Ubisoft Cancels Watch Dogs Battle Royale - And No One Notices
Say what you will about Watch Dogs as a franchise, but it certainly did a good job of course-correcting. Sadly, not good enough.
The series was tainted with E3 promises for WATCH_DOGS that never materialised in the final game, and though many were willing to hear Ubisoft out with its two sequels, they never managed to breach "decent. Even the bold Watch Dogs Legion got that cursed price dock shortly after launch.
The name has laid dormant for some time, with word that there could potentially be some kind of battle royale game in the works based on the series at Ubisoft - but it looks like they've packed that up for good. Hang on, when did this happen?
Watch Dogs' Battle Royale Is Finished
A new theory has been posited that among cancellations across the gaming industry, Ubisoft has quietly slashed what was next for Watch Dogs.
A leaker via 4chan (groans) has revealed that the unannounced project, Watch Dogs.EXE, was set to be a 50-player battle royale in which players would have to blend in with crowds of NPCs across Tokyo, with players gradually being chipped off by others and CTOS Enforcers until only one is left standing.
Yet, the game appears to have been scrapped entirely. It definitely had potential, but it's hard to imagine that the Watch Dogs franchise was enough to hold it up. And, of course, this quiet reveal has led players to come to one big conclusion.
Is Watch Dogs Done For?
Fans have found this news and decided that it means that the series of Watch Dogs isn't likely to see a new title anytime soon - and frankly, it's hard to dispute.
The series name hasn't done a good job of hanging around in the cultural consciousness, despite Legion's fun open-world exploration. It's hard to see Ubisoft justifying a new game in the series when it could just as easily opt for something new or a more popular brand name.
Whatever happens next, we can say for certain that Watch Dogs isn't quite what it was just before its launch. The series is built on a broken promise, and when its results haven't been stellar enough to make us forget, it won't likely stand strong again. Sorry, Watch Dogs, this old dog might not be learning any new tricks.
