It’s like everyone is planning a battle royale game for their franchises, and Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs is no different. Well, ‘would have been no different’ is more appropriate, as the studio’s battle-royale game will likely never see the light of day. After all, a new game can’t be released from an already-dead franchise.
This might be news to some fans, but others would have seen the writing on the walls a while ago. While some franchises experience a natural death with the conclusion of their stories, others are forcibly interred due to their lack of profitability. It’s disappointing to see the franchise fall into the latter category, with a potential title that could have saved the series.
Watch Dogs Battle Royale Dead Before It Was Even Announced
While the first game was a single-player-only title, the second and third installments both featured a multiplayer component. It was always co-op play, allowing players to complete missions together. The surge of popularity for battle royales must have piqued Ubisoft’s interest, but unfortunately, we won’t ever see that dream become a reality.
Watch Dogs est normalement mort et enterré. Le bide de Legion a détruit les projets sur la licence (dont un Battle Royale assez original)
— j0nathan (@xj0nathan) April 21, 2024
We say that because a trusted insider has revealed the franchise is “dead and buried.” This news comes from @xj0nathan, a well-known informant when it comes to Ubisoft leaks. The same tweet confirms a battle royale was in the works, but will never see the light of day.
The leaker says the game was “fairly original,” hinting at either a fresh perspective for the series itself or a new breed of battle royale games. ctOS would have played a big role in the game. Given there are talks of a Watch Dogs live action adaptation, we wonder why the studio won’t be creating a new game in the series too.
It would have been interesting to see what originality Ubisoft would have brought to the game. The Watch Dogs formula lends itself to some interesting mechanics. We could have had more dynamic maps, where players could control certain moving parts through hacking to gain an advantage.
Fans Speak Out Against the Studio’s Decision to Bury the Franchise
The games may not have performed as well as everyone hoped, but there is a surviving fanbase who hoped the studio would do the series justice. Unfortunately, Ubisoft’s bad luck streak extends to even new titles. The XDefiant server test has not gone according to plan, with many who played it saying the game will be “dead on arrival.”
It seems all hopes now ride on Star Wars Outlaws. However, classically, the company has fumbled this game before it’s even launched. By locking the Jabba the Hutt mission behind a Season Pass, Ubisoft is not winning any goodwill from the community.
Given the popularity of Star Wars, we can still expect it to sell well. The studio just has to focus on delivering a cohesive and compelling storyline and back it up with some solid gameplay. There is already a wealth of lore and information that can lead to an amazing story and experience.
But, do you think the Watch Dogs battle royale could have been something unique? Let us know in the comments!
