Crackdown 2 is now backwards compatible on Xbox One, and it's free

Crackdown 3 has been out for around a month now, and if you’ve been enjoying the antics of the third installment, you’ll be happy to know it’s predecessor Crackdown 2 is now backwards compatible and free to download on Xbox One. 

Larry ‘Major Nelson’ Hryb confirmed the announcement that Microsoft was adding the second game in the series to the backwards compatible library on Twitter

Crackdown 2 was originally released on Xbox 360 almost a decade ago in 2010. Scottish studio Ruffian Games were behind the open-world sequel which put more emphasis on co-op play, but didn’t stray too far from the first game’s offering in 2007. 

The news comes after a recent Crackdown 3 patch on March 8 that added some slight tweaks to the Crime Map, and balanced out boss fights. The dev update for the patch also revealed we’ll be seeing the return of a ‘Keys to the City’ mode in the latest game. 

The mode was an update in both Crackdown and Crackdown 2 and is easily one of the best modes to mess around with. It’s essentially a cheat mode that unlocks developer tools, and gives players access to everything on the map so you blow things up and shoot to your heart's content.

Many Crackdown players have been calling for the mode to make a return on Crackdown’s forums, and the devs say they’ve been paying close attention to what players loved about that particular mode for the update. 

It’s great to see Crackdown 2 join the backwards compatible world along with the first, and with its free price tag you can’t go wrong. 

Looking to be the best Agent you can be in Crackdown 3? Then be sure to check out our 12 essential tips before you get stuck in.  

Heather Wald
Senior staff writer

I started out writing for the games section of a student-run website as an undergrad, and continued to write about games in my free time during retail and temp jobs for a number of years. Eventually, I earned an MA in magazine journalism at Cardiff University, and soon after got my first official role in the industry as a content editor for Stuff magazine. After writing about all things tech and games-related, I then did a brief stint as a freelancer before I landed my role as a staff writer here at GamesRadar+. Now I get to write features, previews, and reviews, and when I'm not doing that, you can usually find me lost in any one of the Dragon Age or Mass Effect games, tucking into another delightful indie, or drinking far too much tea for my own good.