Far Cry 7's rumoured new feature could be the franchise's biggest mistake yet

Far Cry 7 hasn't been announced yet, but if recent rumours are true, it might include the latest trend-chasing multiplayer mode, which is one way to potentially ruin the franchise.

Alongside the likes of Assassin’s Creed and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six series, Far Cry is one of Ubisoft’s most popular properties. However, it’s been a while since we’ve had an absolute banger from the open-world FPS series.

The first game to release was in 2004, and the last was Far Cry 6 in 2021. However, especially with recent entries, the series has been accused of becoming stale with its copy-and-paste, open-world and mission structure formula. This is probably why it’s now been the longest gap since the last release, currently at five years and counting.

That being said, claims that the series formula has long been stale, it makes sense that Ubisoft might want to take its time with Far Cry 7, and perhaps even add some new twists in the game. Well, new at least when it comes to this series.

Could Far Cry 7 become an extraction shooter?

READ MORE: 3 classic Far Cry titles confirmed for next-gen updates

In a tweet shared by video game industry insider, Isle Sloth via dataminer, AgaiinT, it’s rumoured that Far Cry 7 will have an extraction shooter mechanic of sorts. Whether that’s an in-game mechanic in the main campaign or an additional multiplayer mode, remains to be seen.

That being said, if it is part of Far Cry 7’s main campaign, that might not go down too well with devoted franchise purists, especially if Ubisoft were to incorporate live-action functions into the game.

Judging by the tweet, it may suggest that rather than extracting loot from the game, it will instead be human NPCs that need to be rescued. Which is purely speculative at this point.

In the tweet, it’s also mentioned that there will be a time limit of 72-hours, believed to be in the campaign. Far Cry 7 having a time limit was first reported in February this year, and it looks like that particular rumour isn't going away.

Much like how every developer and publisher wanted a slice of that Fortnite battle royale apple pie, the new trend appears to be extraction shooters, especially following the success of titles such as ARC Raiders, Escape from Tarkov, and Delta Force, to name a few.

Perhaps if it’s a mechanic incorporated in the main campaign that requires you to rescue hostages, that could work. However, if there’s an over-emphasis on extraction shooter mechanics as a whole in Far Cry 7, it could be a surefire way to kill the franchise once and for all. Hopefully, that won’t be the case.

The recent leaks also claim that Ubisoft could be officially revealing Far Cry 7 soon, so with a bit of luck, we’ll find out what direction the series is heading soon enough. Either way, Ubisoft will have to knock its next attempt out of the park to ensure the series has a vibrant future. We’ll keep you posted when we learn more.