Watch Dogs: Legion Sees Surprising Player Surge After Xbox Game Pass Addition!

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Summary

  • Watch Dogs: Legion was recently added to Xbox Game Pass.
  • The 2020 title topped the most-played Game Pass Standard list and sits at number three on the most-played Game Pass Ultimate list.
  • It’s unclear whether Ubisoft will ever release a fourth Watch Dogs title.

Watch Dogs: Legion is currently experiencing a bit of a boost since being added to Microsoft’s ever-popular subscription service, Xbox Game Pass. Having been released in late 2020, Watch Dogs: Legion was part of Ubisoft’s triple-threat of big open-world releases in the same Fall 2020 window alongside Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Immortals Fenix Rising. Despite implementing the never-before-seen “play as anyone” feature, in which players were able to recruit and play as quite literally any NPC in the London-set game world, Watch Dogs: Legion unfortunately didn’t do well critically or commercially.

Almost a year ago, rumors began to crop up about Ubisoft potentially shelving the Watch Dogs franchise, as neither of the three entries up to that point succeeded in garnering as much praise or fanfare as some of the French publisher’s other massive series, such as Assassin’s Creed or Far Cry. While this has yet to be officially acknowledged by Ubisoft, the rumors disappointed many fans of the open-world hacker franchise, as it’s easy to see Ubisoft moving on from it. Still, there remains some gamers who’d undoubtedly be excited to see Watch Dogs make a return.

Three weeks ago, Microsoft added Watch Dogs: Legion to Xbox Game Pass, and it seems like the game is experiencing a surge of players flocking in to try it out five years after its initial launch. According to Comic Book, while exact player numbers aren’t available, Watch Dogs: Legion has topped the most-played Game Pass Standard list and sits at number three on the most-played Game Pass Ultimate list, behind only Obsidian Entertainment’s new fantasy RPG Avowed and Madden NFL 25. Furthermore, Game Pass subscribers can enjoy a 20% discount if they choose to purchase the game to own.

Watch Dogs Legion Gets Big Xbox Game Pass Boost

While it’s surely nice for fans of the series to see Watch Dogs topping Game Pass charts and garnering attention in the gaming world, this newfound buzz surrounding the game is unlikely to get Ubisoft to reconsider its rumored shelving of the franchise and green-light a fourth game. Ubisoft is currently in the midst of a crisis, pending the commercial success and critical reception of Assassin’s Creed Shadows later in March. The outcome of the massive feudal Japan-set Assassin’s Creed title could help decide the fate of Ubisoft, which, up to this point, has reportedly been exploring options such as selling off some of its IPs or considering a buyout from Chinese conglomerate Tencent. It’s safe to say that Ubisoft has its hands full at the moment, and it seems unlikely that Ubisoft would make Watch Dogs a priority now of all times.

It’s uncertain how long “Watch Dogs: Legion” will continue to be part of Xbox Game Pass, but typically large-scale games like it usually last around a year on the service. This means that avid gamers should have enough time to delve into it. It will be intriguing to observe if “Watch Dogs: Legion” can maintain its position in the Game Pass rankings with “South of Midnight” and “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” releasing in April.

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2025-03-17 20:34