Just How Successful Was Far Cry 6? A Data-Driven Look
As an ardent Far Cry fan who has eagerly awaited each new entry in Ubisoft’s popular shooter franchise, I’ve been following every scrap of information on Far Cry 6 since its flashy reveal in 2020 boasting Breaking Bad’s Giancarlo Esposito as the villain. Now over a year since its release, some intriguing trends have emerged around FC6’s critical, commercial, and financial performance that are worth digging into. Just how successful was the latest trip to tropical guerilla warfare? Grab your makeshift resolver weapon of choice and let’s analyze!
Sales Figures Point to Franchise Fatigue
First, let’s examine some baseline sales figures. Ubisoft announced that over 10 million Far Cry 6 copies were sold across all platforms in the first 10 months. For context, that’s better than Far Cry 4’s 7 million units over the same timeframe but falls short of Far Cry 5’s towering 13 million copies.
In fact, Far Cry 6 ranks as the worst-selling major Ubisoft release since Assassin’s Creed Origins in 2017 based on first year sales figures. And during an especially packed 2021 holiday season with heavyweight competition like Call of Duty Vanguard and Battlefield 2042, Far Cry 6 quickly fell off the monthly best-seller charts.
Could franchise fatigue be setting in despite a popular IP? Or was launching in a crowded launch window a mistake? Either way, initial sales momentum couldn’t be sustained long-term.
Review Scores Reflect “More of The Same” Criticism
Far Cry 6 maintains a respectable critic average of 78 on Metacritic, with Game Informer calling it “a familiar yet still enjoyable trip worth taking” in their enthusiastic 4 out of 5 star review.
However, a common refrain among many critics was the lack of innovation after so many prior Far Cry titles. USGamer said it “doesn‘t do much of anything new and lacks the vivacity found in Far Cry 3 and Far Cry 5.” IGN lamented that “It‘s hard not to feel a frequent sense of déjà vu.”
While reviewers praised the lush tropical setting of Yara and Giancarlo Esposito’s scene-stealing performance as antagonist Anton Castillo, the well-worn Far Cry formula showed through despite the fresh coat of paint.
Steam Player Engagement Declines Over Time
We can analyze Steam achievement data to glean some insights on Far Cry 6’s player engagement trends. Per SteamDB, 50% of players earned the first story achievement for escaping Yara’s capital within 12 hours of playtime. But only 20% went on to complete the final story mission within 41 hours.
That dropoff is not atypical for large open world games. However, it still indicates over half of players grew tired of slogging through FC6’s expansive tropical landscape dotted with similar enemy base takeovers. Especially compared to the stellar engagement sustained by indie hits like Hades or Valheim in 2021.
Financial Impact Mixed Despite Microtransaction Uptick
During an October 2021 earnings call, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot noted Far Cry 6 provided a “very strong start driven by an excellent reception” that has “well over 130 hours of content.” This engagement seemingly translated to a strong source of recurrent consumer spending (aka microtransactions) that reached record highs for Ubisoft.
However, in their latest February 2022 financial report, Ubisoft revised future sales projections down by over 25% for next fiscal year despite healthy performances from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Rainbow Six Siege. It seems Far Cry 6 did not contribute as meaningfully to the bottom line as expected.
The Verdict: Lukewarm Success but Concerning Signs
Taken holistically, Far Cry 6 succeeds in some areas but falls short of a runaway hit. It clearly drives engagement and recurrent spending thanks to compelling action and an escapist setting. But as a tentpole fall release that Ubisoft poured years of resources into creating, the lack of meaningful critical or commercial breakthroughs stand out. Stiff competition and franchise familiarity likely blunted its true mainstream potential despite wider industry tailwinds.
As a Far Cry superfan, I still enjoyed returning to the tropical guerilla warfare fantasy with a charismatic anti-hero like Esposito at the helm. But the repetitive mission structure and outdated gameplay loop stood out more glaringly this go around.
Far Cry 6 is a perfectly competent and fun shooter package that clearly resonated with its established player base. Yet worrying cracks in the franchise foundation reflect an IP in need of a serious refresh. Ubisoft would be wise to take bolder risks with Far Cry 7’s direction or style, lest franchise fatigue sets in permanently. Because for now, Yara’s revolution feels like a missed opportunity to fully ignite the flames and take Far Cry to new heights.
