According to sources close to Eurogamer, Far Cry 4 will take Ubisoft’s adventure series to the Himalayas and will be released in the early stages of 2015.
Traditionally, the studio’s open-world franchise has been synonymous with desert and tropical locales — from the arid, sun-scorched plains of Far Cry 2 to Far Cry 3’s Rook Islands. However, if this report is to believed, the fourth numerical entry will bring the series into uncharted territory. Not only that, the unconfirmed east Asian setting will also introduce new gameplay mechanics too, including the ability to ride elephants across the snow-capped mountain range.
The anonymous source also hinted that the game will include a variety of environmental settings beyond the alleged Himalayan region. In addition, it is said that Far Cry 4 will have a hunting focus, all the while maintaining the familiar (and frighteningly addictive) outpost system from its immediate predecessor.
At this time, it’s understood that Ubisoft is targeting PS4, Xbox One and PC with the follow-up, though it’s unclear whether the studio plans to bring the next iteration in the franchise to current-gen (last-gen?) platforms as well. Given the recent speculation coupled with the trail-blazing success of Far Cry 3, the existence of Far Cry 4 seems to be all but confirmed.
In fact, earlier this year an employee at Ubisoft Shanghai listed Far Cry 4 on his résumé, which lends credence to these most recent rumours. While the company recently refused to comment on “rumour or speculation,” today’s report would mean the as yet unannounced sequel is on course for a reveal at this year’s E3 press conference in June.