original Watch Dogs protagonist Aiden Pearce.
As far as modern-day open-world Ubisoft franchises go, Watch Dogs has never been the most successful. While not a complete disaster by any means, the trio of games has struggled to reach the heights of beloved franchises like Assassin's Creed or Far Cry. Watch Dogs: Legion, which shook up the formula of the prior two entries with its "play as anyone" mechanic and dystopic European setting, sold fairly well but earned a mixed reception from both audiences and critics alike. The franchise as a whole has seen a more sparse release schedule as well, especially when compared to series like Assassin's Creed, which recently changed from an annual release schedule to a bi-annual one.
A spokesperson from Ubisoft recently made a statement regarding the future of Watch Dogs Legion, as reported by gaming outlet Push Square. The statement praises Watch Dogs Legion and its community for their before finally noting that the game's most recent update will be its last. Watch Dogs: Legion's multiplayer mode, which has been following a seasonal model similar to smash hits like Warzone and Fortnite, will continue to cycle through the content of seasons three through five, offering opportunities for players to experience any content they might have missed.
This news might not come as a massive shock for avid consumers of Ubisoft products considering the company's general shift in strategy over the past few years; the massive French developer appears to be putting a higher emphasis on loot-based, microtransaction-driven games, with plans to turn Assassin's Creed, a once-story-driven franchise, into a live-service title. While Watch Dogs Legion, of course, featured its fair share of in-game purchases, it didn't adhere to MMO-light, Destiny-style live-service staples as closely as games like Ghost Recon: Wildlands or Assassin's Creed Valhalla, the latter of which was released around the same time as Legion and has seen far greater, long-lasting post-launch . This, coupled with the relatively lower success of the game compared to some of Ubisoft's other outings, serves as a possible explanation for why the company is ceasing its of the game.
Watch Dogs: Legion, while not a perfect video game, was undeniably ambitious in its approach and overall structure. This news will surely come as a disappointment for fans who appreciated the game's more experimental design and feel that other Ubisoft franchises have become too safe and uncreative. The door might have been closed on Watch Dogs Legion, but only time will tell how this fits into the greater narrative of the franchise and Ubisoft as a whole.
Source: Push Square