Far Cry’s going off the map and back into fictional territory. Far Cry 6 leaves behind Far Cry 5’s Montana and heads for a Caribbean vacation in the fictional country of Yara, where things are, unsurprisingly, a bit chaotic. Ubisoft’s next shooter is set amidst the riots trying to oust evil dictator El Presidente from power. And it’s out surprisingly soon, early next year.
Here’s what we know about Far Cry 6 so far, including what’s new for the shooter series and its potential ties to Far Cry 3.
What is Far Cry 6’s release date?
Far Cry 6 will release on February 18th, 2021 for PC, Stadia, the PS4 and PS5, and Xbox One and Xbox Series X.
Here’s the Far Cry 6 trailer
The reveal trailer for Far Cry 6 introduces its main villain, Yara’s dictator Antón Castillo, and his son Diego. Antón is intent on suppressing a guerrilla revolution by any means necessary, with Diego following in his footsteps. In the reveal trailer, Antón passes down one of those sinister lessons, telling Diego that he will need to keep a tight hold on the people of Yara with the helpful visual learning aid of a live grenade. Definitely not the lesson that your average 13-year-old is learning from their father.
Ubisoft also released a Far Cry 6 title sequence trailer that lets on what some of Yara’s history might be—potentially wealth gained through plants grown for pharmaceuticals.
Far Cry 6’s setting is the tropical nation Yara
Ubisoft says that it believes a lot of fans were ready to return to a tropical setting, which is part of what influenced Yara. Ubisoft say that the nation’s “living postcard” aesthetic and vintage cars were inspired by Cuba. Esperanza is its capital city, the first main urban environment in a Far Cry game, which Ubisoft says will play a bit differently from past games. It almost sounds a bit Assassin’s Creed-y.
“The verticality is a complete game-changer,” says narrative director Navid Khavari in an interview. “Being able to run across rooftops, use back alleys, fight against some of the toughest opponents in the game in this setting, I think is really unique and fresh.”
You’ll play as a revolutionary named Dani Rojas
Ubisoft say that you’ll be able to choose to play Far Cry 6 as a man or woman. Depending on your choice, Dani will be voiced by either Sean Rey or Nisa Gunduz.
“We knew that if we’re going to tell the revolution story, if we’re going to tell a story about someone in a guerrilla movement, you need to have that personal connection with them,” says Khavari. “You need someone who’s rooted in the world, who has a background. So we wanted proper performance capture, we wanted to have a voice.”
Guns for Hire are back
Like in Far Cry 5, you’ll be able to hire buddies to run around and fight with you. Amigos for Hire is the name, this time around, and one of the amigos is a wiener dog named Chorizo. He has a doggie wheelchair, and we will protect him at all costs.
What’s the story in Far Cry 6?
In Far Cry 6 you’ll be fighting in a revolution against the rule of Yara’s dictator Antón Castillo who has been in power for 50 years. It appears to be a dangerous time for the country, with the trailer showing government agents with guns and riot shields and civilians with explosives. Ubisoft says its writing team spent time in Cuba getting to know the island and meeting former guerrilla revolutionaries that influenced the game’s story.
“When you’re looking at something as complex as an island that’s been essentially cut off from the rest of the world for 50 years, been in an economic downturn, electing this leader on the back of this idea of building a new paradise, the idea with Antón is he definitely lulled people into believing this was the only answer for them. That he was the one that was going to solve all their problems,” Khavari says “And so for us, it became super-interesting on the character side to explore the idea of, you know, there definitely were some people that voted for him, that believed in him, that now are regretting that choice; and there are those that still support him. The intersection of those demographics and worldviews and opinions is something that plays out in the story as well.”
Ubisoft say that Antón witnessed his own father being executed 50 years ago, part of how he rationalizes his policies and the views that he attempts to pass on to his own son Diego. “He believes that not only do the Castillos deserve to be in power, but they’re the only ones that are going to be able to see Yara through to becoming a paradise once again.”
Ubisoft haven’t said yet how Dani becomes involved with the two Castillos just yet, but Khavari tells Game Informer that “That triangle of characters between Antón, Diego, and Dani is absolutely crucial.”
Is Diego actually young Vaas Montenegro?
After the Far Cry 6 reveal trailer, fans begin speculating that Far Cry 6 could actually be a prequel to Far Cry 3. The theory hinges on Diego Castillo being a young Vaas Montenegro, based on the scar both have on their right eyebrow.
Vaas’s voice actor Michael Mando teased a possible return to the role during a Reddit Q&A with fans, saying “Vaas is my spirit animal – having co-created that character is something that will always be dear to me. I still get recognized as Vaas, and I still feel the outpouring of love for that character – makes me very happy. Who knows… maybe I will reprise the role very soon?”
Vaas is a fan-favorite villain of the series, so folks would certainly welcome his return, though things may not be quite so simple. In Far Cry 6’s reveal trailer you can see Diego wearing what look like modern headphones, which doesn’t exactly square with him being the younger version of Vaas who was born in 1985 and would have been Diego’s age in the late ’90s. Consider this one wishful thinking for now.