Crackdown 3 – Dead on Arrival?

Crackdown 3 was first revealed to a crowd of excited onlookers at Microsoft’s 2014 E3 Press Conference. Almost five years ago it was announced, and we’re finally a mere two weeks away from this game finally being released. So then why are the airwaves virtually silent on this game?

It’s no mystery that this is a game that has undergone a troubled development cycle. Updates and footage from Microsoft and Sumo Digital were few and far between following the E3 2014 reveal trailer. In fact, it seemed as though this was a game was giving us more delayed releases dates than actual game play footage. Crackdown 3’s initial release date was slated for sometime in 2016. This was then pushed to fall of 2017, then again to an unannounced time period in 2018. Obviously that never happened.

We now know for sure that we’re getting Crackdown 3 on February 15. But it seems as though four and a half years of delays may have tried enough of our patience, and Microsoft know this.

Marketing on Crackdown 3 outside of major consumer shows has been all but non-existent. You’ll see the occasional push for the game from Microsoft paired a long side an advertisement for the company’s Game Pass service, but seemingly nothing standalone. A search of major retailers such as Gamestop, Best Buy or even Microsoft’s own online storefront and the game is no where to be seen. Promos on YouTube are also few and far between for the game. There aren’t even any special edition bundles with the game (even Fallout 76 got one of those). It’s as if there is no confidence left in this waning project, and the power that be needs to get it to market and out of memory. Perhaps there’s so little money to be made, and no more to invest in promoting a dead product.

There is also considerable competition in the month of February, particularly Crackdown 3‘s own launch date of February 15th (remember when there was nothing to play int he first six months of the year?) It’ll be going toe to toe with Far Cry: New Dawn, Metro Exodus and Jump Force. I have no doubt it will be competitive against the game with which it shares a launch date. But just one week after initial release will see this year’s early behemoth hit store shelves. Anthem, which despite the VIP Demo weekend fiasco, looks poised to top the sales charts for weeks after release. Let’s not forget that much of the market will still be tied up with Resident Evil 2 and Kingdom Hearts 3 – it will take a lot to pull us away from those ones.

I really do hope this lack of marketing behind Crackdown 3 is not indicative of the publishers confidence in the title. It would be a pity to see the developer, Sumo Digital, pour so many years of strain, effort, and struggle to have this game see the light of day only to have Microsoft refuse to support its release. Perhaps Microsoft plans to ramp things up shortly – after the hype has settled on Kingdom Hearts 3, Resident Evil 2, and the Anthem demo. All of us at Handsome Phantom are extremely excited to finally get our hands on Crackdown 3. We just hope enough of the audience remember that it’s actually releasing to give it the attention it deserves.