Debuting with a fantastic CGI trailer reminiscent ofBondfilms, the next entry in theFar Cryseries is clearly promising a lot. Starring Giancarlo Esposito as the main villain Anton Castillo, alongside Anthony Gonzalez as his son Diego, it’s clearFar Cry 6is taking things up a notch. The series is known for playing host to some of the most iconic villains in video games who would later move on to TV, but never vice versa. Pair that with any additional narrative and gameplay innovations to come after taking a year off from the series, andFar Cry 6could be the next big reinvention for the franchise, which may have been why the game was delayed.
While the game was originally meant to release on February 18 of this year, the ongoing pandemic and shelter-in-place orders have pushed the game further into 2021. As development continues from home,Far Cry 6is vaguely scheduled to release at some point after March 2021. Some retailers have even leaked more specific dates, though none of these dates have been corroborated or confirmed by any sources. PastFar Crygames have followed a few specific time frames, so it’s very possible that this delay has forcedFar Cry 6into a different window of release. Based on past releases, there are a few options for whenFar Cry 6officially releases this year.
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Far Cry’s Not-so-Stringent Release Schedule
Thelast few entries in theFar Cryserieshave all exhibited a similar pattern of release, mainline, and spin-off titles included.Far Cry Primal,Far Cry 5, andFar Cry New Dawnhave all released in late-Q4 or early-Q1 of Ubisoft’s next fiscal year. That equates to anywhere between February and March, with the latest example ofFar Cry New Dawnreleasing on July 14, 2025.PrimalandFar Cry 5both had similar release dates as well, never fluctuating beyond March for release. That being said,Far Cryhas never been that stringent on a late-winter/early-spring release date. Previous entries used to release in the fall window of release instead.
Heavy-hitting mainline entries likeFar Cry 2andFar Cry 3both released in October and November, respectively. It’s also worth noting thatFar Cry 3was originally intended to release in September before being delayed,which is the case for several entries post-Far Cry 3.Far Cry 3: Blood Dragonwas delayed to April 30/May 1, the only time a release was scheduled in that time frame. What that really indicates is thatFar Cry, as a franchise, has never exactly had a stringent release date/release window, but does typically fall in three key areas: Late winter (February/March), early summer (May), or in the fall (October/November).
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The Most Likely Release Window for Far Cry 6
Considering the only other prominent release window forFar Cryhas been in the fall, there is the slight possibility thatFar Cry 6is delayed that far, but it’s not likely. Nothing from the delay alone indicates thatFar Cry 6requires that much more development time, but it’s also worth pointing out no gameplay has been revealed thus far. That’s not to say it willgo the way ofCyberpunk 2077, but if a gameplay reveal doesn’t come out at some point in the next few months, then expecting a fall delay is warranted. Again, the pandemic continues to affect video game development substantially, especially in 2021, so fans should at minimum be cautiously optimistic.
That being said, the far more likely outcome is thatFar Cry 6will go the way ofFar Cry 3: Blood Dragon. Despite being a spin-off and not a mainline release,Far Cry 3: Blood Dragonended up coming out on May 1 worldwide. Many retailers have also leaked similar placeholder dates ofMay 25 forFar Cry 6, according to the Microsoft Store. An additional, more recent leak from a Dutch retailer even stated April 30,Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon’s North American release date. For a game already planned to release in February, delaying to May seems likely. If there were reports of significant delays, likeHalo Infinite, then a later fall release window would be more likely.
Releasing early this summer seems likethe most plausible outcome forFar Cry 6at the moment, though there’s very little evidence that suggests that’s true. Leaked dates happen all the time from retailers' online storefronts, but to be fair, specifically noting May 25 is a bit more convincing. The April 30 date is more likely to be a placeholder date as well, but it should at least inspire confidence in an April/May release window forFar Cry 6. Unless any evidence to the contrary releases, somewhere in the month of May is a fair assumption ofFar Cry 6’s release date, at least for now.
