Previously rumored to launch later this year, it is now confirmed that the release of "Crackdown 3" has been moved to 2017.

In an announcement posted on the official "Crackdown" website, developer Reagent Games confirmed that the original release period has been changed. According to creative director Dave Jones, the new sequel will now launch next year.

Jones stressed that since the developers want to give players a new experience in the "Crackdown 3" game, they have no choice but to delay the release. The creative director states, "Our top priority is to give gamers an experience they have never seen before at a scale never thought possible, and sticking to our original timeline would have compromised that goal."

The creative director adds that the scope and of the entire game is also one of the reasons that the "Crackdown 3" has been delated. Jones continues, "Crackdown 3 is a game built for the future with a multiplayer experience that will redefine what it feels like to play games, and as we continue to work on this, it has become clear that our original timeline of delivering multiplayer to fans this summer, while maintaining the size, scope and quality of the game, would be challenging."

However, although the news is not a good one for avid fans, there is still a silver lining. Jones confirmed that since they will have more time to develop the game, "Crackdown 3" will launch on both the Xbox One and Windows 10 platform, and the title will have an "Xbox Play Anywhere" feature. This means that players can get just one version on either platform, but "Crackdown 3" will be cross-playable on both the Xbox One and Windows 10 PC.

"Crackdown 3" was first announced at the E3 2014. While the developer has confirmed the new release period, there is still no specific roll-out date yet.