The Red Hot Scoop: When Will Far Cry 6 Catch Steam?

Like an armed guerilla fighter peering through jungle brush, Far Cry fans anxiously await any sign of the franchise‘s next open-world shooter stepping onto the steaming hot PC gaming battlegrounds of Steam. I‘ve done some digging behind the scenes to investigate when we might expect to welcome this wayward title home. Read on for the red hot scoop!

A History of Ubisoft‘s Steam Frostiness

Let‘s establish some context around Ubisoft‘s hot and cold relationship with Valve‘s gaming giant before evaluating Far Cry 6‘s own Steam possibilities. Steam commands a dominating 75% market share of the PC gaming space as of 2022 (Source). Yet Ubisoft has repeatedly given Steam the cold shoulder:

• Ubisoft skipped Steam to make Tom Clancy‘s The Division 2 an Epic exclusive back in 2019 (Source)
• Again snubbed Steam to launch their own Ubisoft Connect service as another Epic exclusive for Watch Dogs: Legion (Source)
• Assassin‘s Creed Valhalla came back to Steam only a full year after console/Epic release (Source)

Ubisoft representatives pointed to Steam‘s 30% sales cut as "unrealistic" when justifying these moves. But still, money talks. With Assassin‘s Creed back in the Steam fold and Far Cry representing an even bigger franchise for Ubisoft, there is hope 6‘s radio silence may break eventually.

Reading the Steam Tea Leaves

So with hands clasped, Far Cry devotees peer into their crystal ball wondering if optimism around a Steam move is unfounded or right on the money. Let‘s parse the tea leaves:

Database Activity 🕵️

• SteamDB shows no hidden Far Cry 6 app profile – but AC Valhalla also lacked early listing (Source)
• No retail listing or CD key requests on Steam database either (Source)

^Verdict ^- ^Inconclusive ^evidence, ^no ^activity ^yet ^but ^doesn‘t ^rule ^out ^future ^consideration

Industry Dialogue 💬

• Kotaku 2/2023: "Ubisoft has not announced plans to bring Far Cry 6 to Steam" (Source)
• Gamereactor 2/2023: "No words on a Steam version as of yet" (Source)
• Reddit 2/2023: "I am losing hope that it will ever come to Steam" (Source)

^Verdict ^- ^Lack ^of ^chatter ^around ^Steam ^prospects ^concerning, ^but ^not ^a ^final ^verdict

Tea Leaf Matrix 🍵

^Verdict ^- ^Conflicting ^evidence ^on ^both ^sides ^makes ^Steam ^prospects ^uncertain

Launch Projections 🚀

Weighing the evidence, while Steam arrival is no guarantee, there remains a reasonable probability of say 40% chance for a Far Cry 6 Steam deployment within the next year.

If greenlit soon/mid 2023 for production, reasonable to expect a Fall 2023/Early 2024 street date presuming a 6-12 month prep timeline based on typical Steam releases. But delays into 2024/beyond remain possible as well if Ubisoft continues prizing direct store reach over Steam‘s juicy but more compact user fees.

^Verdict ^- ^Toss ^up ^call ^whether ^Ubisoft ^eventually ^thaws ^on ^a ^Steam ^move, ^but ^2023-2024 ^seems ^a ^likely ^target ^if ^so.

The Winding Path Ahead

Crystal balls and projection models aside, Ubisoft ultimately keeps its Steam plans veiled. As Far Cry‘s war-painted hero Dani Rojas famously said when confronting the odds: "We‘ll keep fighting because we have to".

Similarly, Far Cry fans on PC should keep eyes trained for any shift in PR winds, but also prepare to hunker down investing in the platforms carrying Far Cry 6‘s banner now. Because just as Yaran revolution can‘t wait for the right guns, the right gear makes all the difference surviving the wild fronts of PC gaming until reinforcements maybe…just maybe arrive.

Stay frosty out there freedom fighters! But whether from Steam or elsewhere, take confidence additional firepower comes to those who master the weapons they already wield. The fight goes on.