Alongside its major franchises likeÂAssassin’s Creed,ÂWatch Dogs, and more, theÂFar CryÂseries has long been one of Ubisoft’s best-selling properties with multiple installments over this generation. With the next-generation consoles on the horizon, Ubisoft appears to be pulling back the curtain on the next mainline installment in the franchise withFar Cry 6. While the game will be showcased at the Ubisoft Forward presentation on Sunday, July 12, according to fan speculation online the upcoming sixth mainFar Cryinstallment may be more than meets the eye, and its story could reach back into the series' past.Earlier today,a leak from the Hong Kong PlayStation Store gave us new details onÂFar Cry 6, which is set to make its debut this Sunday at Ubisoft Forward. The leak revealed some key information about the upcoming game, such as its setting in a fictionalized Cuba, its release in February 2021, and its headlining star Giancarlo Esposito, known for his iconic role as Gustavo Fring inBreaking BadandÂBetter Call Saul.
However, following the game’s unofficial reveal this morning, speculation on social media has grown over the potential story ofÂFar Cry 6and what it might entail. Specifically, much of this has been focused around the character Diego, who was revealed as the son of Esposito’s Anton Castillo, a dictator that rules over the country of Yara. As revealed in the description of the game on the PlayStation Store, Anton oversees Yara with a firm grip and is seeking to restore the country to its “former glory” alongside his son.
Diego has drawn a lot of attention from fans online for his resemblance toÂFar Cry 3’s antagonist Vaas Montenegro, leading some to speculate thatÂFar Cry 6may actually end up being a prequel toFar Cry 3. As seen in a tweet fromÂIGN’s Joe Skrebels, Diego and Vaas share a unique scar above their right eye, among other facial features that bear some resemblance, leading to the idea that Diego may actually be a younger Vaas. It’s worth noting, however, that Vaas doesn’t have the scar in-game inFar Cry 3, but was seen on actor Michael Mando inhis live-action portrayals of the character.
Alongside this tweet,Far Cry 3actor Michael Mando (who also stars as Nacho onBetter Call Saul) held aReddit AMAa few months ago and expressed his desire to play Vaas again, and hinted that he would hope to return to the role at some point. Specifically, Mando said in response to a fan question that “Vaas is my spirit animal - having co-created that character is something that will always be dear to me.” He added that “I still get recognized as Vaas, and I still feel the outpouring of love for that character,” and capped off the comment by stating “maybe I will reprise the role very soon?”
Given that Vaas has been a fan favorite from theÂFar CryÂfranchise (and arguably its most iconic villain), it would make sense that perhaps Ubisoft would want to revisit the character. As such, the speculation from fans online suggests thatFar Cry 6could take place before the events ofFar Cry 3and show us Vaas' origin story leading up to his infamous turn in that game. And given that both Michael Mando and Giancarlo Esposito have starred together inÂBetter Call Saul, it would be a nice connection between the two actors to also appear together in theFar Cryfranchise.
However, personally I don’t know if I see a strong connection yet forÂFar Cry 6actually being a prequel to the series' third installment. The main argument against it is that there would have to be some significant story explanation (and/or retconning) for how Diego/Vaas wound up at the Rook Islands (the setting ofFar Cry 3), how he got his new name/identity, and when exactlyÂFar Cry 6takes place (Vaas was seemingly born in 1985,according to theFar Crywiki). At the moment, we’ll have to chalk it up to rumors for now, but we’ll only have to wait a few more days to learn more about the game by Ubisoft, presumably with a reveal trailer.
Far Cry 6is reported to be releasing in February 2021, but we’ll get official confirmation on the game this weekend at Ubisoft Forward.
