Ubisoft is aiming to take the next Far Cry game in a "radically different direction" from the series so far, according to recent rumors. The company is still working to finish Far Cry 6, which was slowed by pandemic-related delays and should finally premiere on October 7th – assuming no further issues crop up.
The Far Cry games have long been a tentpole for Ubisoft. The original title dates back to 2004, and on top of its mainline entries, the series has produced a host of spinoffs such as Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon and Far Cry VR: Dive Into Insanity. Over time, Ubisoft has been increasingly criticized for formulaic gameplay – and while Far Cry 5 sold well, its story was alternately attacked for casting a Christian cult as villains or being bland and inoffensive, failing to say much about the political or religious issues it raised.
Word of Far Cry 7's direction was shared by Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier in an episode of the Triple Click podcast, highlighted by Comicbook.com. "From what I have heard, if I correctly, they're aiming to go in a radically different direction for Far Cry after [Far Cry 6]," Schreier said. It's not clear what that might mean, but the company is presumably hoping to shake up gameplay first and foremost. Storywise the series has varied dramatically, even stepping into retro cyberpunk and both prehistoric and post-apocalyptic versions of Earth. Depending on how Far Cry 6 performs, Ubisoft could be ready to lean into a more political angle – 6's plot is very explicitly modelled after Cuba and Fidel Castro.
The central gameplay issue people tend to have with Far Cry is that, like Ubisoft's other major tentpole Assassin's Creed, players are typically asked to explore a large map with a series of story missions and an even bigger set of optional activities. Areas, abilities, and/or equipment gradually open up – but completing everything can be time-consuming, and often less exciting than pursuing the story. Ubisoft is unlikely to ditch the open-world appeal of the series but could choose to reduce side missions or make them more engaging.
The exact direction Ubisoft is headed remains to be seen and probably isn't settled so early into development. Even after Far Cry 6 is released the game is slated to get DLC, including campaigns for series villains and an updated version of Blood Dragon, perhaps the most popular spinoff. That could mean a Far Cry 7 announcement is years away, its release even further over the horizon.
Sources: Triple Click, Comicbook.com
