Kinda Funny Games Daily (09.11.25) – “Far Cry 7 Will Focus More on Multiplayer, Ubisoft Confirms”

Podcast: Kinda Funny Games Daily
Date: September 11, 2025
Hosts: Blessing Adeoye Jr. (“Blessing”), Snowbike Mike

Episode Overview

This episode dives into Ubisoft’s confirmation that the next Far Cry game (Far Cry 7) will push multiplayer experiences to the forefront, alongside discussion of recent trends in Ubisoft’s game design philosophy. Blessing and Snowbike Mike break down the implications for Far Cry’s future, Ubisoft’s history with multiplayer and live service models, and consider what fans actually want. The show also covers the return of Acclaim with a showcase of nine indie games, updates on the BioShock Netflix film, Fortnite’s big microtransaction quality-of-life change, and more gaming news and reactions.

Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. Far Cry 7 to Focus More on Multiplayer ([02:49]–[17:19])

Ubisoft’s Announcement & Context

• Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot confirmed future Far Cry games will prominently integrate multiplayer, aiming for even longer player engagement. The shift corroborates earlier press reports about “Far Cry 7” being in development alongside a standalone multiplayer game, possibly an extraction shooter set in Alaska.
• Ubisoft is moving from the “Dunia” engine (used for prior Far Crys) to the “Snowdrop” engine (Massive's engine, used for The Division).

Hosts' Reactions & Insights

• Co-op Is Good, But Extraction?
  • Mike liked previous Far Cry co-op and is open to even bigger shared experiences:

    "I can even see them going as far as adding in four player co-op similar to Ghost Recon: Wildlands or Breakpoint." ([04:33])

  • Blessing notes the series already had multiplayer, but making it “for a long time by players” is the big pivot—hinting toward live service and ongoing updates, even possibly Battle Passes.

    "For a long time by players is the key part of this quote that really puts into context the thought process..." ([05:19])

• Ubisoft Chasing Trends vs. Setting Them
  • Blessing: Ubisoft’s “Dark Zone” mode in The Division was ahead of its time, representing them setting a trend rather than chasing it:

    "I think Division Dark Zone is the example of them setting a trend pretty well. Not that it was like the first extraction thing ever, but..." ([08:41])

  • He worries that attempts like Rainbow Six Extraction felt “half-baked,” and wonders if a Far Cry extraction game would have staying power or feel forced.
• Strengths & Weaknesses of Ubisoft’s Approach
  • Mike: Ubisoft’s strength is open-world chaos, player creativity, and co-op mayhem. But, "They’ve had wins and a lot of losses." ([09:36])
  • Blessing: Rainbow Six Siege’s success came from their natural evolution of the IP, not chasing a trend:

    "It felt natural when they were trying to do it with Rainbow Six Siege." ([11:10])

  • There’s skepticism about trying to force every trend into a big IP, with Blessing questioning whether Far Cry is a natural fit for extraction-style gameplay.

    "Does Far Cry fit for an Extraction thing or Battle Royale thing… or should Far Cry just be the open world?" ([13:11])

• Live Service Pressure
  • Both identify Ubisoft feeling pressure to turn existing IPs into ongoing revenue sources, leading to repeated attempts at “big” multiplayer modes across brands (Hyperscape, XDefiant, Rainbow Six Extraction).
• Audience & Market Fit
  • Blessing questions if the dedicated Far Cry audience cares about extraction shooters and highlights the risk of diluting what makes the franchise special:

    "...Do the people that play Far Cry, the Far Cry audience, do they care about extraction? The answer is no." ([15:47])

Notable Quotes

• Blessing (on Ubisoft's rationale for more multiplayer):

  “For a long time by players is the key part of this quote that... puts into context the thought process ... I think of games as a service... updates, I think events, Battle Pass...” [05:19]

• Snowbike Mike (on chasing or creating trends):

  "I think the Division right now, with where that stands, we're not really there. Far Cry is a tentpole that's staying up. You could build off of Far Cry." [10:08]

• Blessing (on audience fit):

  “Should Far Cry just be the open world... should you just save the extraction stuff for a Tom Clancy game?” [13:11]

2. Far Cry Villains: Will There Be Another Celebrity? ([17:46]–[19:15])

• The hosts discuss Far Cry’s tradition of memorable villains and celebrity casting.
• Snowbike Mike:

  “Oh, 100%. The next Far Cry will have some sort of big tie-in for sure. They're finding massive success with that.” [18:02]

• Dream casting includes Rob McElhenney, Jon Hamm, Sydney Sweeney, Charlize Theron, Uma Thurman, and WWE’s Rhea Ripley.
• Blessing points out it’s “time” for a female lead villain, after mostly male faces in the series.

3. Acclaim Returns: Indie Games Showcase ([20:13]–[31:06])

• Acclaim is back, announcing 9 new indie titles at their "Play Acclaim Showcase."
• Hosts run through each game, reacting to pitches and trailers.
  • Highlights:
    • Toss Down: “Crazy Taxi meets Jet Set Radio.” Mike: “I try that. I like the look of this.” [20:51]
    • Basketball Classics: Nostalgic 8-bit basketball game. “My interest is piqued.” [23:37]
    • Talaka: Fast-paced, Afro-Brazilian mythology roguelite. Blessing: “This looks fucking awesome. Okay, that's so far. That's my game of the show.” [28:17]
    • Hyper Yuki: Snowboarding with retro Y2K vibes. “It's SSX Tricky meets Jet Set Radio vibes... let's get this out right away.” [29:01]
    • Katana: Violent, soulslike action roguelite. Blessing: “It’s like if Katana Zero and Blasphemous had a baby.” [30:38]
  • Overall, both are impressed with Acclaim’s commitment to pixel art and unique indie direction.

