TheFar Cryuniverse is becoming increasingly complicated, as the series' world is now packed full of megalomaniacs and fictional nations. In recent years, it has even gone through a nuclear apocalypse and come out the other side. To make matters more confusing, there’s evidence thatFar Cry 6may be establishing a separate continuity from the rest of the series' timeline.
Far Crymay be known for its central villainous performances, but there’s one character who plays a hugely underappreciated role. Hurk Drubman, Jr. may be a hired gun, a slob, a moron, and an opportunist, but he could also be the key to unlocking theFar Crycontinuity. If Ubisoft leaves him out ofFar Cry 6, the studio will be making a huge mistake.
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Hurk And Far Cry’s Continuity
More than any other character, Hurk creates continuity between theFar Crygames. Hurk first appeared inFar Cry 3’sMonkey BusinessDLC, and he immediately answered a questionFar Cryfansof the franchise had been asking for years. As tongue-in-cheek as all of Hurk’s appearances are, his dialogue inMonkey Businessconfirmed the existence of a single continuousFar Cryworld.
InFar Cry 3, Hurk mentions Bowa-Seko as a source of blood diamonds. AlthoughFar Cry 2’s African nation remains unnamed, Bowa-Seko is the southern region of the game’s map. Not only does Hurk then go on to appear inFar Cry 4, but in the same game, Longinus hints that he is from the setting ofFar Cry 2when he mentions being baptized in Goka Falls. This establishes thatFar Cry 2,3, and4all take place in the same world.
Hurk’s ancient ancestor Urki even appeared inFar Cry Primal, though Hurk himself would return for bothFar Cry 5andFar Cry New Dawn. Having moved back toHope County, Montanaafter years of mercenary work, he survives the nuclear apocalypse living in a bunker with his cousin Sharky. He can be found with boxes of belongings fromFar Cry 3’s Rook Islands andFar Cry 4’s Kyrat, again reinforcing a single timeline which flows from at leastFar Cry 2toFar Cry New Dawn.
Hurk In Far Cry 6
Hurk Drubman, Jr’s actor Dylan Taylor recently suggested that the character would not be appearing inFar Cry 6, responding to a question on Twitter.
Considering what has been shown ofFar Cry 6so far, this would make sense. The resist ending ofFar Cry 5and the plot ofFar Cry New Dawnestablished a timeline where civilization collapsed on a world-wide scale. This hardly appears to be the case inFar Cry 6’s Yara, and even if the game was set before the bombs dropped, the player’s knowledge of an impending nuclear war would risk undermining their investment in the leadership of a nation that would likely be destroyed.
It seems likely thatFar Cry 6will take place in a timeline where Joseph Seed’s predictions of the apocalypse never came true. However, this raises some other big questions. Does Yara exist in the same continuity as the otherFar Crygames? Do locations like Bowa-Seko, the Rook Islands, and Kyrat exist in the same world asFar Cry 6? Hurk makes references inFar Cry New Dawnthat raise even more questions.
InNew Dawn, players discover that after three years living in a bunker with Hurk and Sharky, Hurk’s mom and her boyfriend eventually leave for Cuba. Just as the Rook Islands are based on Indonesia andKyrat is based on Nepal,Far Cry 6’s Yara is heavily based on Cuba. For now, it remains unclear whether or not both Cuba and Yara exist in theFar Cryuniverse.
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The Future For Hurk
This might sound like a good reason to leave Hurk behind and start fresh withFar Cry 6. However, Hurk’s presence inFar Cry 6could be key to helping players understand the new continuity in whichFar Cry 6is set. If Hurk appears inFar Cry 6, for example, and mentions having recently moved toYaraafter a stint back home in Hope County, it will be clear thatFar Cry 6takes place in a continuity which follows from the events ofFar Cry 5, but where the apocalypse did not take place.
His presence would also help confirm whether Yara is within the continuous world ofFar Cryestablished so far. Many fans have been scrambling to figure out whenFar Cry 6might be set and if it’s connected to the other games, with evenVaas' voice actor Michael Mandocommenting on the theory that his iconic villain might reappear in the upcoming game.
Fans of the franchise who aren’t interested in the continuity between the games still have reason to hope for Hurk’s return. Long-timeFar Cryfans have now helped Hurk strap bombs to monkeys in the Rook Islands, redeem himself for his monkey-exploding past inFar Cry 4’sHurk’s Redemption, and in the spin-off adventureFC5: Lost on Mars, they even saw Hurk turned into a party robot.
EveryFar CrygamesinceFar Cry 3has been centered on its charismatic villain. Since then, Hurk has represented the polar opposite - a hapless side-character who somehow finds his way into every story, even when that story is set thousands of years in the past or on a distant planet. He’s been a mainstay of the franchise for years now, a familiar face in a series which is constantly shifting location, antagonist, and player character. With Hurk, Ubisoft would have the chance to clarify its new and complicated continuity. Without Hurk,Far Cryfans will likely find Yara feeling a little less friendly and familiar. While that could be to the new game’s advantage, it could also leave players less invested in the world.
Far Cry 6is in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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