We speculated back in April of 2015, based on a job posting for a senior gameplay programmer for Watch Dogs 2, that Watch Dogs 2 was in development. Okay, fine, it wasn't a Sherlockian leap of deductive reasoning, but the game has nonetheless remained an unconfirmed rumor until today, when Ubisoft confirmed in its third quarter sales announcement that Watch Dogs 2, and a few other games of note, will be out sometime during its 2016-17 fiscal year.
The report throws around some big numbers, as they are wont to do: Ubisoft expects big sales this year—€1.36 billion/$1.54 billion—and even more next year—€1.7 billion ($1.93 billion)—thanks to what Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot calls a "portfolio of powerful franchises." Mo' money is good news for Ubi, but the interesting part from a non-business perspective is found a bit lower down the announcement.
There are no specific dates, or even seasons, but the report makes Watch Dogs 2 official by stating that it will be released something during the coming fiscal year, which runs from April 1, 2016, to March 31, 2017. Other games of note that, barring delays, will be released over the same period include the medieval melee game For Honor, the new South Park RPG Fractured But Whole (get it?), and the open-world Ghost Recon Wildlands.
Interestingly, but surely not coincidentally, Ubisoft confirmed earlier today in a separate blog post that something we won't see in 2016 is a new Assassin's Creed release. Ubi is “stepping back and re-examining” the franchise, a move Guillemot said was made possible by the strength of the other games it has lined up for the year.
