Ubisoft is reportedly developing a new open-world Far Cry game after scrapping an extraction shooter spin-off

According to Insider Gaming, Ubisoft has quietly begun development on a new Far Cry game, codenamed Project Kodiak, at its Vantage Studios division. The project replaces Project Maverick, an extraction shooter take on the franchise that was internally cancelled, and is being described by sources as an ambitious open-world FPS that puts player-driven storytelling at the centre of the experience.

The details:

• Project Kodiak is in a very early stage of development, having only recently completed its concept phase, and is described as several years away from release. It is being developed at Vantage Studios, the internal Ubisoft division now consolidating the company's core franchises including Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six.
• Sources describe Kodiak as an open-world FPS where "player interactions and player-driven stories take centre stage," with a focus on emergent gameplay rather than traditional linear missions. One anonymous source called it "a really ambitious undertaking."
• Rather than starting from scratch, Ubisoft is reusing the core engine work and codebase built during Maverick's development, which should reduce early prototyping costs and time.
• The news comes as Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced continues to perform strongly, with the game having exceeded its annual sales target within its first two weeks on sale. A healthier revenue picture appears to be giving the publisher room to begin investing in its next cycle of projects.