Ubisoft Cancels Far Cry Extraction Shooter Maverick as Ambitious Kodiak Enters Development

Ubisoft has reportedly canceled Maverick, the long rumored Far Cry extraction shooter set in the Alaskan wilderness, but the publisher is already moving forward with another multiplayer project designed to take the franchise in a different direction.

According to a new report from Insider Gaming, Maverick was canceled after experiencing development problems and failing to secure a place within Ubisoft’s stricter production strategy. The project was originally revealed by insider Tom Henderson in 2023 and would have placed players against rival survivors, dangerous wildlife, and extreme weather conditions.

Maverick was reportedly being developed with Ubisoft’s Snowdrop engine and shared some of its foundations with Blackbird, the code name for the next mainline Far Cry game. Earlier reports suggested both projects originated from the same initial concept before being separated into distinct experiences.

The cancellation comes as Ubisoft attempts to reduce development risk and concentrate its resources on projects with stronger commercial potential. The publisher has discontinued 7 projects and delayed another 6 as part of a wider restructuring focused on higher quality standards and its most valuable franchises.

Far Cry remains central to that strategy. Ubisoft has reportedly approved another project under the code name Kodiak, which passed its conceptual stage earlier in July 2026 and has now entered active development at Vantage Studios.

Kodiak is described as an open world first person shooter where player interactions and player driven stories will take center stage. The project is being built using foundations created for Maverick, but Ubisoft is reportedly moving away from the extraction shooter format. Sources familiar with the project described it as "really ambitious," although it remains several years away from release and could change substantially during development.

"Player interactions and player driven stories take center stage."
— Quote by: Insider Gaming source

The description suggests Kodiak could use multiplayer systems to generate unpredictable encounters instead of following the traditional extraction structure built around collecting equipment and escaping a hostile map. However, Ubisoft has not officially announced the project, meaning its setting, platforms, gameplay structure, and release window remain unconfirmed.

The next mainline Far Cry game, currently known as Blackbird, is reportedly much further into production. The project has experienced several internal delays and development difficulties, but sources now believe it is progressing more consistently.

Charlie Guillemot, Chief Executive Officer of Vantage Studios and son of Ubisoft cofounder Yves Guillemot, reportedly described Blackbird as "honestly impressive" during an internal interview. He also referred to the game as "Act One," potentially indicating that Ubisoft could develop additional Far Cry titles around similar concepts if Blackbird achieves a strong commercial and critical reception.

Blackbird will reportedly include a multiplayer component that allows multiple players to experience its world together. Previous information claimed the game would follow a protagonist attempting to rescue family members from a conspiracy group conducting hallucinogenic experiments, with a limited amount of time available to complete the mission. Those details have not been confirmed by Ubisoft and may have changed as development continued.

The franchise is also expanding beyond games. FX has officially ordered a Far Cry anthology television series produced by Fargo creator Noah Hawley and Rob Mac, who will also star in the adaptation. The anthology structure could allow each season to introduce a different setting and cast, reflecting the way Far Cry games regularly reinvent their locations, villains, and conflicts.

Canceling Maverick may be one of the clearest examples of Ubisoft moving away from projects designed primarily to follow popular industry trends. Extraction shooters remain commercially attractive, but the market has become increasingly crowded, and Far Cry does not need another multiplayer mode that feels disconnected from the identity of the franchise.

Kodiak sounds more promising because it appears to place emergent player stories ahead of a rigid extraction loop. Far Cry has always been strongest when its open worlds create unexpected situations involving wildlife, vehicles, enemies, environmental systems, and player experimentation. A multiplayer game built around those elements could offer something more distinctive.

The concern is that Kodiak has only recently entered development, while Blackbird still needs to prove that Ubisoft can modernize the main series without losing the exploration and freedom that established Far Cry. Calling Blackbird "Act One" suggests a significant long term plan, but Ubisoft must first deliver a polished game that restores confidence in the franchise.

Should Ubisoft continue experimenting with multiplayer Far Cry games, or focus entirely on a stronger single player experience?