DriveClub was supposed to be Sony's answer to the excellent Forza Motorsport 5 on the Xbox One, but the game was delayed and went from being a launch title for the PlayStation 4 to being held off until the early part of 2014. Now, the same thing appears to be happening again. DriveClub will be delayed yet again and will miss the PlayStation 4's launch in Japan, reports Japanese website Inside Games (via Kotaku). 

Sony provided no specific reason for why DriveClub is being delayed in Japan. Sony has only said that "various circumstances" are preventing the game from being a launch title in the country. The game was slated for a Feb. 22 release date; Sony has not provided an updated release date for the game's release in Japan. 

While this is bad news for DriveClub fans in Japan, it's also worrying news for racing game fans in the United States as the game may be pushed even further back now in the U.S. now that the game is being held up in Japan. Sony has yet to confirm if the game has been delayed again in North America, but if there are some serious problems that need to be hashed out in DriveClub in Japan, it is reasonable to assume that the same problems are what caused the game to be delayed in the first place.

Shuhei Yoshida, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, first announced DriveClub's delay on Oct. 18, 2013 in a PlayStation Blog post but assured fans that the extra time would help make the game reach its full potential. 

"DRIVECLUB is a really ambitious racing title and the game is looking stunning. The extra time we're giving the team means the visuals and overall experience are only going to get better. We can assure you that it will be worth the wait," wrote Yoshida on the PlayStation Blog. 

It is unclear when exactly gamers will be able to expect DriveClub to appear either in the United States or Japan, and fans who were once eager to play the game may find other games to occupy their time with. With both DriveClub and Ubisoft's The Crew delayed, racing fans on the PlayStation 4 have a serious lack of content until somebody puts out a quality racing game for the system.

Look out for more news about DriveClub right here as Sony races to get the game ready for 2014.