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Crackdown 3 Delayed to Spring 2018

Publisher Microsoft Studios and developers want more time to 'deliver the right game, with the right quality.'

David Craddock

August 16, 2017 3:30 PM

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A Microsoft Studios Publishing representative confirmed to Polygon that Crackdown 3 has been delayed from its previous release date of November 7, 2017, to spring of 2018. Microsoft and the three-studio team of developers—Reagant Games, Cloudgine, and Sumo Digital—made the call to delay in order to ensure a high-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," wrote Shannon Loftis, Microsoft Publishing's general manager, in an email to Polygon.

"However, we want to make sure to deliver the right game, with the right quality, and at the right time," Loftis continued. "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."

Loftis outlined some of the technical ambitions and hurdles that the game's triumvirate of teams are aiming for and combating. "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," she told Polygon. "The team has been working extremely hard to deliver a great experience for fans and this extra time will help us do just that."

This is Crackdown 3's second delay, following an original forecast of the second quarter of 2016. The game was announced at E3 2014 and shown in playable form at this year's annual trade show.

David Craddock

Long Reads Editor

David L. Craddock writes fiction, nonfiction, and grocery lists. He is the author of the Stay Awhile and Listen series, and the Gairden Chronicles series of fantasy novels for young adults. Outside of writing, he enjoys playing Mario, Zelda, and Dark Souls games, and will be happy to discuss at length the myriad reasons why Dark Souls 2 is the best in the series. Follow him online at davidlcraddock.com and @davidlcraddock.