Crackdown 3 Gets Delayed Again, Microsoft Has Only One Pre-Holiday Game

Yet again, Microsoft’s destructible, open-world sci-fi shooter Crackdown 3 gets delayed. Despite years of development, it seems the company is not satisfied with how it looks or plays, which is a sentiment that fans have been echoing since the recent E3 reveal. As a result, Microsoft now has only one major title for release before the holidays.

Sending an email to Polygon recently, Microsoft executive Shannon Loftis explains why the game had to be delayed. Apparently, it had something to do with giving it more polish, seeing as how it’s such an ambitious game.

“We’re very excited about Crackdown 3, and so are many fans, and so it’s a difficult call to move the release date,” the email reads. “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.”

The game was supposed to launch on November 7th, VentureBeat reports. With this delay, Microsoft is left with only one game to propel its numbers for the Xbox One, which is Forza Motorsport 7. The racing simulator is set for release on the console and the PC, and it’s a big budget game with a lot of potential for huge sales. In comparison to studios like Activision, EA, and Nintendo, which have several games each under their belt that are set for release in time for the holidays, Microsoft is lagging behind.