The Far Cry series, especially since the third game, has been consistently strong. It is one of Ubisoft's better flagship franchises, and while the more recent entries, especially the sixth, have showcased its weaknesses, it still remains a fan favorite, with people excited to learn more about the next entry. Fortunately, there have been plenty of rumors circulating the internet surrounding the next Far Cry project, which has gotten fans incredibly excited.

While some of them have been about Far Cry 7, including a rumor claiming that renowned and critically acclaimed actor Cillian Murphy would star, most have been around another Far Cry project. However, despite many being curious to find out more about what the next game in the Far Cry franchise would be, it seems like Ubisoft had other plans. In fact, Ubisoft has all but canceled this Far Cry project, but fans shouldn't be dismayed, as it is undoubtedly for the best.

Ubisoft Was Making A Far Cry Live Service Game

It Was Called Project Maverick

There were two Far Cry projects in the works, one titled Project Maverick, and the other titled Blackbird. Most fans may already be familiar with these, but the uninitiated may not be aware that Blackbird is allegedly the internal name for Far Cry 7, while Maverick refers to the spin-off project set within the Far Cry universe. It is the latter that Ubisoft has reportedly canceled, according to Insider Gaming, which has a strong track record for Ubisoft-related news.

Project Maverick was rumored to be a multiplayer extraction shooter set in Alaska, in which players would roam around fighting other people, wildlife, and AI soldiers. It was originally going to be a mode within Far Cry 7 but was later transitioned into being a separate entity. According to Insider Gaming, Ubisoft lost all faith in the project, moving much of the team working on it onto the Blackbird project a while back. It has now, allegedly, rebooted Project Maverick, taking it back to the drawing board to start all over again, essentially canceling it.

Project Maverick's Cancelation Is Great For Far Cry

It Moves The Focus Onto The Main Games

While it is possible that Project Maverick could eventually materialize, it seems highly unlikely. Ubisoft has been unmitigated failure of XDefiant, which was supposed to be its definitive live service shooter until Ubisoft announced it was shutting it down less than a year after it launched.

Far Cry 7 needs to do more than just be another open-world first-person shooter, and Project Maverick may have needed to die to ensure that happens.

Canceling it, or, at the very least, rebooting it, gives Ubisoft more personnel and resources to use on the next mainline game, ensuring that it is not only a polished release but also offers fans something new. This strategy has worked well for Assassin's Creed Shadows, which, by all s, has benefited massively from its delays, especially when it comes to refining its gameplay mechanics and overall quality. Far Cry 7 needs to do more than just be another open-world first-person shooter, and Project Maverick may have needed to die to ensure that happens.

Ubisoft Should Give Up On Live Service Games

It Hasn't Worked For It So Far

Project Maverick's cancelation is also a smart move for Ubisoft as its track record with live service games, as aforementioned, is not particularly strong. It isn't just XDefiant that has failed, but also the much-maligned Skull and Bones, which, after seven years in development, released to horrifically low review scores. That was after Ubisoft had rather hilariously touted it as being the first AAAA game, despite it lacking everything a game would need to be considered even remotely that impressive. Ubisoft pushing yet another live service game after its previous attempts have failed so miserably would be a waste.

As much as we would all like more Far Cry games, it is hard to imagine anyone is clamoring for an extraction shooter. It is a fiercely competitive genre, with the likes of Hunt: Showdown and Escape From Tarkov dominating it, while more are on the horizon, such as the Horizon Zero Dawn-inspired Arc Raiders. It isn't hard to imagine just how well Ubisoft's attempt would do against games like that. Project Maverick may be gone, but fans really don't have to worry, as, at the very least, it means we'll get Far Cry 7 faster.

Source: Insider Gaming