Just Cause 5 is in development

The next entry in chaotic open-world series Just Cause is in development at Square Enix, as confirmed in an offhand comment by the publisher’s president in a recent financial earnings report.

The position of the Just Cause series has been somewhat uncertain after Square Enix announced last month it had sold several of its Western studios to video game holding company Embracer Group. That included big franchises like Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, and Legacy of Kain, but it looks like Just Cause wasn’t among them.

In a recent financial earnings report (opens in new tab), Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda confirmed the status of the series: “The Just Cause franchise will remain our IP,” he said, “and we are at work developing a new title in the franchise” (thanks, GameSpot (opens in new tab)).

Matsuda didn’t clarify whether the title would be a fully-fledged installment, but with Just Cause 4 releasing back in 2018, it’s likely a new sequel is in the works. It’s also probable that series developer Avalanche Studios will be taking the reins of this next Just Cause game. As PCGamesN highlights, the studio is hiring for positions on its next “cutting edge triple-A open-world game”. 

What’s next for Just Cause?

Just Cause has followed a simple guiding principle with each new release: go bigger. Each entry is bolder, larger and more ridiculous than the last, as the series continues to lean further into high-octane, bombastic violence.

The first game carved out a space for itself in the open-world genre by handing you a grappling hook to play around with. The second added a parachute to improve fluidity of movement, and the third threw in a wingsuit that allowed you to seamlessly glide across its map. The fourth game expanded their functions to include attachable rocket boosters and other toys to play with, on top of extreme weather for you to navigate.

That all culminated in fantastically frenetic combat and traversal, as you glided across tropical islands while sling-shotting around tornadoes and grappling enemy vehicles into the air. But it’s also set a high bar for Just Cause 5 – what other gadgetry could be added to the series’ staple fast-paced violence to keep it fresh? There are plenty of possibilities, from more environmental combat mechanics to additional movement tools. The scope for Just Cause 5 is very wide indeed. 

And that’s not the only Just Cause game in the works, either. Last year, Square Enix announced Just Cause: Mobile – a free-to-play third-person shooter that will involve both single player and multiplayer elements. From the little we’ve seen so far, it looks like you’ll play as an agent of your own making, teaming up with other players to cause mayhem under the auspices of series regulars Rico Rodriguez and Annika Svensson.