With E3 right around the corner, now’s the time for video game leaks and rumors. The latest, about Far Cry 5, suggests the game will be a Western, riding the hype train of Red Dead Redemption 2.
Before we begin, make sure you take all this with your daily dose of salt. There’s some speculation going on here, but many of these clues seem to line up with each other.
First, the facts. As reported by the Great Falls Tribune, a film crew was shooting footage of two men fighting in a church to use for promotional materials. While the video game could not be confirmed in the article, it is confirmed the game will be releasing this September and is a sequel to an existing franchise that is set in a fictional location. The article also confirms the crewmembers had come from all over the world to work on the shoot, including Paris.
The next Far Cry game could be set in the Wild West
Here’s where the speculation starts. When you think of a major video game coming this fall that will be set in the West, the first thought will be Red Dead Redemption 2. However, the clues of a fictional location and a French crewmember makes a strong case for this being Far Cry 5. Ubisoft is based in France, so a producer or someone overseeing the shoot might have made the trip overseas to help out.
While Red Dead Redemption was set in a fictional city, there are also real-life locations scattered in as well. Fort Mercer and Blackwater may be made up, but Mexico certainly is a real location. Far Cry games typically are set in fictional worlds as well, like Far Cry 4’s Kyrat or Far Cry 3’s Rook Islands. Granted, these games often refer to real-world locations as well through dialogue or text.
To add more fuel to the Far Cry speculation fire, Ubisoft had previously released a survey to fans asking about thoughts on the next Far Cry game. Among the listed hypothetical game settings was a Spaghetti Western story in late 19th-century America. This doesn’t confirm anything, but does show that Ubisoft has put thought into a Western Far Cry. As Eurogamer notes, previous surveys for Assassin’s Creed games have usually revealed the direction those end up going in as well.
Again, this is just speculation. All we know for sure is a company shot Western-themed promotional footage for a video game that is planned to release this September. With E3 coming up in a few short weeks, it’s very likely we see this footage projected on a big screen during a press conference. We just don’t know during which press conference it will debut.
And as a nice little ending to this story, the film crew also spent time refurbishing the church used in the shoot. Apparently, the building had fallen into disrepair over the years since it was built in 1904. The crew made sure to fix up a hole in the belfry and added some extra bracing to the structure.
So what do you think? Are you interested in playing a Western Far Cry game? Do you think this footage is for Red Dead Redemption 2 or a third game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.