Far Cry Extraction Shooter Reportedly Cancelled

It's been almost five years since the release of Far Cry 6, the longest gap between two mainline releases since the series' inception in 2004. This has coincided with a tumultuous period for Ubisoft, characterised by project cancellations, layoffs and studio closures.

According to a new report from Insider Gaming, the future of the series is now set. This began with the cancellation of an extraction shooter spin-off; a project, codenamed Maverick, that had been in development for many years.

Project Maverick Has Been Cancelled

The now-cancelled project was reportedly a PvPvE experience with a per-game time limit and wildlife the player would have to contend with while gathering loot.

Instead, the report suggests Ubisoft is focused on two upcoming mainline games. One, codenamed Blackbird, has been in development for several years and is now progressing well after previously hitting a few bumps in the road. The upcoming game is planned to feature multiplayer, allowing players to simultaneously experience Far Cry's trademark open world.

Vantage Studios head Charlie Guillemot (son of Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot) is reportedly impressed with the progress of Blackbird, and believes it could be a launch pad for the future of the Far Cry series.

Vantage Studios is a subsidiary of Ubisoft focused on managing the Assassin's Creed, Far Cry and Rainbow Six franchises. It is co-owned by Tencent.

An additional Far Cry game has also been greenlit at Ubisoft, an ambitious new title codenamed Kodiak. According to Insider Gaming, Kodiak is being developed using the groundwork laid by Maverick, the now-cancelled extraction shooter.

Kodiak is several years from releasing, while Blackbird is intended to release sooner, though there has been no official announcement from Ubisoft regarding either project.

Elsewhere in the world of Ubisoft, Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced developer Ubisoft Barcelona recently went on strike to protest upcoming layoffs at the studio, while other satellite studios, such as Ubisoft Belgrade, have been closed entirely.

Ubisoft continues to pursue a regime of mass layoffs, under the guise of 'restructuring'. The company's stock price has fallen over 40 per cent in the last year, though it is now recovering slowly.

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