Ubisoft's Watch Dogs: Legion is built around the premise that a group of people working together is more powerful than a single person working alone. To that end, players don't control a single protagonist, but manage a cell of DedSec, a hacking collective fighting against oppression and misuse of technology. The group has been a part of Watch Dogs since the first game, but how was it formed?
Watch Dogs: Legion will allow players to recruit almost any NPC to their DedSec cell. These NPCs have unique skills, histories, and agendas and, once recruited, allow players to choose different approaches to tackling missions. A super spy might lead a character to try a stealthy infiltration while a construction worker is more suited for bashing in the front door. Players also have the option to raise the stakes by turning on Permadeath mode in Watch Dogs: Legion, meaning any NPC lost in a mission gone bad is out of the game permanently.
DedSec was founded by people who once belonged to the private military group Umeni-Zulu Security Corporation. Umeni focused on cyber-security, but also dealt with intelligence and paramilitary operations. When Umeni had a security contract go bad, they framed several engineers for the disaster, pinning multiple crimes on them and sending them to jail. Once they'd served their time, these engineers created the secretive hacking group DedSec, dedicated to fighting the misuse of technology, particularly by the government. They're particularly opposed to the creation of the Central Operating System (ctOS) in Chicago, a computer system featured in the original Watch Dogs that monitors and controls everything from traffic lights to security cameras to the personal data of citizens.
What is DedSec Doing in Watch Dogs: Legion?
DedSec quickly spread to multiple cities around the world, with different cells having different approaches to fighting the system. In Watch Dogs: Legion, the focus is on the DedSec cell operating in near-future London. DedSec had largely operated in secret until they are framed for a series of bombing conducted by a mysterious figure known as Zero Day. After the attack, the government officially declares DedSec a terrorist organization, and the private military group Albion is tasked with eradicating DedSec once and for all. Players are trying to discover who was really behind the bombings, while also continuing DedSec's fight against abuses by the new police state and criminal factions looking to take advantage of the chaos in the city. To do so, players of Watch Dogs: Legion will be able to swap at anytime between members they've recruited to their cell.
Despite being labeled a terrorist organization, DedSec has a pretty easy time convincing people to join its cause. Almost any NPC in Watch Dogs: Legion can be recruited, usually by using DedSec operatives to solve a problem for that NPC, thus proving that DedSec really is a good organization after all. As a result, players of Watch Dogs: Legion can recruit an odd collection of operatives, ranging from an enthusiastic football fan to an octogenarian grandmother who used to be a spy, proving anybody can be a hero in DedSec's London.
Watch Dogs: Legion is on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Google Stadia, and PC. The game will also be a launch title for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.