Shenmue 3 is going to be skipping this year's E3 - and it's looking increasingly likely it'll also be missing its initial shipping date of December this year.

Developer Ys Net shared a new update to Kickstarter backers of the highly anticipated sequel to a pair of Sega Dreamcast classics, giving a glimpse at an all-new character rendered in-engine and sharing a little more news. "While our schedule has yet to be finalised, we will be devoting June to game development and as a result, will unfortunately not be participating in any game shows," the update reads. "On the other hand, we look forward to bringing you our monthly updates and hope you do too!"

Shenmue 3 was first confirmed at E3 2015, when creator Yu Suzuki took to Sony's stage to announce the Kickstarter campaign. The campaign went on to be a success, and development seems to have been carrying on at a fair pace ever since.

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However, the initial delivery date of December 2017 looks like it could be out of reach. The Kickstarter page still holds to that date, with the following statement to be found: "A rigorous budget and schedule has been worked out with our production team and we believe our target of 2017 holiday season is within reach. That said, our goal is to make the best game possible (and one that the fans want!) so please understand the schedule may change as the project evolves. Frequent updates will be posted on the Update page."

That particular part of the site hasn't been updated since 2015, though, so maybe it's best to let go of that dream for now. Here's hoping we get a substantial look at Shenmue 3 before the year's end.