Nintendo is about as leak-proof as any developer, but it can’t do anything to control leaks about third-party games coming to its hardware. That appears to be what happened this week, as new leaks suggest Ubisoft will bring Far Cry 7 to the unannounced Nintendo Switch 2. That would be especially notable because none of the previous numbered Far Cry games have been released on Nintendo consoles. It might also point to the power of the Switch 2.
On Wednesday, Insider Gaming shared new details about Far Cry 7 after previously confirming its existence in January. According to the report, Far Cry 7 is dubbed Project Blackbird internally and is currently scheduled to launch in Fall 2025.
As for the story, Insider Gaming’s sources claim it will center around the player trying to rescue their family, who have been kidnapped by a conspiracy group currently called the Sons of Truth. There will also supposedly be a time limit of 72 hours (which translates to 24 hours in real-time), and the player will need to save all of their family members before it runs out.
It sounds like an interesting twist on a formula that has become stale in recent years, but that’s just part of the story. Shortly after Insider Gaming published its report, Universe Nintendo editor-in-chief ‘Necro’ Felipe Lima revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that Far Cry 7 will be available for the next-generation Switch on day one:
He then clarified that Far Cry 7 will not be a launch game for the Switch 2 (which is expected to arrive in late 2024), but rather, Switch 2 will be one of the consoles Far Cry 7 launches on. Given how underpowered the Switch is compared to the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, we don’t see many third-party games hit the Switch alongside the other current-gen consoles. That might be a less common occurrence for Nintendo’s next console.
Recent leaks suggest the Switch 2 will be equipped with an 8-core Cortex-A78 CPU, a GPU with 12 streaming multiprocessors (SM), 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM, 256GB of flash storage, and DLSS support. If these specifications are accurate, the Switch 2 should be able to target performance within about 10-20% of the Xbox Series S. This would open the door to significantly more high-end third-party games, including a AAA game like Far Cry 7.
Obviously, none of this is confirmed, and it will likely be months before we hear anything official about the next Far Cry (or the next Switch). That said, if Nintendo is able to extend its roster of major third-party games, it will be a step closer to ending a frustrating cycle.
