Crackdown 3, re-unveiled at E3 2017 after it was first announced at E3 2014, has once again been delayed.
With the Crackdown 3 launch date pushed back, Microsoft will heavily rely on racing simulation Forza Motorsport 7 to help sell the upcoming Xbox One X in this year's holiday shopping season.
Crackdown 3 Release Date Moved To 2018
The Crackdown 3 trailer at E3 2017, which featured Terry Crews in his usual intense self as Commander Jaxon, had fans of the series all pumped up. The long-delayed next Crackdown game will look to bounce back from the relatively flat Crackdown 2, as it looks to recapture the magic of the original Crackdown, viewed as one of the best open-world titles on the Xbox 360.
The trailer showed off over-the-top action, with players using various weapons and abilities in missions that are packed with as many explosions as possible.
Gamers looking forward to Crackdown 3, however, will have to wait a bit more. The game, which was initially slated to launch alongside the Xbox One X on Nov. 7, has been delayed into spring 2018.
The Crackdown 3 delay will give more time to the development teams, namely Reagent Games, Sumo Digital and, Cloudgine, to make sure that the game offers a quality experience.
"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," said Microsoft Studios Publishing general manager Shannon Loftis in an email.
Xbox One X Exclusives List Now Even Worse
With the Crackdown 3 launch date pushed back to next year, Microsoft will only have Forza Motorsport 7 as a big-budget game that will be released alongside the Xbox One X. As a publisher, Microsoft has the best chance of showcasing the capabilities of "the world's most powerful console," and it remains to be seen whether Forza Motorsport 7 will be able to do that comprehensively.
The Crackdown 3 delay has also made the exclusives list for the Xbox One X even worse. While the console will also receive access to third-party games such as Activision's Destiny 2 and Electronic Arts' Star Wars Battlefront II, the upcoming exclusive titles for the Xbox platform this year are only Cuphead and Super Lucky's Tale. While these independent games are great, they will not be able to take advantage of the powerful specifications of the Xbox One X.
As it stands, the Xbox One X exclusives will not be a factor in Microsoft's missions to bridge the gap between the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4. Maybe the predictions that Xbox One X sales will not perform well are fated to become true.
