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

It’s been a while since Ubisoft last introduced a new entry into the Far Cry series. Over the past decade, fans have grown accustomed to receiving almost yearly installments of this first-person shooter (FPS) franchise, much like Ubisoft’s other popular series such as Assassin’s Creed and Tom Clancy’s games. Yet, since the release of Far Cry 6 in 2021, there’s been a noticeable silence regarding future developments, with no official word on upcoming mainline games or spin-offs. The scant tidbits we’ve heard about potential new Far Cry releases haven’t come directly from Ubisoft, but rather from industry insiders like Tom Henderson.

Recently, Henderson shared that Ubisoft is in the process of developing not one, but two new Far Cry titles. One is a single-player installment, tentatively codenamed Project Blackbird, while the other is a multiplayer extraction shooter, currently going by Project Maverick. As Far Cry has never ventured into extraction shooter territory before, Project Maverick could be seen as a bold and risky move—assuming these projects even exist. Ubisoft would do well to avoid the same challenges it faced with similar games, including Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction.

If we look at the details out there, Project Maverick seems to have resemblances to Rainbow Six Extraction, another Ubisoft creation. Rainbow Six Extraction had its debut in 2022 for most platforms, though not for Nintendo. It built upon the success of the 2015 hit Rainbow Six Siege. This spin-off places players in alien-infested environments, where teams of up to three must collaborate to achieve various objectives, like gathering intel or extracting data. Interestingly, stealth plays a surprisingly significant role in its gameplay dynamics.

The concept of Rainbow Six Extraction might feel familiar, as it is essentially an expanded version of a time-limited game mode from Rainbow Six Siege called Outbreak. While serving as a standalone title, Extraction shares many elements—such as operators, capabilities, and features—with the 2015 shooter. This isn’t entirely unexpected, given they are set within the same universe, but the lack of unique content makes it hard for Extraction to carve out its own identity and maintain a high replay value.

Initially, Rainbow Six Extraction gathered a respectable player base, drawing in over 3 million players across all platforms within its first week. But this initial success was short-lived, as player numbers dwindled significantly just a few months later. Eventually, Ubisoft ceased supporting the game in less than a year post-launch. Opinions vary on why this occurred, but a common argument is that Extraction simply lacked substantial, engaging content, with what it did offer becoming overly repetitive for players.

When it comes to Project Maverick, if Ubisoft is indeed working on this game, it’s vital for the company to ensure it launches with robust, quality content to steer clear of a repeat of the issues seen with Rainbow Six Extraction. Additionally, it’s crucial to establish a clear distinction between Project Maverick and its single-player counterpart, Project Blackbird. While sharing some assets between the two isn’t problematic, they shouldn’t feel identical in gameplay, skill sets, or weaponry. There are various pitfalls that a Far Cry-themed extraction shooter could encounter, as Rainbow Six Extraction has shown, but with some strategic planning and creativity, Ubisoft could defy expectations and deliver a truly unique, content-rich experience.

By investing in differentiating these two projects and emphasizing engaging, diverse content, Ubisoft has the opportunity to breathe new life into the Far Cry series and leave a lasting impression on gamers worldwide.