Players take on the role of guerrilla fighter Dani Rojas (voiced by either Nisa Gunduz or Sean Rey), attempting to topple Castillo and his regime.

Gameplay focuses on combat and exploration; players battle enemy soldiers and dangerous wildlife using a wide array of weapons and gadgets.

The game was designed to be "political", covering themes such as the rise of fascism in a nation, the costs of imperialism, and the need for free and fair elections, in response to the controversy generated by Far Cry 5.

Similar to the previous entries in the series, Far Cry 6 is a first-person shooter game, set in an open world environment navigable on foot or via various land, water, and air vehicles.

Players assume the role of a local rebel named Dani Rojas, a former conscript in the military turned into a guerrilla fighter, whose gender they can select at the start of the game.

[5][6] Another new addition is the "Supremo" backpacks, allowing augmentation of the playstyle by assigning more perks to the player's loadout, such as firing homing missiles or seeing enemies through solid objects.

As the game progresses and the player explores more of the world, enemy forces will be equipped with more powerful gear and target locations become more heavily fortified.

[9][10] Like previous games in the series, outposts are scattered throughout the world, allowing the player to kill or neutralize the enemy presence to reduce the dominance of forces in a particular area.

[12] The player has the ability to construct and upgrade guerrilla bases called "Camp Facilities", which provide useful resources and in-game bonuses to increase the skillset of the character, specialize perks in hunting animals, unlock fast travel locations throughout Yara, enlist new recruits and manage their equipment, or launch friendly NPC operations.

[13] The game's version of Far Cry 5's "Fangs for Hire" companion system returns, called "Amigos", which features recruitable animals with a variety of abilities and perks tasked to assist the player in combat and exploration.

[14] Far Cry 6 takes place in 2021 in Yara, a fictional Caribbean island nation inspired by Cuba ruled by the dictator Antón Castillo (Giancarlo Esposito).

In 2019,[18][19] Antón is elected president and oversees the creation of Viviro, a new cancer treatment developed from Yara's tobacco, promising it will stabilize the nation's economy.

In the capital Esperanza, as Yara's armed forces round up citizens for the draft, Dani Rojas prepares to escape to the American city of Miami via fishing boat, alongside friends Lita Torres and Alejo Ruiz.

Upon arrival, Clara tells Dani to invite ex-spymaster and weapon maker Juan Cortez back into Libertad, disrupt the Fuerzas Nacionales de Defensa (FND) forces on the island, and clear the blockade trapping the guerrillas in the region.

If Dani does not leave, Clara gives the order to aid anti-Castillo forces throughout Yara's three major regions—Madrugada, Valle de Oro, and El Este—and convince them to help Libertad oust Antón.

They take down General José Castillo—Antón's nephew, commander of Yara's air force, and a slave driver who robbed the Monteros and other local farmers of their lands to grow the Viviro tobacco.

Over in Valle de Oro, Dani assists the rap band Máximas Matanzas in airing TV and radio performances to push back against pro-Castillo propaganda spread by María Marquessa, Yara's Minister of Culture and Diego's mother.

While attempting this, Dani comes across an anarchist rebel group of university students known as La Moral who are fighting against Yara's naval commander Admiral Benítez.

They then track down Sean McKay, a Canadian business magnate who handles Viviro exports and imports, and either kill him or make a deal with him to finance Libertad.

Dani will be shown three months later relaxing on a beach in Miami, with a news broadcast detailing how Castillo has consolidated his hold over Yara by crushing rebel forces and executing Clara.

[26] The development team scrapped the Map Editor and Arcade Mode, which were present in the previous instalments, instead they focused exclusively on improving the main campaign.

[30] The game includes a large urban area and encompass a mix of open and closed buildings, offering rooftop runs, guerrilla paths through sewers, climbing, jumping, and gunfights in city streets.

[32] Khavari's family had experienced the Iranian Revolution in the late 1970s, eventually having fled to Canada, and using these experiences, those from Cuba, and from other research that Ubisoft had done, he wanted Far Cry 6 to have a story "about the conditions that lead to the rise of fascism in a nation, the costs of imperialism, forced labor, the need for free-and-fair elections, LGBTQ+ rights, and more.

[57] Eurogamer outlined in their review: "There's plenty that's familiar about the latest entry in Ubisoft's open world shooter, but that doesn't stop it being a blast.

"[66] Conversely, Polygon's Diego Arguello said that Far Cry 6 "is a waste of potential", criticizing its Latin American stereotypes and feeling it fumbled any attempt at saying something meaningful despite the game's overt political theme, citing an instance "in which you rescue refugees by using a weapon that plays Macarena while you're aiming down its sights".

[67] Writing for Vice, Matthew Gault criticized and described the game as "creatively and morally bankrupt", noting his article "isn't a review" because he could not continue playing it.