Crackdown 3 delayed to February 2019 - three years beyond its initial release date

Terry Crews will not be WOO-ing with glee today: Xbox's highly-anticipated Crackdown 3 has been pushed from a spring 2018 release window, out of 2018 entirely, and is now slated for February 2019. More news will be revealed this weekend, as Crackdown 3 is among Xbox's E3 2018 games.

While a report published by Kotaku initially attributed the news to anonymous sources, Microsoft itself has since confirmed the news, sending the following statement to Windows Central:

"Our fans' response to the signature antics and explosive gameplay of Crackdown 3 has been incredible," the company said in a statement. "To ensure we deliver the experience they deserve, Crackdown 3 will be launching in Feb 2019. We look forward to sharing more on Crackdown 3 this Sunday during the Xbox E3 2018 briefing."

This is the third time Crackdown 3 has been delayed. Originally announced at E3 2014, it was first scheduled to arrive in 2016. Then, it was planned to release alongside the Xbox One X in November 2017. But alas, it was delayed again, to spring 2018. By the time Crackdown 3 hits shelves in February 2019, it'll be three years past the initial 2016 plans, and five years since its reveal.

In other words, Xbox owners have been waiting a long time for this, and it's hard not to feel a bit disappointed. This is especially crummy news considering how light Microsoft's first-party lineup has been lately, with only Sea of Thieves and State of Decay 2 so far in 2018. And while those games are both pretty good, they're not generating the type of buzz something like a new Crackdown does.

Hopefully the company has some big titles to make up for the delay, and if the Xbox E3 rumors we've heard are true, that may very well be the case. Be sure to tune in Sunday to watch the E3 2018 press conferences and learn more.

Get the best games and entertainment news, reviews, tips and offers delivered to your inbox every week by signing up to the 12DOVE newsletter today. 

Sam Prell

Sam is a former News Editor here at GamesRadar. His expert words have appeared on many of the web's well-known gaming sites, including Joystiq, Penny Arcade, Destructoid, and G4 Media, among others. Sam has a serious soft spot for MOBAs, MMOs, and emo music. Forever a farm boy, forever a '90s kid.

Latest in Action
Rift Apart
Retiring Insomniac boss says developers should still tackle new genres, but it's much riskier these days due to time and money
Dollman being buckled into a seat in Death Stranding 2
Hideo Kojima left "a number of clues" in the new Death Stranding 2 trailer, including hints of a day/night cycle
Assassin's Creed Shadows cinematic screenshot
Ubisoft shareholder plans protest in response to mismanagement, Assassin's Creed Shadows delays, and alleged acquisition talks with Microsoft and EA
Key art for Assassin's Creed Rogue Remastered showing Shay Patrick Cormac in a black and red outfit that's a cross between Assassin and Templar armor, with his ship The Morrigan behind him
Assassin's Creed Shadows can wait – I spent 40 hours mopping up the map in the one game in the series everyone skipped
GTA 3 Mobile screenshot showing claude running away from police near a casino
The fan-made Dreamcast version of GTA 3 is looking way better in the latest look, introducing tech that "would’ve previously been a slideshow"
The titular Bayonetta in Bayonetta 2
Devil May Cry and Bayonetta veteran Hideki Kamiya is still leaning on Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami's wisdom at new studio Clovers: "I have always made decisions based on his teachings"
Latest in News
Overwatch 2
My hopes for an Overwatch anime or Diablo horror movie are going strong as Blizzard president points out "we are Blizzard Entertainment, and not simply Blizzard Games"
The New Thunderbolts leaping into action
Marvel's New Thunderbolts* comic steals the MCU's asterisk, and the reason why is just as big of a mystery
Pokemon Go players brace for the worst as Niantic is sold off for $3.5 billion: "This game is entering its death knell"
Stamp PSP
A 16-year-old pitch for a newly discovered first-party PSP game has me mourning the death of PlayStation's Japan Studio all over again
Astarion from Baldur's Gate 3
Baldur's Gate 3 Astarion actor Neil Newbon says he "got rid of" agents who deliberately kept him away from video game gigs: "They just didn't want me to do it"
Mass Effect
Jennifer Hale says she didn't see a single line as Mass Effect's Commander Shepard until it was time to record: "It was all cold reading on the spot"