Before it was known for the solid, action-packedDying Lightseries, Techland made waves withCall of Juarez, an FPS franchise set in the Wild West. The firstCall of Juarezgame actually predatesRed Dead Redemption—which many consider to be one of the early de facto Western gaming experiences—and the last entry in the series,Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, was released in 2013. That means that it’s been over a decade since audiences have seen hair or hide of the series, and it looks like Techland is trying to change that.
Indeed, according to a recent report from Insider Gaming,Call of Juarezcould be making a comebackat some point in the near future. This news comes amidst much more unfortunate developments at Techland, specifically the announcement that the company recorded record losses in 2024, leading to the cancellation of two of its in-development titles. Insider Gaming claims that these two canned projects were the fantasy RPG Techland teased back in 2022, and an unannounced sci-fi game taking heavy inspiration fromStar Wars. It would seem that thisCall of Juarezrevival is one of the few projects left standing after this reckoning at Techland, so it ought to be worth the trouble. Thankfully, it has all the potential in the world.
While the popularity ofGTAprompted a number of copycats and competitors in the 2000s and early 2010s, the fight for the open-world western genre was ceded toRed Dead Redemptionalmost immediately. There are precious few ambitious, AAA western games on the market right now, and the genre space has been historically underserved despite its clear potential. If Techland is, in fact, developing anewCall of Juarez, then this might not be the state of affairs for long.
What’s more is that Techland has accumulated invaluable experience in the years following the lastCall of Juarezentry. TheDying Lightgames allowed the studio to hone its strengths, specifically when it came to world design, combat, traversal, and side content. Thus, a modernCall of Juarezgame, one that has the visual fidelity andgameplay freedom ofDying Light 2, would be a boon for the genre, serving as a nice alternative to theRed Deadseries. This is especially true if one assumes that a newCall of Juarezgame would be more like “WesternDying Light” and less like an “FPSRed Dead Redemption,” making it a familiar, but still exciting, prospect.
Techland has demonstrated a willingness to commit to its IP in recent years, withDying Light 2still getting substantial new updatesthree years after its initial launch. Clearly, the studio has ambitions for long-term game development and live-service systems, and these goals could significantly benefit this rumoredCall of Juarezsequel.
It’s not at all unreasonable to speculate that Techland may want to include an online component for the nextCall of Juarezgame, as such long-term support would arguably work better in that context than in a game likeDying Light 2. For better or worse,Techland’s lackluster financial performancein 2024 may serve as further motivation for such an endeavor:Call of Juarezcould provide the revenue-generating evergreen multiplayer experience that Techland was aiming for withDying Light 2. There’s a massive demand for something likeRed Dead Online, especially since Rockstar has seemingly abandoned it, so Techland could very well aim to capitalize on that demand with the nextCall of Juarez.
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger
WHERE TO PLAY
CAN YOU STAND AGAINST THE DEADLIEST GUNSLINGERS WHO EVER LIVED?From the dust of a gold mine to the dirt of a saloon, Call of Juarez® Gunslinger is a real homage to the Wild West tales. Live the epic and violent journey of a ruthless bounty hunter on the trail of the West’s most notorious outlaws. Blurring the lines between man and myth, this adventure made of memorable encounters unveils the untold truth behind some of the greatest legends of the Old West.Meet the legendary outlawsBilly the Kid, Pat Garrett, Jesse James… Face down the West’s most notorious gunslingers and live the untold stories behind the legends.Dispense your own justiceWith a gun holster tied to your leg, become a ruthless bounty hunter on a journey made of all-out gun battles.Prevail in deadly gunfightsMaster the art of blasting pistols, shooting rifles and dodging bullets. Unleash lethal combos to gun down multiple enemies in split seconds.Become the West’s finestChoose the specific gun-fighting skills you want to develop and acquire new shooting abilities to become the West’s finest gunslinger.
