Far Cry 7 Leaks Suggest Ubisoft Is Building Two Games and a Bigger Universe

Far Cry 7 still has not been officially announced by Ubisoft, yet it has become one of the most talked about games connected to the publisher. Ubisoft has never walked onto a stage to introduce it, but the company has admitted the franchise is still a priority, and new reporting over the last few weeks has changed the conversation around what this game actually is.

Before getting into the rumors, it helps to separate what is confirmed from what is speculation. Ubisoft has officially said multiple times that Far Cry remains one of its biggest franchises going forward, and the company has reorganized around a handful of major brands, with Far Cry sitting alongside Assassin's Creed and Rainbow 6 as one of those pillars. Ubisoft has also confirmed that multiple Far Cry projects are in development. What is not official is the name Far Cry 7 itself, along with the story, setting, gameplay mechanics, or release dates. Everything beyond Ubisoft acknowledging the franchise is being pieced together from credible insiders, primarily Tom Henderson and Insider Gaming.

Ubisoft is reportedly working on two Far Cry projects, not one

A major update is that Ubisoft reportedly is not working on a single Far Cry project. Internally, there have continued to be references to something called Blackbird, believed to be the next mainline Far Cry that I will refer to as Far Cry 7. There is also a separate project that evolved into what is reportedly a more ambitious future installment for the franchise.

According to the newest reporting, that project has actually entered active development and is being described as a much more ambitious evolution of the franchise centered on player driven stories and player interaction. To me, that signals Ubisoft is not treating Far Cry 7 as the finish line. The company appears to be laying the foundation for something that comes after it, which I can appreciate.

Blackbird has reportedly been called Act One internally

The biggest detail here is that Blackbird has reportedly been referred to internally as Act One. They did not call it the next Far Cry or another sequel. They called it Act One, which suggests Ubisoft has already mapped out a vision if the game lands with fans.

In other words, Far Cry 7 could become the beginning of an entirely new era for the franchise instead of simply being Far Cry 6 plus one. That's a big change in philosophy, and it's probably what the series needs, to be honest. And when I'm talking about the series, I'm talking about stale formulas.

The story reportedly centers on a kidnapped family and a 72 hour timer

According to multiple reports, the story has you trying to rescue members of a wealthy family who have been kidnapped by a cult. On paper that sounds like classic Far Cry, with a charismatic villain and an extremist organization, but it's the mechanic surrounding the story that has everybody talking.

The rumor that refuses to die is a 72 hour timer. Instead of unlimited time to clear every outpost and side mission at your own leisure, reports suggest you have roughly 72 in game hours to rescue your family before people begin dying and story paths permanently disappear. Every mission and every decision would matter, with time itself acting as a resource.

That is a completely different way of designing a Far Cry game, and I understand why the community is split right down the middle on it. Personally, I love it. I like innovation. I love the idea. I love Ubisoft taking a risk. One of the biggest criticisms of recent Far Cry games is that they turn into checklist simulators, bigger maps full of icons and busy work, and somewhere along the way bigger stopped meaning better.

At the same time, I get the other side. A lot of people play Far Cry because they want to explore without a clock hanging over their head while hunting animals or climbing mountains. My prediction hasn't changed: I think Ubisoft keeps the mechanic but makes it optional or adjustable. With all the internal delays this game has reportedly gone through, I would not be shocked if they have already modified it based on community feedback.

Ubisoft has reportedly canceled the extraction shooter Maverick and folded parts of it into a future project

Another update is that Ubisoft has reportedly canceled Maverick, the separate extraction shooter once planned for the Far Cry universe. Maverick was supposed to throw players into the Alaskan wilderness to battle the environment, wildlife, and other players in a survival extraction experience. According to the newest reports, it's gone, although much of the work is not being thrown away. Pieces of that project are reportedly being folded into the future of the franchise.

I think that's smart. Ubisoft does not need to chase every trend, and the extraction shooter market is crowded. Far Cry needs to focus on being Far Cry.

Gameplay changes reportedly include smoother traversal and new interrogation systems

There have also been continued reports about gameplay changes meant to modernize the series, including smoother movement and traversal and more dynamic interrogation systems where you gather information from enemies instead of simply climbing towers to reveal the map. That would tie directly into the story and the family rescue premise.

None of these features have been confirmed, but if Ubisoft wants to reinvent the series without losing its identity, these read like quality of life improvements I would expect. They feel like meaningful changes without throwing away what makes Far Cry unique.

The setting remains a mystery, with Korea and Alaska both rumored

The setting is still a huge mystery. Comments and leaks have pointed at different points to Korea, Alaska, and other locations depending on which report you follow. The Alaska rumors appear to have been tied more closely to Maverick than to Blackbird, which only adds to the confusion.

Right now I don't think anyone outside Ubisoft truly knows where Far Cry 7 takes place, and maybe that's the biggest secret being protected, since setting has always been one of the franchise's biggest strengths, from the tropical islands of Far Cry 3 to rural Montana in Far Cry 5.

Far Cry 7 is reportedly getting co-op multiplayer

Ubisoft reportedly wants future Far Cry games to be much more social, and there are reports indicating Far Cry 7 will once again feature co-op with more than one player experiencing the world together. I'm okay with it as long as it's optional. The moment multiplayer starts dictating the design of the single player campaign, I get nervous, because Far Cry has always been about you versus an insane world, and I don't want that sacrificed for engagement metrics.

A reveal could land at Gamescom with a possible fall 2027 launch

Ubisoft has not announced anything, but after reading through both reports, a reveal at Gamescom or sometime in the next several months is starting to feel real, especially with Ubisoft confirmed to be participating in major events. As for launch, fall 2027 makes sense to me, which would give Ubisoft roughly six years between Far Cry 6 and Far Cry 7, plenty of time to reinvent the series rather than rush something out the door.

I think Far Cry 7 has quietly become one of the most important games Ubisoft has ever made, not because it's the next sequel, but because Ubisoft seems to know the old formula has run out of gas. New mechanics, a restructured franchise, and plans for what comes after all point to an attempt to reboot the identity of one of gaming's biggest franchises. If they pull it off, the series could be right back on track. If they don't, I honestly don't know what the future looks like.

If you could only choose one thing for Ubisoft to get right in Far Cry 7, would it be the villain, the setting, the open world, or the timer mechanic, or should they scrap all the experimental ideas and just deliver a classic Far Cry?