Upcoming GTA-Style Cop Game May Be Skipping PC at Launch

Upcoming GTA-like game The Precinct might skip PC at launch, as suggested by some newly surfaced evidence. Even if this were to happen, The Precinct is already confirmed to be coming to PC—eventually.

Developed by British studio Fallen Tree Games, The Precinct is an open-world action adventure with some serious Grand Theft Auto vibes, except that it puts the player in the shoes of a police officer rather than a criminal. UK-based publisher Kwalee officially announced The Precinct in June 2023, stating that the game is in development for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

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Although Kwalee didn’t say anything about a staggered release, The Precinct‘s PC port could end up lagging behind its console versions. That’s suggested by the action adventure’s recently published ESRB rating, reviewed by Game Rant, which doesn’t mention PC at all. While this omission could simply be an error, it’s rare for multi-platform games not to get rated for all of their target platforms simultaneously. The Precinct could hence end up skipping PC at launch in a GTA 6-like fashion.

The Precinct’s Development May Have Encountered Some Issues Lately

The prospect of a PC delay aligns with some other recent developments surrounding the game; the project was initially slated for an August 2024 release, but ended up being delayed a month ahead of that target, with Kwalee stating that The Precinct was rescheduled for a fall 2024 launch. The game won’t hit this release window either, as it was subsequently postponed to the first half of 2025. These delays signal that The Precinct may have encountered development difficulties and is struggling to get over the finish line. Such setbacks are not uncommon in complex software development, particularly for small indie teams. Fallen Tree Games, for example, has just six employees, according to LinkedIn data.

Another possibility is that the British studio decided to increase the scope of the project in response to the significant attention it has received since its reveal. This positive buzz is evident from The Precinct‘s existing success on Steam, where its demo was downloaded over 100,000 times within days of its mid-October 2024 release. While increasing a project scope late in development is not unheard of, it is a less likely explanation for these delays than the game simply facing setbacks.

Kwalee is not yet accepting pre-orders for The Precinct and hasn’t attached a specific price tag to the game. What is known so far is that the upcoming action-adventure is set in the fictional Averno City in 1983, where players take on the role of a cop determined to clean up the streets while unraveling a neo-noir storyline.

You are Officer Nick Cordell Jr. As a rookie beat cop fresh out of the Academy, you’re on the front line of defence for Averno’s citizens. Dive into a world of thrilling car chases, procedurally-generated crimes, and a healthy dose of 1980s noir as you protect the populace and solve the mystery of your father’s murder in the line of duty.

A love letter to classic cop movies, The Precinct combines police sim detail with action sandbox spectacle. Patrol the streets and respond to callouts to fight criminals petty and powerful. Choose your own tactics in thrilling chases and shootouts. Feel the shifting power struggles of Averno’s gangs in a living city full of procedurally generated crimes, from parking infractions to bank heists, street racing to drug deals.

Indie Games

Simulation

Shooter

Adventure

Systems

Platform(s)

PlayStation 5 , Microsoft Windows , Xbox Series X and Series S

Released

2024-12-00

Developer

Fallen Tree Games Limited

Publisher

kwalee