The sixth mainline entry in Ubisoft’s open-world first-person shooter series,Far Cry 6, is set to launch this fall. Officially revealed a year ago,Far Cry 6takes the franchise back to its tropical island roots, this time around in Yara: a fictional country based on real-life Cuba.
WhileFar Cry 6seems to double down on everything that makes the franchise great - iconic villain, exotic open-world, and explosive combat - it also finds itself in a precarious situation. WithRainbow Six Extractiondelayedyet again,Far Cry 6is Ubisoft’s biggest fall title, and it launches alongside plenty of other big games. As such,Far Cry 6needs to fire on all cylinders to really stand out.
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Where Far Cry 6 Stands this Fall
Fall 2021 is brimming with big AAA titles that have been a long-time coming, as well as annual titles that sell incredibly well each year.Far Cry 6launches October 7, right between some of the most highly anticipated video games of the year.Metroid Dread- a full-fledgedMetroidgame over a decade in the making - was announced at Nintendo’s E3 2021 showcase.Metroid Dread’s announcement was unexpected, and while it isn’tMetroid Prime 4,Metroid Dread’s pre-order numbersspeak for themselves. Of all the E3 2021 reveals,Metroid Dreadwas the number one best-selling video game on Amazon US and UK in June.
Metroid Dreadlaunches a day afterFar Cry 6. As if that wasn’t enough, thenewly revealed Nintendo Switch OLEDmodel is also set to release alongsideMetroid Dreadon October 8. Nintendo Switch OLED has already moved a lot of units in pre-orders, excluding scalpers that are selling the upcoming console at double its original price.
However, this isn’t the only title that poses a threat toFar Cry 6.Turtle Rock Studios’Back 4 Blood- a spiritual successor to the cult classicLeft 4 Dead- launches just days afterFar Cry 6. At their core, bothBack 4 BloodandFar Cry 6arefirst-person shooter games, and whileFar Cry 6has the advantage of being an offline-only game,Back 4 Bloodhas an even bigger advantage of launching directly on Xbox Game Pass.
Back 4 Bloodwill move numbers on all platforms, but releasing day one on Game Pass is a major wild card. Recent AAA launches have proven to be quite successful on Game Pass, andBack 4 Bloodcould be no different. Square Enix’s third-person RPG shooterOutridershad strong sales on Xbox despite being being free on Game Pass. Game Pass boostedOutriders’player count, eventually leading to higher game sales on all platforms.
While hotly anticipated titles likeMetroid DreadandBack 4 Bloodpose an imminent threat toFar Cry 6, they are not the only titles that should have Ubisoft concerned.FIFA 22launches October 1, just a week prior toFar Cry 6. While both these titles do not share any similarities, it’s hard to ignore the sheer popularity ofFIFAand how it could easily hinder the sales of any game released in its proximity. Furthermore, there are also chances of other highly anticipatedopen-world gameslikeHorizon Forbidden Westreleasing in the same window.
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Far Cry 6’s Ubisoft Problem
While other big releases may be an obstacle inFar Cry 6’s road to success, it has its own fair share of problems as well. Lately, publisher Ubisoft hasn’t been on the good side of its fans. After a big blowout last year, reports about sexual misconduct at the French company have surfaced yet again. This time around,Ubisoft is being sued for alleged “Institutional Sexual Harassment.“The company has yet to respond to the allegations put forth by French union Solidaires Informatique, but given its past, fans are unlikely to be convinced of any justification it has to make.
There is enough evidence that proves a toxic work culture can have massive implications on the quality of the game it makes, though it isn’t the only factor that affects the end product. Game companies and their games can be significantly affected by such controversial and sentimental issues. For instance, author J.K. Rowling’s comments last year led many toboycottHogwarts Legacy. WhetherFar Cry 6receives such treatment remains to be seen, but it’s something that could adversely affect the game when it launches later this year.
Further raising the stakes forFar Cry 6is it’s the only major Ubisoft title scheduled to launch this holiday season. BothRainbow Six ExtractionandRiders Republicgot delayedrecently.Rainbow Six Extractionhas been pushed to early 2022, and whileRiders Republicwill still be launching this year, it is a new IP that has yet to establish a dedicated player base. Ubisoft’s financial revenues for this fall likely depend primarily onFar Cry 6.
Far Cry 6looks to be a promising new entry in one of Ubisoft’s successful franchises. However, early gameplay reveals haven’t got rid of all skepticism. Recent Ubisoft games are often criticized for being too bloated, andFar Cry 6does not seem to have any solutions for that. In fact,Far Cry 6’s open-world is the largest ever in aFar Crygame. In a time where open-world fatigue is common,Far Cry 6’s biggest strength could be its biggest weakness.
Thankfully,Far Cry 6seems to retain the series' bold and bombastic gameplay, sprinkled with an intriguing storyline - something that the series seems to have lacked sinceFar Cry 3. By having some crazy new weapon types, a deep emphasis on capturing Cuban culture, and a much-needed spotlight on its main protagonist Dani Rojas,Far Cry 6seems to be addressing one of the series' biggest flaws. Whether these changes are enough forFar Cry 6to be successful amid a crowded fall window and the deteriorating reputation of its developer remains to be seen.
Far Cry 6launches October 7 for PC, PS4, PS5, Luna, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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