Ubisoft / Practical guide
Far Cry Games in Order: Release Dates, Rankings and Steam Players (2026)
All nine main Far Cry games in release order, with the date on Ubisoft's store, the date on Steam, the Metacritic score and the Steam player record for each one, plus the 2026 status of the series.
ALVIRAN Editorial · Reviewed 2026-10-23
In this guide
Ubisoft PC accounts with Far Cry in the library
Every listing shows the full game library before checkout, so you can see which Far Cry games come with it.
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Far Cry games in order of release
The table lists every main Far Cry game in the order it came out, with the release date shown on its Ubisoft Store page and the date it reached Steam. The Ubisoft date is the one to use for the original launch. The Steam date is when that version went on sale on Steam, which for older games was years later.
| # | Game | Ubisoft Store release date | Steam release date | Developer (Steam) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Far Cry | March 2004 (store lists 11 Feb 2004) | 1 Apr 2008 | Crytek |
| 2 | Far Cry 2 | 22 Oct 2008 | 22 Oct 2008 | Ubisoft Montreal |
| 3 | Far Cry 3 | 2 Dec 2012 | 4 Dec 2012 | Ubisoft Montreal, Massive, Ubisoft Shanghai |
| 4 | Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon | 30 Apr 2013 | 1 May 2013 | Ubisoft Montreal |
| 5 | Far Cry 4 | 18 Nov 2014 | 17 Nov 2014 | Ubisoft Montreal and four support studios |
| 6 | Far Cry Primal | 23 Feb 2016 | 29 Feb 2016 | Ubisoft |
| 7 | Far Cry 5 | 27 Mar 2018 | 26 Mar 2018 | Ubisoft Montreal and four support studios |
| 8 | Far Cry New Dawn | 15 Feb 2019 | 15 Feb 2019 | Ubisoft Montreal, Kiev, Shanghai |
| 9 | Far Cry 6 | 7 Oct 2021 | 11 May 2023 | Ubisoft Toronto and four support studios |
The 2004 date. Ubisoft's store page for Far Cry shows 11 February 2004, but trade press at the time reported that Ubisoft and Crytek had gone gold with a worldwide PC launch on 25 March, and Metacritic lists 23 March 2004. We use March 2004. One or two days of difference elsewhere (Far Cry 4, Far Cry 5) is the Steam listing using a different time zone or region from Ubisoft's store.
Far Cry 6 is the only main game that skipped Steam at launch. Its PC version launched outside Steam in October 2021 and reached Steam on 11 May 2023, which matters for its Steam player numbers below.
Ubisoft also made console-only spin-offs in 2005 and 2006 (Far Cry Instincts, Instincts Evolution, Instincts Predator and Far Cry Vengeance) and a VR attraction. None of them is sold on PC, so they are left out of the numbered list.
Far Cry games ranked by Metacritic
Metacritic gives each game a headline Metascore from its lead platform and a separate score per platform. The table ranks the nine games by the headline score; when two games tie, the PC score decides. Scores were read on 23 October 2026.
| Rank | Game | Metascore (lead platform) | Metascore PC | Critic reviews (lead) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Far Cry (2004) | 89 (PC) | 89 | 72 |
| 2 | Far Cry 3 | 88 (PC) | 88 | 43 |
| 3 | Far Cry 2 | 85 (Xbox 360) | 85 | 75 |
| 4 | Far Cry 4 | 85 (PS4) | 80 | 83 |
| 5 | Far Cry 5 | 81 (PS4) | 78 | 83 |
| 6 | Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon | 80 (Xbox 360) | 81 | 51 |
| 7 | Far Cry Primal | 76 (PS4) | 74 | 91 |
| 8 | Far Cry 6 | 73 (PS5) | 74 | 58 |
| 9 | Far Cry New Dawn | 71 (PS4) | 73 | 70 |
The pattern is clear: every numbered game up to Far Cry 4 scored 85 or higher, and every main game released after Far Cry 4 has landed lower. Far Cry 3's console versions scored even higher than its PC version (91 on Xbox 360, 90 on PS3), so on most platforms it is the best-reviewed game in the series.
Far Cry 2 and Far Cry 4 tie on 85. Far Cry 2 ranks higher because its PC score is also 85, while Far Cry 4 drops to 80 on PC. New Dawn is last; it is a smaller spin-off sequel to Far Cry 5 rather than a numbered game.
