Watch Dogs 2 To Ditch Ubisoft’s Famed Tower Unlocking System

First introduced via Assassin’s Creed almost a decade ago, tower synchronization – that is, the mechanic of unlocking piecemeal portions of the game map as you go – fast become a cornerstone of Ubisoft’s open-world slate.

From the numerous AC sequels to Far Cry to Watch Dogs in 2014, it’s a feature that has no doubt become trite through repetition – and it would appear Ubisoft is at least conscious of shaking up the formula.

That’s according to Watch Dogs 2 Creative Director Jonathan Morin, who confirmed to Eurogamer that the publisher’s famed tower unlocking system won’t feature in the upcoming sequel. Instead, the entirety of San Francisco will be open from the get-go:

“It’s not a game where you open your map and everything’s there. There are no towers. You just explore the world.”

Elsewhere, Morin also noted how players interact with other members of DedSec, the group of digital activists at the heart of Watch Dogs 2.

“Players start with a few followers in [hacking group] DedSec, but pretty soon you realise you’re going to need more if you want to pull off big operations. So you start free-roaming. Every time you get followers, it’s like you’re unlocking the DedSec hivemind. You’re also unlocking new knowledge, new operations, new co-op missions. And then organically you hit those end-game milestones.”

Look for Watch Dogs 2 to launch across PS4, Xbox One and PC on November 15.