Ubisoft’sFar Cryspin-off, known as the code nameMaverick, may not be as dead in the water as was assumed. Ubisoft is reportedly restarting development on the game, which means this could be the next multiplayer extraction shooter.
Maverickis a multiplayer game where players extract resources from an area based in theFar Cryuniverse. Originally, it was meant to be a multiplayer feature forFar Cry 7, but in early 2023, it became its own separate game. However, aftersome internal evaluations, Ubisoft is rumored to be taking the game back to the early development stage. This choice comes during a time when Ubisoft is reorganizing and cutting back due to financial issues and the cancelation of other games likeThe Division Heartland.
There are plenty of rumors surrounding the difficult development of Maverick. It looks like there were worries about how well the project was doing for quite some time. A major event was when the tech team, Talisker, who was working on bothMaverickandFar Cry 7(previously calledBlackbird),was movedto work only onFar Cry 7in December. This shift was seen as the final setback toMaverick’soriginal development plans.
Maverick should have come out beforeFar Cry 7,which was seemingly canceled, but it is likely not coming out for a while now. It was set in Alaska and aimed to offer a different gameplay experience with player-versus-player and player-versus-environment elements involving AI soldiers and wildlife. Right now, the project is in limbo, as it has returned to the early development stage, suggesting that many changes are planned.
The effects of the development restart go beyond justMaverick. There are still worries about the timeline forFar Cry 7. According to the report, some insiders think that aiming for a 2026 release might be too hopeful, especially since its budget and team size keep growing. Right now, the game is in playtesting, and so far, the feedback about the gameplay and mechanics has been positive despite the issues caused byMaverick’sreboot.
The reason for restarting development forMaverickhas yet to be revealed, but it seems to fit Ubisoft’s plan to focus on their main titles.Far Cryis a revenue earner for the company, and a smart strategy would be to pour resources into the money earners.Maverickis just an extension ofFar Cry, and if the company can get it going, it will help boost finances.
At the end of the day, a development restart (or reboot) doesn’t guarantee the game will be released. Sometimes, rebooting development for a game just means letting a team do their best with it and then checking the results. There will be milestones to meet, and if Ubisoft execs don’t like the progress, it could be canceled again.
Maverick’sfuture is still uncertain, and a big part of that is where Ubisoft will go with it.Escape From Tarkovis popular, but Ubisoft needs a much bigger player base to justify the development cost of a project likeMaverick. The company needsCall of Duty Warzoneplayer numbers. Extraction shooters, while sometimes popular, don’t seem to have the player base of battle royales likeApex Legends,Fortnite, orCall of Duty Warzone. This is a huge risk, but it could also be a great financial reward.
Since there don’t seem to be many players interested in extraction shooters, Ubisoft could build the demand with a great game. This would leave Ubisoft with little competition before other companies start making clones. This would solidify Ubisoft’s place in another genre while building another cash cow. For now, it’s just good to know an innovative extraction shooter is being developed again. Whether it will get all the way to an announcement remains to be seen, but it’s good news for now.
