Watch Dogs (also known as WATCH_DOGS) is a video game series created by Ubisoft. The games are mainly made by Ubisoft's Montreal and Toronto studios using the Disrupt game engine. The first game in the series was released in 2014, followed by two more games: Watch Dogs 2 in 2016 and Watch Dogs: Legion in 2020. The series also includes books, comic books, and a live-action movie set in the same fictional world.

In the Watch Dogs games, players explore an open world where they can complete missions to advance the story and do other activities. The main gameplay includes driving, shooting, and sneaking, with some role-playing and puzzle elements. The games take place in versions of real cities that are changed for the game, and the stories follow different hackers who face challenges in their cities. The main enemies are bad companies, criminals, and other hackers who use ctOS, a fictional system that connects all electronic devices in a city and stores personal information about citizens. Players can also use ctOS to control devices for help in battles, sneaking, or solving puzzles.

The games have been praised for their gameplay, mission design, and world details. However, some technical problems have been reported. The stories and characters have received mixed feedback, with some people liking them and others not. The series has been successful financially, with the first two games selling more than 20 million copies combined.

Games

The first game in the series is set in a made-up version of the Chicago area in 2013. It follows Aiden Pearce, a gray hat hacker and vigilante, as he seeks revenge after his niece is killed. The game was created starting in 2009 with a budget of $68 million. It was based on an idea for a sequel to the Driver series, which was being developed at Ubisoft Montreal at the same time as Driver: San Francisco, made by Ubisoft Reflections and released in 2011. Driver: San Francisco did not sell well, so the Montreal version was changed to focus on hacking while still including driving. Ubisoft Montreal led the development of Watch Dogs, with help from Ubisoft Reflections, Ubisoft Paris, Ubisoft Quebec, and Ubisoft Bucharest. The game was highly expected after its gameplay was shown at E3 2012, but the final version faced criticism for lower graphics. It was released for Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One in May 2014, and a Wii U version came out in November 2014.

Downloadable content (DLC) called Watch Dogs: Bad Blood was released in September 2014. It features Raymond "T-Bone" Kenney, a character from the main game, as the main player. The DLC adds ten story missions, new "Street Sweep" contracts, new weapons, outfits, side missions, and an RC car.

The second game, Watch Dogs 2, is set in a made-up version of the San Francisco Bay Area in 2016. It follows hacker Marcus Holloway, who is punished for a crime he did not commit because of ctOS 2.0. He joins the hacking group DedSec to fight against ctOS 2.0 and expose the corruption of Blume Corporation. This game added more multiplayer options and new weapons and gadgets compared to the first game. It has a more colorful and hopeful tone. Ubisoft Montreal led the development, with help from Ubisoft studios in Toronto, Paris, Bucharest, Kyiv, and Newcastle. Watch Dogs 2 was released in November 2016 for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Five DLC packs were released for the game: "T-Bone Content Bundle," "Human Conditions," "No Compromise," "Root Access Bundle," and "Psychedelic Pack." All DLCs were exclusive to PlayStation 4 at first due to an agreement with Sony Interactive Entertainment, but later became available on other platforms.

• The "Root Access Bundle" (December 2016) and "Psychedelic Pack" (released with the game) include a mission involving the Zodiac Killer, new outfits, cars, skins, and weapons.
• The "T-Bone Content Bundle" (December 22, 2016) for PlayStation 4 adds a new co-op difficulty called "Mayhem" and includes T-Bone's clothes and truck.
• "Human Conditions" (February 21, 2017, for PlayStation 4; March 23, 2017, for Xbox One and PC) includes three new stories in San Francisco's science and medicine industries, new co-op missions with an enemy called "the Jammer," and new weapons.
• "No Compromise" (April 18, 2017, for PlayStation 4; May 18, 2017, for Xbox One and PC) adds a new story mission, outfits, and weapons.

