New Ubisoft mobile game Wild Arena Survivors was reportedly supposed to be a Far Cry spinoff

Ubisoft released the mobile game Wild Arena Survivors on September 2, but you’d be forgiven if you weren’t aware of its launch on iOS and Android. It released with zero fanfare — there’s no mention of the game on Ubisoft’s social media feeds or even its news blog. That might be because it was reportedly meant to be a Far Cry spinoff before that association was abandoned.

The report comes from mobilegamer.biz, whose “well-placed source” claims that “Wild Arena Survivors was once known as Far Cry: Wild Call.” There’s certainly a similarity in the name, to start. “We understand that the isometric battle royale was put into soft launch without Far Cry branding as a test,” the report continues. “When the game failed to gain enough organic traction to earn a rebrand under the Far Cry IP, it was quietly released worldwide in an attempt to claw back some of the development costs.” In other words, Ubisoft wanted to launch the game without the Far Cry name to see if it could be successful before being branded, but it wasn’t. Thus, the game released as is just to get out the door. You have to wonder which came first: the game’s failure, or Ubisoft’s lack of promotion for it.

For those who are interested in playing, Wild Arena Survivors is an isometric battle royale, as mentioned. Players can jump into the arena as a solo player or in a duo, and they can use the wildlife on the map to attack other players. That mechanic is very Far Cry, and the same goes for Wild Arena Survivors’ setting, which looks a lot like Far Cry 6’s fictionalized version of Cuba.

Perhaps another reason for Wild Arena Survivors’ lack of attention is the other Ubisoft news that was made around the same time. Assassin’s Creed Mirage was officially announced as the next game in the series, and the full reveal will be part of Ubisoft Forward 2022.