Multiplayer in the Just Cause series has never been an official addition to the sandbox game, instead it has only recently appeared in Just Cause 2 thanks to some dedicated modders. According to developer Avalanche Studios (via
Game Informer), this will hold true for Just Cause 3, though it may only be lacking for a short period of time.
"Maybe sometime down the line, we'll take Rico into the modern world of multiplaying," said Christofer Sundberg, co-founder and chief creative officer of Avalanche Studios.
The last entry in the franchise, Just Cause 2, got multiplayer support years after its release on PC, thanks to a fan-developed mod. It's unofficial, but the free Just Cause 2: Multiplayer Mod is sanctioned by publisher Square Enix. And while no one will say definitively one way or the other, it sounds like the mod team responsible for that feat will work on a follow-up for Just Cause 3.
For now, it sounds like if and when multiplayer comes to the next Just Cause, it probably won't be Avalanche leading the charge.
"We don't expect the fans to make the multiplayer for Just Cause 3, but at some point you have to make a choice on where your focus is," Sundberg said. "Our strength is the sandbox experience, and we want to deliver a great Just Cause 3 experience."