Crackdown 3 To Miss Big Xbox One X Debut, Now Delayed Until Spring 2018

Crackdown 3 is proving a bit more ambitious than its developers anticipated. As a result, it will not launch alongside the Xbox One X this November. Both were scheduled to debut on November 7, 2017, and while that still applies to the Xbox One X console, Microsoft Studios is pushing back the launch of Crackdown 3 until sometime in spring of next year (barring any further delays).

Gamers have been waiting a long time for this one. Microsoft initially announced the third Crackdown title back at E3...in 2014. It was accompanied by a short trailer highlighting some of the dark humor and intense action the game series is known for. But as time went on, the game evolved and became a more complex project than it originally set out to be. That means having to wait a bit longer for it—once upon a time, it was scheduled to debut in the second half of 2016—but it should also mean better visuals and gameplay.
"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," Shannon Loftis, Microsoft Studios Publishing general manager, told Polygon in an interview. "The team has been working extremely hard to deliver a great experience for fans and this extra time will help us do just that."

Loftis said it was a "difficult call" to push back the game's release, but ultimately the decision was made to ensure that it ends up being the "right game, with the right quality, and at the right time." And while not stated, Microsoft's desire to shake up the console scene with the Xbox One X, which supports 4K resolution gameplay and high dynamic range (HDR) visuals, no doubt played a role in the decision to delay Crackdown 3.


The extra development time will be used in part to polish the graphics. Microsoft showed the game off at this year's E3 event, with Terry Crews starring as Commander Jaxon in an attempt to pump fans up. However, there was some criticism over the game's graphics.

"What we showed at E3 was a preview of the game, and is a great indicator of the level of mayhem and vertical platforming action you can expect from Crackdown 3," Loftis said. "Among other items, we are taking the extra time to focus on the visual polish so gamers can feel completely immersed in a living world. We want them to really feel the larger-than life enemies as they’re exploring the expansive open world, combatting crime and collecting orbs."

Even with Crackdown 3 being pushed back, Microsoft is confident that its launch lineup for the Xbox One X is sufficient and "one of the greatest" ever.