Far Cry 6 2021 Release Date
We're off to the fictional island of Yara for another thrilling instalment of the Far Cry franchise and what looks like our bloodiest entry to date. Just like other Ubisoft favourite Assasin's Creed, the Far Cry name has continued to reinvent itself over the years to become one of the studio's flagship franchises, Promising something different with just a dash of the old, Far Cry 6 charts a new story as players take the role of a guerilla fighter called Dani Rojas.
Rojas is on a mission of vengeance to free the people of Yara from the tyrannical "El Presidente" Antón Castillo (played by Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian's Giancarlo Esposito). Along for the ride is Catillo's son, Diego. Expect all the usual murder and mayhem, with modding confirmed to be a big part of what's being billed as the "biggest" Far Cry to date. As well as this, there's a much-hyped tweak to the "Fangs for Hire" system where you can now recruit animals to help you on your quest as "Amigos". We can't wait to walk around Yara with a pet crocodile by our side.
Up there with questions about whether Diego is actually a young version of fan favourite villain Vaas - making this a Far Cry 3 prequel - everyone is asking when Far Cry 6 will release. Just when we thought 2020 couldn't get any worse, Ubisoft announced Far Cry 6 was going to be delayed from February to an undisclosed time. Citing COVID-19 and limitations within the video game industry, most fans let developers off for the delay. However, with no news since last October, some are starting to lose their patience and are asking for answers.
What is the Far Cry 6 2021 release date?
Last year, a Microsoft Store leak claimed Far Cry 6 would at least be coming to Xbox systems on May 26. It's a rumour that seemed to slip into the abyss with no one confirming or denying whether it's true. More recently, Dutch site Proxis listed April 30, then quickly changed its date to December 31 when the news got out. While you can tentatively pencil any of the above dates into your diary, let's look a little closer at the facts for an actual Far Cry 6 release date.
Interestingly, the history of the adventure series could offer up a few clues on when we'll get to head out into Yara. Recent outings have shared a similar release date pattern. Far Cry Primal, Far Cry 5, and Far Cry New Dawn have all landed toward the end of Q4/start of Q1. This would put the Far Cry 6 2021 release date anywhere between February and March.
It's important to note that the three latest releases have never gone past March release dates, but then again, we weren't in the midst of a global pandemic. Prior to this, Far Cry has also dabbled with an autumn release date. Main series titles Far Cry 2 and Far Cry 3 enjoyed respective October and November releases, while you should probably remember Far Cry 3 was originally supposed to release in September before it was pushed to November.
Going off that model, a two-month delay would've place Far Cry 6 in April. Although all of the above sounds pretty confusing and could argue the case Ubisoft doesn't really have a release window for Far Cry games, the key dates are usually February/March and October/November. Personally, we're leaning toward an autumn release for the next chapter.
Update: During a gameplay reveal on May 28, Ubisdot confirmed Far Cry 6 will be hitting shelves on October 7, 2021.
Could the Far Cry 6 2021 release date move?
If Far Cry 6's delayed release is only to iron out a few kinks, it's easy to see it coming in April. Then again, the last thing we want is another Cyberpunk 2077 situation on our hands. Much like the hype surrounding Far Cry 6, CD Projekt Red's sci-fi shooter was the talk of the town. After being delayed from its original April 2020 release, it was then shuffled another two times before it finally hit its December 10 release. Even then, Cyberpunk 2077 dropped as a buggy mess, with accusations and ongoing investigations claiming developers knew this was the case. If Cyberpunk 2077 has taught us anything, it's better to be safe than sorry.
Ubisoft had its plate full last year with Assassin's Creed Valhalla, but with a new game not expected until 2022, it means there's a little more time to refocus efforts on Far Cry 6. In all reality, we've probably not got a concrete release date so as not to get everyone's hopes up. As developers double down on making the next-gen title the best it can be, we can expect a release date nearer the time. Still, with only leaks and wild speculation to go off, we could still be a "far cry" from Far Cry 6.