Entries in the Far Cry series are loosely tied to one another, making it all the more surprising that the newly released Far Cry 6 seems to be connected to the classic Far Cry 3. On the surface, the two games are very different from one another. Far Cry 3 takes place on the fictional Rook Island in 2012 while Far Cry 6 is set in 2021 on the Cuba-inspired island of Yara. Beyond both games taking place on an island, there are not any meaningful narrative threads between the two.
That is, at least, until after Far Cry 6's credits roll. Of course, the credits roll after the player is done dealing with the dictator of Yara, Anton Castillo. Played by Breaking Bad actor Giancarlo Esposito in Far Cry 6, Anton brings some weight to the game's narrative. However, some players are already reporting that he doesn't live up to some of the more iconic villains from throughout the series like the Jackal or Vaas. Fans who miss those villains may be in luck though, as Far Cry 6's post-credit scene points towards Vaas' return to the series.
Vaas in Far Cry 3
Vaas Montenegro's role in Far Cry 3 left a big mark on the Far Cry franchise. His monologue speeches about insanity not only became a well-known meme but also set the benchmark that all future Far Cry villains have been compared to. What is most impressive about this feat is that Vaas is not even the main antagonist of Far Cry 3 as he is merely an underling of Hoyt. Despite this, Vaas was featured not only on the cover of Far Cry 3 but in most of the game's marketing material as well. This helped cement the character in the minds of fans even before the game's release with his insanity speech only helping solidify his iconic place within the games industry.
Eventually, Vaas is seemingly killed in Far Cry 3 when Jason Brody enters a drug-infused state and fights him, ultimately stabbing Vaas in the chest multiple times. Despite this, some players have theorized previously that Vaas actually survived the encounter, despite him not appearing in Far Cry 3's DLC or any other titles in the series. However, the theory has been cryptically responded to by developers and his voice actor over the years, and Vaas was recently revealed to be playable in the upcoming DLC for Far Cry 6 that lets players step into the shoes of different villains from throughout the series.
Far Cry 6's Post-Credit Scene
Far Cry 6's post-credit scene only features the audio of a conversation between Juan Cortez, a guerrilla fighter, and a smuggler who discuss the final events of the game before revealing that Juan is supplying the smuggler with Far Cry 6's fictional cancer drug Viviro. On the surface, the scene does not seem to have much to offer, but dedicated fans of the series will quickly realize that the voice of the smuggler is none other than Vaas Montenegro himself. This reveal has opened up the doors to fan speculation of how and why Vaas has returned, especially as it likely is not connected to Vaas' inclusion in the DLC, as that is contextualized as a video game within Far Cry 6's world.
However, it does seem possible that Far Cry 6 takes place in a different timeline than other games in the series. While no previous games in the series have been explicitly connected, there have been small references to one another through avenues like NPC dialogue or the lost letter collectibles in Far Cry 3. However, the post-apocalyptic setting of New Dawn after the events of FC5 could make FC6's setting in a regular modern world impossible. But it also would not be the first time that a Far Cry title has been set in an alternate timeline as Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon and various DLCs for Far Cry 5 are all considered to be as well.
What This Could Mean for Far Cry's Future
Obviously, Far Cry embracing alternate timelines could likely have a massive impact on the series moving forward. It could very well be that Vaas is not the only character who will return to the series. The developers could opt to use the new timeline to explore other successful villains like Pagan Min and Joseph Seed in new lights and situations. There have been some rumors circulating already about Far Cry 7 taking the series in a radical new direction, and it would make sense if the return of Vaas was leveraged by Ubisoft to attract returning players to the upcoming title.
It also could see the DLCs and spin-off titles in the series further embracing alternate timelines and more strange settings moving forward. The Far Cry series to this point has been pretty liberal with its post-launch content, such as Far Cry 6's upcoming Stranger Things DLC, but the series may be looking to take things even further. This could lead to spin-off titles or DLC that look at different outcomes from the main games, like if the player had been in control of Pagan Min in Far Cry 4 or had failed to stop Hoyt in Far Cry 3. This new direction could lead to some very interesting content for Far Cry fans that could really show some new perspectives of the characters that they already know and love.
Far Cry 6 is available now on Luna, PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.