Who Launched the Nuke in Far Cry 5? It Was Joseph Seed All Along

As a shocking plot twist revealed in notes and audio logs across Far Cry 5 and New Dawn, it was Joseph Seed and his Project at Eden‘s Gate cult who launched the nukes, triggering global catastrophe in order to fulfill Joseph‘s doomsday prophecy.

Understanding the Prophet of Doom

Before we get into how the nuclear warhead launch went down, it‘s important to understand the background of Joseph Seed and his motivations. [According to the Far Cry wiki]</cite(https://farcry.fandom.com/wiki/Joseph_Seed), Joseph believed he was chosen by God to protect the people of Hope County from the "inevitable collapse of civilization." To fulfill this prophecy, he formed a radical doomsday cult called The Project at Eden‘s Gate.

Through violence and manipulation, Joseph‘s cult (known as "peggies") took control of the Hope County region of Montana. But Joseph knew even his immense influence could not stop the "Collapse" forever. So he hatched an even darker plot to take survival into his own hands…

The Lead Up to Launch

Based on hidden notes like [this conspiratorial letter] found in Dutch‘s bunker(https://farcry.fandom.com/wiki/Letter_to_Dutch), Eden‘s Gate had allegedly gained access to empty missile silos and were moving nuclear warheads covertly to storage facilities in Hope County.

Another note titled "Plan A" indicates even faithful member Jacob Seed doubted the Collapse would happen naturally. So the cult decided to make it happen by unleashing hellfire themselves:

So the stage was tragically set for the Seeds to catalyze armageddon to fulfill Joseph‘s visions. But could anything have prevented what came next?

Attempts to Stop Project Doomsday

Enter the protagonist of Far Cry 5, simply known as The Deputy. As a sheriff‘s deputy trapped in Hope County, you spend the entire game building a resistance to try and take down Joseph Seed‘s empire. But standing in your way are his fanatically devoted followers and his heralded Herald siblings:

Despite all odds, you systematically defeat each menacing Herald and dismantle the infrastructure of Eden‘s Gate. You fight your way through legions of cultists to finally confront Joseph Seed himself. This sets up the pivotal confrontation where you can choose to resist arrest or walk away.

The "Resist" Ending

In the canonical "Resist" ending, The Deputy attempts to cuff Joseph Seed in his church. But suddenly you‘re interrupted when nuclear explosions blanket the Horizon as mushroom clouds rise over the mountains.

In his final moments of twisted victory, Joseph Seed wraps you in his arms and utter these chilling words:

The last shot pans back from Joseph‘s burning church as the world descends into nuclear fire around you both.

So despite all your efforts, The Deputy ultimately fails to prevent Joseph Seed from launching the nukes. This perfectly sets up the post-apocalyptic world of…

The Aftermath Leading Into New Dawn

17 years later, we revisit what remains of Hope County in Far Cry New Dawn. We learn Joseph mysteriously vanished after the bombs dropped while his son Ethan now leads a group of survivors called "New Eden." Meanwhile, your custom character from Far Cry 5 (The Judge) lies imprisoned and deranged in Joseph‘s bunker.

Scattered notes reveal unsettling details of Project D.O.O.M.S.D.A.Y underway. Which confirms Joseph had full intention of launching the nukes to "cleanse the world with atomic fire."

So in summary, all signs conclusively point to Joseph Seed triggering the nuclear war to manufacture the apocalypse himself rather than awaiting global tensions to boil over naturally.

Making him directly responsible for the downfall of civilization by sabotaging humanity‘s already thin grasp for peace. What a psychopath!

But a few tantalizing clues hint that Joseph may not have acted completely alone in this nefarious plot…

John Seed‘s Potential Involvement

Some theorize John Seed orchestrated components of the fake missile attack without Joseph realizing the full truth. Audio logs portray John as potentially deceiving even his beloved Father Joseph as insurance for his plan.

What‘s clear is John had intimate access to the silo launch codes and bunker mechanisms. So he‘s suspect #1 if certain aspects ended up hi-jacked or sabotaged intentionally.

Perhaps John seeded elements of deception to guarantee his desired outcome – global devastation. Outmaneuvering the master manipulator Joseph himself!

Of course this theory remains unproven. But makes for an intriguing possibility! As we await more lore reveals in future Far Cry DLCs, these mysteries keep things wild.

So that covers the bulk of how Joseph Seed ultimately launched the world-ending nukes! What did you think of these shocking plot twists? Let me know your thoughts and reactions in the comments below!