Ubisoft’s flagship franchise Far Cry is poised to place a greater emphasis on multiplayer experiences going forward. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot spoke about the future of the Far Cry series at the New Global Sport Conference in Riyadh. “We intend to push the multiplayer aspects more predominantly so players can enjoy the games for a long time,” he said, effectively formalizing a strategic pivot toward multiplayer for the series.

The Far Cry series has, to date, grown up as a primarily single-player experience. Its campaigns have drawn sustained attention by focusing on the protagonist while portraying surrounding characters in depth. As a result, villains—Vaas Montenegro, Pagan Min, and Joseph Seed, among others—left lasting impressions regardless of whether they were leads or supporting cast.

Reports of a new Far Cry have circulated steadily through rumors and insider chatter. In particular, Project Blackbird, widely expected to become Far Cry 7, is said to switch from the long-running Dunia engine to Snowdrop, the engine used in recent Ubisoft titles. Based on that technology shift, rumors suggest a more cinematic presentation anchored by a tense story in which the player has 72 in-game hours (24 real-time hours) to rescue their family. If Guillemot’s remarks are any guide, even this single-player-driven setup is likely to be accompanied by more robust multiplayer features.

Separately, a spin-off built on the Far Cry franchise—Project Maverick—has been discussed repeatedly. The title is reportedly an extraction shooter set in Alaska, foregrounding the multiplayer keywords of competition and cooperation.

Given Far Cry’s popularity has long rested on its powerful single-player elements, there has also been skepticism about an expanded multiplayer push. Still, if Ubisoft keeps single-player as the spine while broadening multiplayer to better structure ongoing content, the series could keep players engaged longer than past entries—bringing with it a wider array of multiplayer-oriented content. Conversely, if the franchise’s traditional single-player strengths are diluted, Far Cry’s core identity could change. Whether Far Cry—and Ubisoft—can regain competitiveness in the global shooter market through longer-tail multiplayer content is now a question to watch.

This article was translated from the original that appeared on INVEN.