Watch Dogs: Legion is set in a made-up, futuristic, and dystopian London. It follows DedSec as they try to clear their names after being framed for terrorist bombings and work to free Londoners from Albion, a private military company that controls the city with surveillance. The game allows players to recruit any NPC in the open world, each with unique skills and backgrounds. If permadeath is enabled, characters can be permanently lost. Ubisoft Toronto led the development, with Clint Hocking as creative director. Legion was released for Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Stadia on October 29, 2020, and later for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

The online multiplayer mode, delayed until March 2021, allows up to four players to complete cooperative missions, play competitive modes, or explore London together. After release, the game received free updates adding new missions, game modes, and characters, including Mina Sidhu, Aiden Pearce, Wrench, and Darcy Clarkson (from Assassin's Creed). A paid story expansion, Watch Dogs: Legion – Bloodline, featuring Aiden and Wrench, was released on July 6, 2021.

Common elements

The Watch Dogs series is part of a game type called sandbox games. These games mix action, adventure, stealth, and driving. Players can move freely through the game world on foot or in vehicles and use weapons and hand-to-hand combat. If a player does illegal things, like attacking non-player characters (NPCs), officials in the game will respond strongly and often deadly. If the player dies, they will restart near where they were killed.

In each game, the player controls a hacker who uses their in-game smartphone to hack into electronic devices connected to a fictional system called ctOS. Most of the abilities from ctOS help with solving puzzles or stealth parts of the game, but they can be used anytime to create different situations, such as hacking traffic lights to cause a traffic jam or calling the police on NPCs. Players can improve their skills and unlock new tools as they progress. In Watch Dogs 2, more weapons and tools, like a taser and a quadcopter, were added.

The Watch Dogs games take place in fictional versions of real cities where ctOS is used. Watch Dogs is set in the Chicago area, Watch Dogs 2 in the San Francisco Bay Area, and Watch Dogs: Legion in Greater London. The first two games happen in modern times, while Legion is set in the "near future" (around 2030), showing major technological advances.

Reception

Watch Dogs received mostly positive reviews, even though some critics pointed out technical problems, differences between the game's graphics in marketing materials and the actual game, the story, and the main character. By the end of 2014, the game sold more than 10 million copies.

Watch Dogs 2 received mostly positive reviews when it was released. Critics generally said it was better than the first game. Although the game had difficulty selling at first, it sold more than 10 million copies by 2020.

Watch Dogs: Legion received mixed reviews. Critics had divided opinions about the game's feature of allowing players to control many different characters. Some praised the game's diversity and the use of permanent death, which helped players form emotional connections with characters. Others criticized the characters for lacking personality and for having uneven abilities. Additional criticism focused on the game's world design, driving mechanics, inconsistent difficulty, repetitive missions, online features, and technical issues.

Other media

An eBook titled Watch Dogs: Dark Clouds by John Shirley, which continues the story of the first game, was released in 2014 at the same time as the game. A two-part comic book series called Watch Dogs: Return to Rocinha was published by Titan Comics in 2019. It follows Sauda, a young hacker from Brazil’s slums who joins DedSec to fight against local criminals. Before the release of Watch Dogs: Legion, two books were published: a prequel novel titled Day Zero by Aconyte Books and a companion book titled Resistance Report by Insight Editions. A spin-off comic book series was released monthly starting in November 2021 in the United States by Behemoth and in two collected editions in France by Glénat. A prequel novel to the Watch Dogs: Legion – Bloodline expansion, titled Stars and Stripes, was published by Aconyte Books in April 2022. It follows Aiden Pearce and connects the events of Watch Dogs and Legion.

In 2013, it was reported that a movie based on the first Watch Dogs game was being developed by Ubisoft Film & Television, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and New Regency. In 2014, Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese were hired to write the film. In 2016, Engadget wrote that the movie was still in development and that Ubisoft planned to create films for all of its game franchises. The movie did not progress for over seven years until 2024, when it was announced that Sophie Wilde would star in the film, with Mathieu Turi directing and Christie LeBlanc writing the screenplay. In June 2024, Tom Blyth joined Wilde. In July 2024, Ubisoft confirmed that filming had officially begun.

In 2019, it was reported that an animated television series inspired by Watch Dogs was being developed. Unlike the video games, which are rated for mature audiences, the series would target tweens and follow a teenage “super hacker” who solves crimes at her high school.

An interactive audio drama titled Watch Dogs: Truth was released in November 2024. It takes place after the events of Watch Dogs: Legion.