E3 and Gamescom. “That way,” Levine writes, “the next time you see our game, it will be essentially the product we intend to put in the box.”BioShock Infinite was first announced in late 2010 . For a look at the game’s enemies, be sure to check out our feature on the role of Columbia’s ‘heavy hitters .’Are you disappointed by BioShock Infinite’s delay? Let us know in the comments below.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following him on Twitter or IGN