Crackdown 3 has been delayed to spring 2018.
Shannon Loftis, Microsoft Studios Publishing general manager, said the company is delaying the Xbox One and Windows PC game to give development teams Reagent Games, Sumo Digital and Cloudgine extra time to ensure a quality experience.
“We’re very excited about Crackdown 3, and so are many fans, and so it’s a difficult call to move the release date,” Loftis said in an email interview with Polygon. “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.”
Crackdown 3 was originally announced at E3 2014 and was, at one point, targeting a release in the second half of 2016. It’s clearly a complex project, one that has evolved since its unveiling, and Crackdown fans have learned to be patient waiting for it to come out.
“Crackdown 3 is an incredibly ambitious project that pushes the technological envelope with immersive true 4K gameplay, cloud-computing competitive multiplayer and a sprawling and futuristic open world,” Loftis said when asked about the challenges the development teams have faced over the years. “The team has been working extremely hard to deliver a great experience for fans and this extra time will help us do just that.”
The delay of Crackdown 3 is very disappointing, as there isn’t a lot else on the system that is exclusive this year. That being said, the delay could be necessary for the game to do well. A delayed game can eventually be good but a rushed game rarely is.