Can the Increment be delivered to Stake Holders before the Sprint Review?
> As the Scrum Guide 2020 says that the value may be released to the stake holders prior to the end of the Sprint and the Sprint Review should never be considered as a gateway to release value.
Can the Increment be delivered to Stake Holders before the Sprint Review?
What commitment ought to have been made for that increment, and was it satisfied?
I think the Scrum Guide is pretty clear here:
Multiple Increments may be created within a Sprint. The sum of the Increments is presented at the Sprint Review thus supporting empiricism. However, an Increment may be delivered to stakeholders prior to the end of the Sprint. The Sprint Review should never be considered a gate to releasing value.
In previous iterations of the Scrum Guide, the Increment was described as "potentially releasable" and the Product Owner made the decision about whether or not to release the Increment. Considering this, the team is expected to create one or more Increments during the Sprint. Each Increment builds upon the previous Increment. The Product Owner decides if and when to release the Increment to stakeholders, so conducting a Sprint Review is not a gate to such a release.
I'd also point out that a Sprint Review could also happen without releasing an Increment. Although the Increment could be released, it could be too costly to release based on the added value. The Increment may be released later, perhaps after more work is done. However, it is still reviewed to give the Scrum Team and stakeholders a chance to align on the next steps.