This Week At Ubisoft: Far Cry 5 Anniversary Celebrations Commence, Anno 1800 Comes to Consoles

This week at Ubisoft, Anno 1800 launched on current-gen consoles; The Crew 2 kicked off a new season; Far Cry 5 commenced its fifth-anniversary celebrations with a 60 FPS patch and massive discounts at the Ubisoft Store; and the Echoes of History podcast launched its fifth season with a deep look into the Assassin Brotherhood and Templar Order. Check it all out and more in this week's roundup of all Ubisoft news.

Anno 1800 Console Edition - 4 Tips for Getting Started

Anno 1800 Console Edition is available now on Xbox Series X|S and PS5, the first mainline game in the Anno franchise to come to consoles. This edition has a new interface, redesigned  for players using a controller and playing on a TV, and utilizes current-gen hardware to deliver a high-end experience. If you want to try the real-time city-building game before you buy, you can play Anno 1800 Console Edition for free on consoles and PC from now until March 23.  

The Crew 2 Season 8 Episode 1: USST Cities Out Now

On March 15, The Crew 2 kicked off USST Cities, the first episode of Season 8. The new content brings back the US Speed Tour, including all-new tracks for cities like New York, Miami, Seattle, and Los Angeles, as well as two new events each week and eight new LIVE Summits. New Motorpass rewards include the Pagani Zonda F Primary Edition and the Mini Cooper S Checkered Edition, among many others.

Far Cry 5 Gets 60 FPS Patch For Xbox Series X|S, PS5

On March 16, as part of its fifth anniversary celebrations, Far Cry 5 received a 60 FPS patch for the Xbox Series X|S and PS5. The patch applies to all game modes, as well as each of the three Far Cry 5 DLCs. Additionally, Xbox Series X users can take advantage of enhanced graphics with the patch, allowing them to run the game at 60 FPS in 4K resolution.

Play Far Cry 5 For Free From March 23-27

Far Cry 5 will host a free weekend from March 23-27 on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC, giving new players a chance to liberate Hope County from doomsday preacher Joseph Seed and his cult. For those who want to continue their playthrough after the free weekend ends, you can buy the game for up to 85% off and have your progress carry over to the full version.

Assassin's Creed Podcast Echoes of History: Assassins vs. Templars Out Now

Echoes of History, a deep-dive history podcast inspired by Assassin's Creed, launched its fifth season, titled Assassins vs. Templars, on March 13. Hosted by Dan Snow and Matt Lewis, the season will examine the real and fictional histories of the Assassin Brotherhood and Templar Order. Each episode focuses on a different point in time, ranging from the Crusades to 14^th century France, and Snow and Lewis will interview historians for their expertise on the topic at hand.

Save Up to 85% During Ubisoft's Spring Sale

From now until April 4, save up to 85% on select Ubisoft games during the Ubisoft Store's annual Spring Sale. Take out The Project at Eden's Gate in Far Cry 5, build up your city in the real-time strategy game Anno 1800, or help the Elari gain allies and expand their settlement in The Settlers: New Allies. As a bonus, buying any game during the Spring Sale will get you a free copy of post-apocalyptic dog-rescue adventure The Last Friend.

Ubisoft+ Spotlight - Far Cry 5

(Editorial note: This is a series of quick weekly highlights written by Ubisoft News team writers that feature games available with a Ubisoft+ subscription. We hope you'll enjoy reminiscing with us, or perhaps discover something new.)

Brittany Spurlin, Writer/Editor: Far Cry 5 is turning 5 on March 26, and to celebrate, here are five things that make the game so much fun to play:

1 - The Setting
Set in Hope County, Montana, Far Cry 5 gives players a massive open world to explore. From the rolling green farmlands of the Holland Valley to the timber-lined trails of the Whitetail Mountains to the glistening waters of the Henbane River, each region is full of beautiful sights to behold and stunning details that create a truly memorable sense of place, whether you're on-foot, behind the wheel, or flying through the sky.

2 - Lots To Do
The game knows how beautiful its world is, so it gives players plenty of chances to take a break from combat and fully appreciate it. Kick back by rivers and lakes to fish, stalk through the woods to hunt elk, soar down mountainsides in a wingsuit, or simply explore the area to find prepper stashes of supplies - but you'll need to solve puzzles to open them and take the loot.

3 - Combat
Fighting in Far Cry 5 is inevitable, but more than that, it's fun. Not only can you use a variety of firearms to take out the cult, you can use melee weapons like a baseball bat, shovel, or rowboat paddle. The game also has a Guns for Hire system that allows you to recruit NPCs, while Fangs for Hire recruits animals like Cheeseburger the Bear or Peaches the Cougar, or a friend in co-op mode to help you on your quest. The game tracks the effect that all of your mayhem is having on Hope County; the more damage you do in a region, the more the cult will try and stop you.

4 - Joseph Seed, Aka "The Father"
The Far Cry series is known for its terrifying and compelling villains, and Joseph Seed and his family are no exception. A doomsday preacher with a voice in his head warning of an impending apocalypse, Joseph built up a following through charisma alone. However, those who defy him are met with extreme violence, or drugged into complacency. Joseph Seed is a man with many layers, and his conviction will have you wondering: What if he's right?

5 - The End
No spoilers, but Far Cry 5's story has an ending you'll never forget.

You can play Far Cry 5 today with a Ubisoft+ subscription.

Game Updates

Following the release of its new Operation Commanding Force Season, Rainbow Six Siege deployed a hotfix on March 14.

• Finka Elite no longer appears as available
• Fixed a crash that occurred when a non-universal skin was equipped
• Y8S1 Esports All Set now includes the correct number of items

For Honor released patches 2.42.1 and 2.42.0 on March 16, bringing balancing updates and bug fixes to Heathmoor.

• Afeera's Gravity Pull no longer guarantees Speeding Comet
• Jormungandr has been reworked to have more moves and a better flow while in chains to improve fighting performance
• Dodges and Dodge attacks have been adjusted and are now riskier to use

The Division 2 implemented title update 17.1 on March 14, bringing a number of gameplay fixes and updates.

• Players can now start Manhunt at any time
• Fixed multiple issues with Headache Talent, including the Hotshot Gear Set resetting and not getting additional armor bonus after the Talent is activated
• Added outfits to the cache and updated the Apparel Cache tab photo to match the current Apparel Event

In addition to a revamped US Speed Tour, The Crew 2's new season introduced a number of bug fixes in its most recent patch.

• Story mode steps are no longer reset after unlocking a new fame status
• Fixed the issue of a levitating street lamp
• FPS no longer drops to 32 FPS at 98% progression during The Final Call street race

The Settlers: New Allies launched a game update on March 16, which introduced weekly maintenance on Thursdays, continued efforts on errors, desyncs and frozen matches, and balancing changes to improve gameplay.