    “Acclaim is bringing it. I didn’t think we'd have this many where I’m interested.” – Mike [26:33]

4. BioShock Movie Update: Still In Development After Netflix Budget Cuts ([34:12]–[39:16])

• The BioShock movie is still alive, confirmed to be adapting the first game, but its script and scope are in flux due to Netflix budget changes.
• Both hosts react skeptically, doubting its necessity and likelihood to ever release.
  • Mike: “Is Netflix looking... maybe we don’t want to fund a full live action? Why not just do the animation style?” [35:41]
  • Blessing: “I don’t think this comes out. I don’t think this sees the light of day...” [36:11]
• They agree some stories and IPs don’t need reviving or milking for movies: “It’s fine for things to have their moment, be excellent, and ... let's not continue to milk a franchise…” – Blessing [37:58]

5. Fortnite, Fall Guys & Rocket League: Buying Only What You Need for Microtransactions ([39:16]–[42:14])

• Epic Games will soon allow players to purchase the exact amount of in-game currency needed in Fortnite (as well as Rocket League and Fall Guys), ending the practice of forced currency overages (i.e., buying a $10 bundle for a $7 skin and being left with stray credits).
  • Mike: “That’s a big fucking deal.” ([39:30])
  • Change happens October 14th; PlayStation not included yet ("working to make the offer available everywhere").
• The hosts call out PlayStation for lagging on pro-consumer initiatives and riff on their own approaches to microtransaction spending.
• Snowbike Mike teases an upcoming deep-dive/report on sports games and microtransactions.

6. WE News: Quick Hits / Smaller News ([42:40]–[49:57])

• Indie Announcements:
  • “Normal Fishing” (retro pixel art fishing), “Easy Delivery Company” (polygonal driving sim with chill/anxious vibes)
• PS Plus Additions for September 2025:
  • WWE 2K25, Persona 5 Tactica, Crow Country (not "County"!), Legacy of Kain: Defiance, and others
• Membership Fatigue:
  • Blessing admits to only paying for “Essential” PS Plus, prefers Game Pass and Nintendo Switch Online as needed, and feels overwhelmed by general subscription fatigue:

    “Every month, I look at my streaming services: HBO, cut that; Netflix, cut that. I just finished Squid Game, can’t wait to cut Netflix off.” ([47:04])

• Super Chats / Community Reactions:
  • Quick banter about Netflix's crackdown on password sharing and managing streaming subscriptions.

7. Corrections & Community Attributions (You're Wrong) ([52:23]–[53:39])

• Correction: The game title is “Crow Country,” not “Crow County.”
• Breaking news via chat: Paramount reportedly buying Warner Bros. ("the whole kit and caboodle").
• Super Chat Shoutouts, with some fun banter.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Blessing (on Acclaim’s indie strategy):

  “I’m surprised by how indie everything is. I thought we were going to see more double-A stuff, but I do like the direction. Like, if you got pixel art, if you’re 2D, if you are an indie… we’re making, we’re looking at the niche projects.” ([26:54])

• Snowbike Mike (on recurring microtransaction pitfalls):

  “Stop charging 800 V-bucks where I can only buy 1000 V-bucks – now I’m stuck with 200!” ([40:49])

• On Far Cry gameplay evolution:

  “I think 80% of the audience will go: ‘No, I just want to play my Far Cry game.’ I’m acceptable with me and my four friends running around... But it does have to be something more...” – Mike ([11:29])

• On Ubisoft genre-jumping:

  “It’s like hey, these genres are just hopping around these few IP. Assassin’s Creed is the one where it’s like, ‘we don’t know how to make it a fucking Assassin’s Creed battle royale, so we’re not even gonna try.’” – Blessing ([14:36])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:49] – Main Story: Far Cry 7’s focus on multiplayer, Ubisoft motives and trends
• [17:46] – Far Cry’s next villain: speculations and casting wish list
• [20:13] – Acclaim’s indie game showcase: rundown and reactions
• [34:12] – BioShock movie update: Netflix, skepticism
• [39:16] – Fortnite and Epic enable exact-amount microtransaction purchases (+ PlayStation lag)
• [42:40] – WE News: Quick-fire stories and PS Plus updates
• [52:23] – Corrections from chat (“Crow Country”)
• [53:13] – Final super chats and wrap-up

Summary: Essential Takeaways

• Far Cry’s Future:
  Ubisoft is doubling down on multiplayer and long-term engagement in the Far Cry franchise, possibly at the expense of what longtime fans love about its single-player chaos and open world. There’s both skepticism and optimism: can Ubisoft learn from its successes (Division, Rainbow Six Siege) without falling into the trap of forced trend-chasing?

• Meta Trends:
  The conversation reflects the larger industry tension between creating meaningful single-player experiences and pursuing monetization/live service models—especially when leveraging known IPs.

• Acclaim’s Comeback:
  Acclaim returns not with big licensed fare, but a slate of quirky indies, impressing the crew with creativity and variety.

• Consumer Wins:
  Epic’s exact-amount microtransaction innovation is a clear win for players; PlayStation’s reluctance is called out.

• Cultural Fatigue:
  Both in games and entertainment subscriptions, there’s a theme of fatigue—too many services, too many attempts to wring more ongoing money from audiences.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

You'll get a lively, critical discussion about where Ubisoft is steering its franchises (and risks involved), a fun rundown on the return and indie pivot of Acclaim, and insight into how industry shifts—even in how we pay for things—impact everyday gaming life. The episode is peppered with banter, unfiltered opinions, and clear-eyed skepticism—especially about movie adaptations and service game pivots. If you want to know not just what’s happening, but what it means for gamers, this is a great entry.

Hosts: Blessing Adeoye Jr., Snowbike Mike
Next up: Gamescast Borderlands 4 review and more kindafunny content!