We’ve had extensive hands-on with upcoming racer The Crew at both E3 and PAX, and the game felt pretty darn authentic each time we tried it. Still, competition in the racing space is fierce this year, and with both Forza and Driveclub looming, a little extra time for polish certainly can’t be a bad thing. As such, Ubisoft has announced today that The Crew‘s release date has been pushed back.
Ubi hasn’t bumped the game into 2015 or anything; instead, The Crew will now release in December, using the extra time to implement and act on feedback the development team has received from the game’s three closed betas. Ubisoft is calling this a “real win for gamers,” in the sense that the extra time will allow them to “enhance the game itself to deliver more of what you love.” Eh, sounds convincing enough. I guess.
Creative Director Julian Gerighty elaborated on the delay in a post to Ubiblog.
We received a lot of valuable information from the recent PC and console betas. We are now scrutinizing all of the player feedback so we can ensure that The Crew delivers the seamless open-world experience that meets everyone’s high expectations.
Related: PAX Prime: The Crew Hands-On Preview
The post goes into further detail explaining what has been and will be altered, including the ability to shut off the HUD completely, improvements to collisions and crashes, and upgraded visual effects. It seems odd that so much can be gained by a mere single-month delay, but who am I to judge — at least they haven’t pulled another Watch Dogs.
Despite the slight disappointment that comes with any delay, Ubisoft is smart to make sure it brings its A game in the face of both Driveclub and Forza Horizon 2 this Fall and Winter. I do expect a complimentary, step-in car controller for the trouble of waiting, though.
