Far Cry’s Project Maverick Must Avoid the Pitfalls of Rainbow Six

It’s been quite a while since Ubisoft treated fans to a new chapter in the Far Cry saga. For years, this first-person shooter series churned out installments at nearly an annual pace, much like Ubisoft’s other popular franchises such as Assassin’s Creed and Tom Clancy’s titles. Yet, ever since Far Cry 6 hit the shelves in 2021, there’s been a noticeable silence about what’s next for the beloved series. Whether we’re talking about a mainline game or intriguing spin-offs, there’s been little official word from Ubisoft itself. The only tidbits of information sneaking out about future Far Cry projects have come from industry insiders like Tom Henderson.

Just recently, Henderson spilled the beans on some exciting developments. Word on the street is Ubisoft has got not one, but two Far Cry games in the pipeline. The first is said to be a mainline single-player venture, codenamed Project Blackbird. The second? A multiplayer extraction shooter that’s tentatively going by the name Project Maverick. Now, since Far Cry hasn’t ventured into extraction shooter territory before, Project Maverick could be a daring move for Ubisoft. Remember, the company needs to avoid some of the slip-ups it had with similar games, like when they rolled out Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction.

From what’s been shared about Project Maverick, it sounds a lot like Rainbow Six Extraction. That game landed on every major platform except Nintendo in 2022, branching off from the wildly successful 2015 title, Rainbow Six Siege. In Extraction, players join forces, taking on the role of teams up to three to tackle alien-infested zones. Their tasks are all about gathering intel or extracting data, with teamwork and stealth being critical elements of gameplay.

For anyone who’s played Rainbow Six Siege’s Outbreak mode, this might strike a familiar chord. However, the similarities stand at a point where one might argue it’s a bit too close for comfort. Despite being its own title, Rainbow Six Extraction borrowed heavily from its predecessor, including many of the same characters and gameplay features. Given their shared universe, this might seem reasonable, but it did little to set Extraction apart, ultimately watering down its replay appeal.

Initially, Rainbow Six Extraction saw more than 3 million players dive in across various platforms shortly after release. But within mere months, its popularity dipped significantly, leading to low player counts. Ubisoft pulled the plug on support less than a year after launch. While opinions differ, many attribute the game’s downfall to a lack of original, engaging content, leaving what little there was feeling overly familiar.

So, if Project Maverick is indeed in the works as the rumors suggest, Ubisoft has got its work cut out for them. The key will be launching with a treasure trove of quality content to sidestep a repeat of Rainbow Six Extraction’s fate. Moreover, it’s crucial that Maverick carves out its own identity, distinct from its single-player sibling, Project Blackbird. While sharing assets isn’t necessarily bad, repeating the gameplay mechanics, skill sets, or weapons across both could result in them feeling too similar. A Far Cry extraction shooter comes with its own set of challenges, as past experiences show. However, with some innovative thinking and fresh content, Ubisoft has the potential to deliver something truly remarkable.