How does this impact the Xbox One X?
Crackdown 3 couldn’t quite make the leap to hit its release date. Rather than launching on November 7, Microsoft has just pushed it back to spring 2018.
The news of Crackdown 3‘s delay has just been confirmed by Polygon, who received word from Shannon Loftis, the publishing general manager at Microsoft Studios. In a statement to Polygon, Loftis said:
“We’re very excited about Crackdown 3, and so are many fans, and so it’s a difficult call to move the release date. However, we want to make sure to deliver the right game, with the right quality, and at the right time. Crackdown 3 is a hugely ambitious game and we want to ensure we deliver the right experiences all the way through every part of the game, whether that’s campaign, co-op multiplayer or our competitive multiplayer mode, Wrecking Zone. Getting the balance right between the three modes is important, and we are going to take the extra development time to ensure that. Gamers can expect Crackdown 3 in spring of 2018.”
In a way, this delay kind of fits with how Crackdown 3‘s development process has gone over the past few years — at least from the public’s perspective. The game was originally revealed at E3 2014 but Microsoft went mum on it for a long time. There was talk of a release in the second half of 2016, but that never came to be. Crackdown 3 was showcased more heavily at this year’s E3, but it still hasn’t received the marketing blitz that most triple-A titles get in the months leading up to launch.
Postponements like this are usually self-contained, but Crackdown 3‘s might have wider-reaching implications. Its original November 7 release was timed to accompany the launch of the Xbox One X. This was supposed to be one of the first-party games that showcased the potential of Microsoft’s enhanced console (along with Forza Motorsport 7 which is set to come out in early October). Now the Xbox One X is launching with only Super Lucky’s Tale by its side.
Delays that result in the game not being rushed out the door are universally a good thing for consumers. But, this one hits a little harder because it might actively detract from the appeal of the Xbox One X. That alone means that this must’ve been a tough decision for Microsoft to make.
Crackdown 3 delayed to 2018 [Polygon]
