Turns out, Far Cry 6 is political according to narrative director Navid Khavari

Art is political, that’s just the simple fact of it. Video games are a form of art and therefore are also political, especially when they try and trade in the subject matter that Ubisoft enjoys. Despite making games with some of the most overtly political overtones in the industry, the publisher will be the first to tell everyone that its games aren’t “political”. It’s a nebulous phrase, one that’s used more for the sake of people who don’t want to think critically about the media they consume. Far Cry 6, the latest game from Ubisoft, was also described as being non-political and yet everyone rolled their eyes at the idea. A game about overthrowing a fascist leader in a Cuba-esque country? Yeah, that’s definitely not political. Fortunately, Navid Khavari, the narrative director on Far Cry 6, revealed that the game actually is political in a newly published blog post.

“Our story is political. A story about a modern revolution must be. There are hard, relevant discussions in Far Cry 6 about the conditions that lead to the rise of fascism in a nation, the costs of imperialism, forced labor, the need for free-and-fair elections, LGBTQ+ rights, and more within the context of Yara, a fictional island in the Caribbean,” reads the blog post from Khavari. It’s a refreshing stance for Ubisoft to take given how often the publisher has shied away from such specific language in the past.

Khavari continues on to say “…if anyone is seeking a simplified, binary political statement specifically on the current political climate in Cuba, they won’t find it. I am from a family that has endured the consequences of revolution. I have debated revolution over the dinner table my entire life. I can only speak for myself, but it is a complex subject that should never be boiled down to one quote.”

“What players will find is a story that’s point-of-view attempts to capture the political complexity of a modern, present-day revolution within a fictional context. We have attempted to tell a story with action, adventure, and heart, but that also isn’t afraid to ask hard questions.”

I’m not about to lie to you, it is refreshing to hear someone at Ubisoft actually acknowledging one of the worst ongoing PR lies told since Nixon was described as having a bad day. Far Cry 6 launches for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC on October 7. You can check out the high-octane, explosion-filled trailer here if you like.

Last Updated: June 1, 2021