Publisher and developer Ubisoft offers a free copy of its forthcoming open world titleWatch Dogs 2to the winners of a North American hacking competition.
According to Major League Hacking, the challenge to winWatch Dogs 2is geared toward “design[ing] a project to demonstrate just how easy data privacy can be compromised on real-life smart devices.” Since the game’sprotagonist Marcus Hollowayprimarily uses his phone to infiltrate and control other technological devices such as cameras, stop lights, drones, security robots, as well as cars, the theme of the competition is apropos.
Furthermore, Major League Hacking will also be holding a competition inspired by the Capture the Flag game mode at each hackathon, with Ubisoft giving a copy ofWatch Dogs 2and a trip to Montreal for a meet and greet with the title’s developers to the person with the fastest time. Those interested in taking part in this year’s hackathons can find the competitions closest to them and the schedules for the Major League Hacking eventsright here.
Watch Dogs 2’s tie-in with Major League Hacking’s events isn’t the first instance of Ubisoft promoting its games in an unconventional way. As a matter of fact, just prior to the release of its first-person action-adventure titleFar Cry Primal, the companyheld a contestin which winners would not only win a copy of the prehistorically-themed release, but also gave them the opportunity to spend a day and night camping out in an actual cave in the Pyrenees.
Beyond Ubisoft’s marketing team doing a solid job of incorporating real world inspirations into the promotions for its games,Watch Dogs 2itself seems to be poised as a superior follow-up to the original entry in the franchise. Asour preview at E3 2016details, the game injects a breath of fresh air into the techno-driven conceit of the series, with new setting, hacking options, and co-op features making for a more enjoyable experience than its grittier, and more poorly executed precursor.
Speaking of which, fans who have yet to dive into all ofWatch Dogs 2’s playable aspects and wish to do so would do well to start with the most recently releasedmultiplayer trailer, as it covers many of the updated game mechanics. Of course, should one be swayed by the what they see, Ubisoft is planning to put out lots of differentSpecial EditionsforWatch Dogs 2so as to cater to those with varying levels of interest in the title.
Watch Dogs 2is set to release on July 26, 2025 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
