Crackdown 3 has had a long and difficult development, but fans of the series now have a finite release date of February 15, alongside the announcement of a new multiplayer mode called Wrecking Zone. The news was revealed at X018, which also saw confirmation that Crackdown 3 will be coming to Xbox Game Pass as part of its worldwide launch on the same date.

This will no doubt come as a relief for those who played the previous Crackdown games, as Crackdown 3's lengthy development cycle has been well documented. Initially slated for a 2016 release, Crackdown 3 has been pushed back multiple times, with the latest delay coming just days before E3 2018. At that point, Microsoft stated that there would be no more delays to Crackdown 3, but even then some Xbox One owners were still a little concerned.

Related: Crackdown 3 Gameplay Trailer Brings The Big Guns

Thankfully, Crackdown 3 has clearly kept to this schedule, as Microsoft has been able to set a specific release date for the game at last. As revealed at X018, Crackdown 3 is now going to release worldwide on February 15, 2019, for Xbox One, PC, and Xbox Game Pass. Not only does it finally give fans a date to write in their diaries, but it also means that the title will be one week ahead of what looks to be an extremely hectic day for video game launches.

Alongside the release date reveal, Crackdown 3 also had a new multiplayer mode unveiled. Called Wrecking Zone, this multiplayer mode is all about destroying the sandbox environment, with two teams of five players taking the fight to one another in arenas where the environment is fully destructible. All in all, it sounds like a fun multiplayer mode for the title, which takes good advantage of one of Crackdown's best features.

As well as this, Microsoft also revealed that those after a taste of Crackdown will be able to get it courtesy of a special offer. Up until November 30, the original Crackdown is available for free, complete with Xbox One X enhancements, so those who perhaps missed the first two games in the series will be able to have a taster of what the first title offered up.

All in all, it's no doubt good news for Crackdown fans who were worried that another delay could be on the cards. Meanwhile, it also shows that Microsoft is keen for the Game Pass to become a serious competitor on the PC scene, showing that there are competitors to Steam out there with perhaps more innovative and flexible options for gamers. Hopefully, the wait for Crackdown 3 will be worth it.

More: Every Video Game Trailer From E3 2018

Source: Microsoft