Far Cry Steam peak players
A Steam all-time peak is the most people playing a game on Steam at the same moment. It covers Steam only, not Ubisoft Connect, Epic or consoles, so use it as a measure of the Steam audience. Figures are from SteamCharts, which logs Valve's own counts, read on 23 October 2026.
| Game | Steam all-time peak | On Steam since | Why the number looks the way it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Cry 5 | 92,377 | Mar 2018 | On Steam from day one |
| Far Cry 3 | 23,042 | Dec 2012 | On Steam from day one |
| Far Cry 6 | 19,996 | May 2023 | Reached Steam 19 months after launch |
| Far Cry 4 | 16,946 | Nov 2014 | On Steam from day one |
| Far Cry Primal | 14,702 | Feb 2016 | On Steam from the PC launch |
| Far Cry New Dawn | 12,369 | Feb 2019 | On Steam from day one |
| Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon | 5,444 | May 2013 | Small standalone release |
| Far Cry 2 | 1,482 | Oct 2008 | Launch weeks not tracked |
| Far Cry | 1,235 | Apr 2008 | Added to Steam four years after launch |
Far Cry 5 holds the Steam record by a wide margin, about four times the peak of any other Far Cry game. SteamCharts records begin in July 2012, so the 2008 launch of Far Cry 2 on Steam is missing, and the first game only reached Steam four years after it came out.
Ubisoft accounts that already own Blood Dragon
The 2013 standalone runs without Far Cry 3, and the library on each account is listed before you pay.
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Which Far Cry to play first
The Far Cry games are mostly standalone. Each main game has its own setting, hero and villain, so you can start anywhere. A few links between games are worth knowing before you pick.
| Game | Setting | You play as | Links to other games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Cry | Tropical island chain | Jack Carver | None |
| Far Cry 2 | War-torn African state | A mercenary with malaria | None |
| Far Cry 3 | Rook Islands | Jason Brody | Villain Vaas returns in a Far Cry 6 DLC |
| Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon | An 80s vision of the year 2007 | Sergeant Rex Colt | Standalone; does not need Far Cry 3 |
| Far Cry 4 | Kyrat, a Himalayan region | Ajay Ghale | Villain Pagan Min returns in a Far Cry 6 DLC |
| Far Cry Primal | Oros, Stone Age | Takkar | Earliest setting in the series |
| Far Cry 5 | Hope County, Montana | The Deputy | New Dawn is its direct sequel |
| Far Cry New Dawn | Hope County, 17 years after a nuclear catastrophe | The Captain | Follows Far Cry 5's ending |
| Far Cry 6 | Yara, an island nation | Dani Rojas | DLC 1-3: Vaas, Pagan and Joseph |
Best-rated start: Far Cry 3
88 on PC and 90-91 on the old consoles. Its single-player campaign is unaffected by the end of its online services.
Two-game story: Far Cry 5, then New Dawn
The only pair that is a true sequel. Play 5 first, because New Dawn starts from its ending.
Shortest: Blood Dragon
A standalone 80s parody that does not need Far Cry 3 installed, according to its Steam page.
Newest: Far Cry 6
The largest open world in the series according to its Steam page, with three DLC that bring back Vaas, Pagan Min and Joseph Seed.
If you plan to play Far Cry 6's three villain DLC, it helps to know Far Cry 3, 4 and 5 first, since each DLC is built around one of their antagonists.
Far Cry on PC: Steam, Ubisoft Connect and online status
All nine games are sold on PC today. From Far Cry 3 on, the Steam versions also need Ubisoft's launcher or a Ubisoft account, which is why a Ubisoft account's library is the place to check which Far Cry games you own. Ubisoft explains how Steam and Ubisoft accounts link.
| Game | Third-party account on Steam | Online features (Ubisoft Store) |
|---|---|---|
| Far Cry | None listed | No longer available |
| Far Cry 2 | None listed | No longer available |
| Far Cry 3 (2012) | Ubisoft Connect launcher | No longer available |
| Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon | Uplay (Ubisoft Connect) | Ended (Ubisoft support list) |
| Far Cry 4 | Uplay (Ubisoft Connect) | No notice |
| Far Cry Primal | Uplay (Ubisoft Connect), Denuvo | No notice |
| Far Cry 5 | Ubisoft Connect launcher, Denuvo | No notice |
| Far Cry New Dawn | Ubisoft account | No notice |
| Far Cry 6 | Ubisoft account, Denuvo | No notice |
- What "no longer available" means. Ubisoft's store pages for Far Cry, Far Cry 2 and the 2012 release of Far Cry 3 say multiplayer and online features are gone. The single-player campaigns still work.
- Co-op games. Steam lists drop-in co-op for Far Cry 4, a full two-player co-op campaign for Far Cry 5, and two-player co-op for New Dawn and Far Cry 6.
- Blood Dragon is its own product. It has a separate store page and Steam app, so owning Far Cry 3 does not include it.
