Obviously this year is proving to be a bit strange for the games industry, Ubisoft included. Where a certain AAA failure forced it to delay many of its upcoming titles, issues related to COVID-19 have made things even worse. But there is hope, with Assassin's Creed Valhalla coming to next-gen consoles later this year. Only thing missing is the reveal for Far Cry 6, which is also apparently slated for this fiscal year.

Pair that with the already announced Watch Dogs: LegionGods and Monsters, and Rainbow Six: Quarantine, the publisher has a lot on the horizon for 2020 and 2021. Early reports stated that Ubisoft would have five of its AAA franchises release during the 2020-2021 fiscal year, and considering four have already been announced, it should be safe to say Far Cry 6 is up next.

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Far Cry 6 is Coming, Probably

Knife artwork in Far Cry 3

Of course that would be conjecture if it weren't for Jason Schreier, formerly of Kotaku, stating that Far Cry was among the Ubisoft's release slate for this year. There were plenty of Far Cry 6 rumors flying around the internet prior to Schreier's comments on Twitter, but his voice carries plenty of weight throughout the game industry. Considering he was right about Assassin's Creed Valhalla being one of the five aforementioned AAA games eventually revealed and its viking theme, Far Cry is likely on the way as well.

In this case, it makes sense considering there's no The Crew or Splinter Cell title coming anytime soon from the little bits of information Ubisoft has given so far. It's definitely unfortunate for those holding out for a new Splinter Cell, one of Ubisoft's most demanded-to-return franchises, but the aforementioned lineup does sound promising.

Ubisoft specifically notes Far Cry's "sustained growth" in its most recent earnings call press release, so the franchise is in a very positive state for the publisher at the moment. Fans can likely expect the next Far Cry to come out around the end of its 2020-2021 fiscal year, similar to previous entries. Ubisoft's release slate the past three or four years has remained relatively consistent, with the bi-annual Assassin's Creed games coming out in the fall and Far Cry games coming out in the spring. Far Cry 6 will likely follow suit, more than likely releasing sometime between February and April 2021, according to its fiscal year.

A Packed Release Slate

It's worth mentioning that Ubisoft's 2020-2021 fiscal year is one of the most packed release years for Ubisoft in recent history, in terms of AAA games. Additions like Gods and Monsters, along with mainstays like Watch Dogs: Legion, have to fit in somewhere between a full-length Assassin's Creed game and probably the next Far Cry. It's a stark contrast from last fiscal year, where Ubisoft had its lightest release slate in recent years with only three AAA games. Now it seems Ubisoft is going all-in and releasing several core entries in some of the publisher's biggest franchises thus far, but the challenge here is going to be perception. Many are going to be distrusting after Breakpoint's debacle, so the delivery of these games are going to have to be up to snuff.

It's quite possible a few of these franchises might see some delays, of which Far Cry would be a prime target for. Watch Dogs: LegionGods and Monsters, and Rainbow Six: Quarantine have already been delayed indefinitely due to issues with Ghost Recon: Breakpoint. Further delaying these games would be the source of even more disappointment from fans despite these games being revealed relatively recently. To that end, with COVID-19 compounding the pressure on Ubisoft's release schedule, Far Cry being delayed further is a possibility. Ubisoft hasn't nailed down a concrete release date for the three already revealed AAA titles, so a Far Cry delay may not even be announced if the game isn't revealed.

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Release Date Shuffling

watch dogs legion promotional art

That being said, it's hard to tell what the immediate future looks like for Far Cry, but if Schreier's comments are correct as they were for Valhalla, a few things could happen. Mainly, Far Cry could be still be slated for the usual springtime release window like the last few iterations. The indefinite delays for Watch DogsRainbow Six, and Gods and Monsters may see their releases spliced between one another during the summer and the beginning of autumn. Ubisoft obviously doesn't want any of their franchises competing with one another, especially with an Assassin's Creed game slated for holiday.

On the flip side, Ghost Recon: Breakpoint's struggling state may have strongly affected Ubisoft's core franchises in big ways. Breakpoint received plenty of criticisms for microtransactions, repetitive gameplay, and several other issues. If critical gameplay adjustments need to be made to Ubisoft's other franchises as a result, it's possible Far Cry 6 could receive a circumstantial delay. No doubt it would be a difficult decisions, but Ubisoft would likely be hesitant to delay Watch Dogs or Rainbow Six any further than the publisher already has. So, considering Far Cry 6 hasn't even been announced, development may need to be slowed down or halted to divert resources to more pressing franchises.

Fans should hear more relatively soon, as Ubisoft's recently announced digital showcase comes in July, which should provide a major update for several of these franchises. Hopefully Far Cry 6 will be among the announcements and hopefully a legitimate release schedule is also revealed, as that's a lot of games to pack into a relatively small amount of time.

Far Cry 6 is reportedly in development.

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