Ubisoft has confirmed a long-held fan theory about the villain of Far Cry 2, the Jackal, and how he connects to the original Far Cry story.
“The Jackal is actually supposed to be Jack Carver from the original Far Cry,” said Clint Hocking, Far Cry 2's Creative Director, while talking to IGN for the latest Inside Stories documentary, How Far Cry's Iconic Villains Were Created.
Carver is an ex-U.S. Army Special Forces and the protagonist in the first Far Cry along with the spinoff Far Cry Instincts.
“Jack Carver in the original Far Cry was this shifty, smuggler, gun runner kind of crook,” Hocking explained. “The idea was [the Jackal] is just him, 10 years later or something, after he's seen whatever he saw on this island [during the events of Far Cry]. Maybe it was drug induced, maybe it's post-traumatic stress disorder, or maybe it's real. But the idea is, a decade later, he has levelled up his smuggling game, and he's gotten embroiled in this conflict.”
For over a decade, fans of Far Cry have theorised that the Jackal is Jack Carver (specifically the version of Carver from Far Cry Instincts). The theory stems from two areas: the first is that the Jackal's background is similar to that of Jack Carver's. Both characters served in the U.S Navy, and both had an illegal arms trading operation. It has also been theorised that the box given to Jack Carver at the end of Far Cry Instincts is full of conflict diamonds, which are a major part of Far Cry 2's story.
The second, more conclusive evidence is that the texture files for the Jackal are all named 'jackcarver'. Files such as 'jackcarver_shoes_d.dds' and 'jackcarver_hair_d_mip0.dds' make it fairly clear that at some point in development Ubisoft referred to the Jackal as Jack Carver.
Despite this, there is no concrete evidence within the events or world of Far Cry 2 that confirm the theory. Hocking's comments on the Jackal is the first time Ubisoft has clarified the link between the two characters, finally confirming a fan theory that's been held for well over a decade. So if you've been arguing since 2008 that the Jackal is Jack Carver, well you were absolutely right and now you have the proof.
For more from Far Cry, check out how Giancarlo Esposito controlled the chaos on the set of Far Cry 6, and how you'll be able to play as iconic Far Cry villains in Far Cry 6's roguelike DLC.
Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.