What Full Access means when you take over a Ubisoft account, and why it matters for linked libraries, is explained in our NFA vs Full Access guide and the Ubisoft account linking guide.
Ubisoft accounts with Far Cry Primal
The Stone Age entry is the earliest setting in the series; every account lists its games before checkout.
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Next Far Cry: status in 2026
Ubisoft has not announced a Far Cry 7 or any other new main Far Cry game, and none has a release date as of 23 October 2026. What Ubisoft has said officially is short, so here it is in one place.
- 21 January 2026. Ubisoft's reorganisation release put Far Cry with Assassin's Creed and Rainbow Six in Vantage Studios, the unit it says should turn its biggest brands into "annual billionaire brands".
- 23 July 2026. The first-quarter sales release says Ubisoft expects a stronger pipeline in fiscal 2027-28 and 2028-29 "supported by releases across its major brands including Assassin's Creed, Far Cry and Ghost Recon". Ubisoft's fiscal year runs April to March, so that window is April 2027 to March 2029.
- 9 September 2026. Ubisoft announced that Far Cry 3 Classic Edition and Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon Classic Edition are coming to Switch 2 in spring 2027, without a day or a price.
Everything else you will read about the next Far Cry, including setting, codenames and multiplayer plans, comes from leaks and insider reports. We leave it out until Ubisoft confirms it. Ubisoft's full release outlook is tracked in our upcoming Ubisoft games 2026-2027 list.
More Ubisoft series in order
If you are building a Ubisoft PC library series by series, these guides use the same format, with dates from Ubisoft and Steam:
- Assassin's Creed games in order: all 14 main games by release and story order.
- Assassin's Creed games ranked: Metacritic, OpenCritic and Steam peaks for 15 games.
- Tom Clancy games in order: Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell and The Division in one timeline.
Frequently asked questions
How many Far Cry games are there?
Nine main games on PC: Far Cry, Far Cry 2, 3, Blood Dragon, 4, Primal, 5, New Dawn and 6. Counting the 2005-2006 console spin-offs (Instincts, Instincts Evolution, Instincts Predator and Vengeance) makes 13.
What is the correct order to play the Far Cry games?
Release order works best: Far Cry, 2, 3, Blood Dragon, 4, Primal, 5, New Dawn, 6. Only Far Cry 5 and New Dawn tell one connected story, so you can also start with any single game.
Do you need to play the Far Cry games in order?
No. Each game has its own setting and cast. Play Far Cry 5 before New Dawn, and play 3, 4 and 5 before Far Cry 6's three villain DLC if you want those to make sense.
Which Far Cry is the best?
By Metacritic, the original Far Cry (89) and Far Cry 3 (88 on PC, 91 on Xbox 360). Far Cry 5 has by far the most Steam players, with a record of 92,377.
What is the newest Far Cry game?
Far Cry 6, released on 7 October 2021. The next Far Cry release is the Switch 2 version of Far Cry 3 and Blood Dragon in spring 2027.
Is Far Cry 7 confirmed?
No. As of 23 October 2026 Ubisoft has not announced Far Cry 7. It has only said new releases from the Far Cry brand are planned between April 2027 and March 2029.
Which Far Cry games have co-op?
Far Cry 4 (drop-in co-op), Far Cry 5 (full two-player campaign), New Dawn and Far Cry 6 (two-player co-op), according to their Steam pages. Far Cry 3's 2012 PC release no longer has online features.
Do Far Cry games on Steam need Ubisoft Connect?
From Far Cry 3 on, yes: Steam lists Ubisoft Connect, Uplay or a Ubisoft account for every main game from 2012 onward. Far Cry and Far Cry 2 list no third-party account.
Fill the gaps in your Far Cry library
Compare which of the nine games each Ubisoft account owns, from the 2004 original to Far Cry 6.
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Sources and editorial scope
Reviewed 23 October 2026. Release dates and online-feature notes from each game's Ubisoft Store page (Far Cry, Far Cry 2, Far Cry 3, Blood Dragon, Far Cry 4, Primal, Far Cry 5, New Dawn, Far Cry 6); Steam dates, developers, account notices, settings and co-op features from each game's Steam store page and Steam's appdetails data. Metascores from Metacritic game pages and Steam peaks from SteamCharts, both read on 23 October 2026. Original Far Cry launch from trade press, 2004 (labelled). Outlook from Ubisoft's 21 January 2026 release, Q1 2026-27 sales release (23 July 2026) and Switch 2 announcement (9 September 2026). Rankings and play-first suggestions are ALVIRAN editorial based on these numbers.
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