Ubisoft is known for its tight release schedules. The publisher has released a new Assassin’s Creed, for example, almost every single holiday season since Assassin’s Creed 2 released back in 2009, while still developing other new IPs with its variety of divisions. This could cause a problem, however, for Far Cry 6.
Far Cry 6 is set for release on February 18, 2021. With just a few months between the release of the next Far Cry and the release of three other major upcoming games from Ubisoft, it’s possible the studio is setting itself up for a really repetitive year.
Ubisoft's Upcoming Games
Between late 2020 and early 2021, Ubisoft is releasing four major games, all of which will be action-adventure games with open-world elements. Watch Dogs: Legion is set for release on October 29, 2020. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is set for release on November 10. Immortals Fenyx Rising releases on December 3. Far Cry 6 releases last, in February 2021.
This could cause some big problems for Far Cry 6 even as the studio attempts address criticism of Far Cry New Dawn. If any of these four games feel too similar, even if Far Cry 6 is the most distinct among them, gamers could be too burnt out on open-world action-adventure Ubisoft games within such a short period of time that it could damage Far Cry’s prospects. There is a good chance that some of these games will draw direct comparison too.
Watch Dogs is already similar enough to a modern-day Assassin’s Creed that many Ubi fans believe that Watch Dogs and Assassin’s Creed take place in the same universe. Immortals Fenyx Rising is a fantasy action-adventure, but since it releases this holiday season, the open-world formula still cause players to burn out before the release of Far Cry 6 in February.
Far Cry's Future
As a first-person shooter, Far Cry 6 has the potential to be the most distinct of Ubisoft's upcoming titles. But with three of the four games already releasing very close to one another, it is possible many fans will already be burnt out on open-world Ubisoft games by the time new installment in the Far Cry series comes around, not to mention other next-gen factors.
Far Cry 6 has the potential to be one of the first victims of the price-hike on next-gen triple-A titles. Last month saw many major PS5 and Xbox releases confirm their prices as $70 for some major releasees, and if players are already investing in new consoles and hotly anticipated titles like the Demon’s Souls remake, it is likely that at least one of the four major Ubisoft games coming out over the next few months will go up as well.
As a new IP, it is possible that Immortals Fenyx Rising will draw the short straw, but the fact that Far Cry is coming out just a few months after the holiday season release of the next-gen consoles puts the game in a particularly precarious position. The Far Cry franchise, like Assassin’s Creed, has produced a lot of games over the last decade compared to most other major franchises. It could already be likely that gamers will be burnt out on Far Cry without the other Ubisoft titles, and may not prioritize it when buying new games for the new consoles.
Ultimately, the reception of all four games remains to be seen. However, with Far Cry bringing up the rear among a slew of big releases by Ubisoft, the fate of the upcoming game will likely determine Ubisoft's momentum going into next-gen.
Far Cry 6 releases on February 18, 2021, on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.