Ubisoft is developing a new multiplayer-focused Far Cry game codenamed Kodiak alongside a traditional single-player entry codenamed Blackbird, according to industry insider Tom Henderson. The projects follow production shifts at Vantage Studios, where the Alaskan-set Kodiak recently cleared its prototype phase while the tropical-set Blackbird has faced internal delays due to engine transitions.
Project Kodiak Brings Open-World Multiplayer to Alaska
Project Kodiak successfully finished its prototype phase in July and entered full production at Vantage Studios, according to reports from Tom Henderson. The upcoming open-world shooter emphasizes player interaction and emergent storytelling. While multiplayer elements sit at the core of the experience, the concept stops short of a complete genre reinvention since earlier series entries already featured cooperative gameplay modes.
The game builds on the technical groundwork left behind by Project Maverick, a canceled extraction shooter set within the same franchise. With release still several years away, market trends surrounding multiplayer shooters could shift drastically before the title reaches store shelves.
Project Blackbird Targets a Return to Tropical Settings
While Kodiak explores cold climates, Project Blackbird marks the franchise’s return to traditional tropical environments as the next numbered, story-driven entry with optional cooperative play. Charlie Guillemot described Blackbird internally as an impressive project and a foundational “first act.” This framing suggests Ubisoft intends to build future franchise installments on shared technical and narrative pillars.
Development on Blackbird encountered repeated internal delays stemming from technical and production bottlenecks. Teams struggled primarily with migrating development tools from the older Dunia engine over to the Snowdrop engine, the proprietary technology powering titles like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Studio operations on Blackbird have stabilized over recent months, though Vantage Studios is concurrently balancing work on properties within the Assassin’s Creed and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six universes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the new Far Cry game set?
According to leaks from Tom Henderson, the cooperative multiplayer project codenamed Kodiak is set in Alaska, while the numbered single-player entry codenamed Blackbird returns to a tropical setting.
Who is developing the next Far Cry titles?
Vantage Studios handles development on both Kodiak and Blackbird as part of its broader workload alongside Assassin’s Creed and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six properties.
What happened to Project Maverick?
Project Maverick was originally planned as an extraction shooter within the Far Cry universe before Ubisoft canceled the concept and redirected its technical foundations into the development of Kodiak.
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