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Ubisoft activates 'Watch Dogs 2' multiplayer modes across all platforms

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Publisher Ubisoft is set to relaunch Watch Dogs 2‘s multiplayer component on Tuesday after unexpected issues rendered the game’s online modes inoperable in the week after launch.

PlayStation 4 owners can get an early look at Watch Dogs 2‘s multiplayer modes, while Xbox One online features will be activated before Wednesday.

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Released for the PS4 and Xbox One earlier in November, Watch Dogs 2 is an open-world action game that takes place in a virtual version of the San Francisco Bay Area. Like its 2013 predecessor, Watch Dogs 2 allows players to hack nearby electronic devices and public infrastructures in their quest to subvert an intrusive city-wide surveillance program.

In addition to a single-player campaign, Watch Dogs 2 promised an expansive online multiplayer mode that cast players as rival hackers and bounty hunters. Prior to the launch of Watch Dogs 2, however, prerelease players reported major issues surrounding the game’s invasion-based multiplayer modes, resulting in severe lag and crashes. On the day Watch Dogs 2 hit store shelves, Ubisoft revoked player access to its included multiplayer modes, promising that fixes were on the way.

“Watch Dogs 2′s ‘seamless multiplayer’ will not be live at launch as it’s not ready,” Ubisoft announced last week. “The team is working on a fix and we want to ensure that the core experience is stable at launch.”

The fixes were apparently successful, as Ubisoft notes that Watch Dogs 2‘s multiplayer mode is finally ready for a public showing. Starting Tuesday night across all platforms, players will be able to invite friends for local co-op sessions, invade rival hacker campaigns, and pursue bounty hunts for extra cash.

While connected to Ubisoft’s servers, Watch Dogs 2 players will need to be on their best behavior in order to keep a low profile. The publisher warns that if players cause too much chaos during Watch Dogs 2‘s campaign, the in-game San Francisco Police Department will issue an online bulletin for their arrest and rival players assuming the role of bounty hunters will soon be in hot pursuit.

Watch Dogs 2‘s multiplayer mode is active on the PS4 and online features for the Xbox One version will be ready “by early afternoon PST / evening EST,” according to Ubisoft.

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Danny Cowan
Danny Cowan
Contributor
Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…
Street Fighter 6 director reveals World Tour mode’s true purpose
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In the press release for Street Fighter 6, Capcom describes World Tour mode as a "single-player immersive story mode that pushes the boundaries of what a fighting game is and allows players to leave their own legacy with their player avatar." While Capcom isn't revealing more about the mode's moment-to-moment gameplay just yet, I spoke with Game Director Takayuki Nakayama at Summer Game Fest Play Days and learned how World Tour is emblematic of Capcom's goal to make Street Fighter 6 the premier entry point to the fighting game genre.
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What’s here for Persona fans?
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I didn’t spend enough time with this part of the game or the small character moments within it to get a feeling of whether or not its narrative will come together as well as Persona 5. Still, that game got me to fall in love with an eccentric cast of high-school cliche characters, so Soul Hackers 2 has the potential to do the same with a cast that leans into sci-fi stereotypes.

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Did you know that Square Enix released a retro-inspired beat ’em up based on Final Fantasy XV in 2016?
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