WhenWatch Dogs Legionwas initially revealed, one of its most immediately defining aspects is how players build up the resistance. Rather than dedicated and static members of the resistance,Legionplayers can openly recruit any NPC as a playable character. The concept of playing as nearly any character is quite unique, but the level of variety that could be attained between the hundreds of potential characters was a common concern.
Classes inWatch Dogs Legionwere shown off a little bit when the game was first unveiled last year, but since then characters seem to have adopted a much more fluid system. There are still some subliminal archetypes like “drone expert” or trained assassins that utilize operator-specific abilities, but it seems the character-specific classes have been given more flexibility.
How Characters Have Changed in Legion
In the initial demo footage and information fromWatch Dogs Legion, every character was supposed to fall under a specific class: Hacker, Infiltrator, or Enforcer. Each class seemed straight-forward,similar toCyberpunk 2077’s class system, where each character’s class indicated what tactics were best with that particular character. Enforcers could rough some enemies up or go in guns blazing, Infiltrators would take a more stealthy approach, Hackers would manipulate the hyper-connected technology around them, and other examples in between. Now it seems that classes and characters are more adaptable to their situations, while still being able to specialize in particular areas unique to each character.
Based on previews and what wasshown during Ubisoft Forward, it seemsLegion’s charactersare no longer restrained to certain archetypes. Instead, every character has several slots reserved for weaponry, gadgets, uniforms (if any), along with any physical characteristics or unique abilities they have. Some characters have are very capable, having several abilities and gadgets available to them. Some have very few or only specialize in one specific area like the aforementioned drone experts. Specific affinities like mobility and stealth differ between certain characters based on their physique or age. Now it seemsWatch Dogs Legionis keen on making every character’s playstyle unique to their personality, instead of restraining them to three specific playstyles.
Benefits of a Free-Flowing Character System
This expansion from the initial character class system does a great job in emphasizingWatch Dogs Legion’s desire to make every character playable. Rather thangathering characters based on what their class designation is, this newer and more fluid system allows players to discover characters and personalities that the player prefers to play as. It doesn’t restrain players from choosing certain characters they like if they don’t fit with a certain mission scenario. Obviously there will likely be limits to this, but it does prevent the issue of preferring to use one character who’s specifically an “infiltrator” when an “enforcer” is the only character for the job. Ubisoft games are pretty good at allowing for player creativity and freedom, so this seems like a logical step.
Additionally, it makes personalizing theWatch Dogs Legionplaythrough and finding likeable or relatable characters much easier. This new fluid system helps avoid the issue of favoritism vs. practicality, or basically finding a character that the player likes but isn’t very useful to play as specifically. In games likeLegion, where players can “deep profile” and track any character they want to discover their backstory, it allows for favoritism by the player without sacrificing a character slot on what many would consider a “worse” character. Even people like the immensely popular “Helen” character, who’s a slow grandma/retired assassin, won’t be totally invalidated by faster and younger characters of the same class.
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A New Identity for Watch Dogs
This new free-flowing character dynamic reflects the renewed sense of identity for theWatch Dogsseries.Watch Dogs 2was what started the move towardsa more campy, hacker-fueled action romp for the series, butWatch Dogs Legionis taking that care-free attitude further. While the overarching themes of terrorism and militant occupancy of government are very serious themes, the level of personality in Bagley and every playable character enforces the idea thatLegionis all about satirization and charismatic rebellion. Each character has their own unique and stereotypical personality that’s endearing, allowing players to mix and match their favorite characters as part of their team.
WhileWatch Dogs Legionhas very few static characters throughout the game, this likely won’t be a problem in terms of enjoying the story. It’s clear the aim of the game is for players to discover their own stories whilst playing throughout the game. It’s why games likeGrand Theft Auto Onlineare so popular nowadays, as it allows players to mix and match their gameplay on the fly without compromising the enjoyment of the experience. While the hijinks may not be as insane as a game likeGrand Theft Auto 5, it seemsWatch Dogscontinues to inch ever closer to that desire withWatch Dogs Legion.
Watch Dogs Legionreleases on June 22, 2025 for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One. The game will also release on launch day for PS5 and Xbox Series X.
