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For most newcomers, play Watch Dogs, then Watch Dogs 2, then Watch Dogs: Legion. That release-order route introduces Aiden Pearce, lets you meet Wrench before his return, and gives the story in Legion’s Bloodline expansion more context. This is a practical starting-order recommendation, not an objective quality score: Ubisoft’s official pages describe each game and its features, but do not establish a neutral best-to-worst ranking.
Choose Legion first instead if its “Play as Anyone” recruitment system and London setting are the main reasons you are interested. You will still be able to follow its main campaign, but playing the earlier games first adds background for returning characters.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Watch Dogs: Legion Xbox Series X S, Xbox One Standard Edition | $8.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Watch Dogs 2 - PlayStation 4 | $23.11 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Watch Dogs xbox one | $9.49 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Watch Dogs Legion (PS4) | $8.46 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Watch Dogs Legion: Resistance Report | $14.99 | Buy on Amazon |
The recommended order at a glance
| Order | Game | Best starting reason | What it sets up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Watch Dogs | The series’ original entry and Aiden Pearce’s story | Aiden’s later appearance in Legion’s Bloodline |
| 2 | Watch Dogs 2 | The natural continuation after the first game | Wrench’s character before his return in Bloodline |
| 3 | Watch Dogs: Legion | A recruit-and-play system built around London residents | The third main entry and its returning-character expansion |
Ubisoft identifies Watch Dogs: Legion as the third entry in the franchise and describes “Play as Anyone” as its major innovation: you select resistance members from London’s population rather than following only one permanent protagonist (Ubisoft’s franchise overview). That makes release order the clearest route for a first playthrough, while a Legion-first route is reasonable for players who care most about that specific mechanic.
1. Watch Dogs: the best default first game
Why start here
The original Watch Dogs establishes the series’ initial perspective through Aiden Pearce. Starting with it gives you the first game’s context before you move to the later entries, rather than asking you to work backward from references and returning characters.
#1 Best Overall
- Recruit and play as anyone from London Everyone you see has a unique backstory, personality, and skill set for unique situations
- Hack armed drones, deploy spider-bots, and take down enemies using an Augmented Reality Cloak
- Explore a massive urban open world featuring London’s many iconic landmarks and fun side activities
- Team up with your friends as you complete co-op missions and unique game mode
- Upgrade to the Gold Edition or Ultimate Edition for access to the season pass and more
Ubisoft says the first Watch Dogs gathered more than 40 million players worldwide. The figure is presented as a player count on Ubisoft’s undated franchise page, not as copies sold or a current active-player total (Ubisoft).
Who should choose it
- Someone who wants to experience the franchise from its beginning.
- A player who expects to continue through all three main entries.
- Anyone who wants Aiden’s introduction before meeting him again in Bloodline.
Which edition matters
Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs Complete Edition bundles the base game with Season Pass material. The listed additions include the T-Bone campaign, extra missions, weapons, outfits and a new game mode (Ubisoft Complete Edition details). The edition is relevant if you want its additional story content alongside the main campaign; it is not required to understand the release-order recommendation.
Pay attention to storefront compatibility before buying downloadable content. Ubisoft states that DLC sold through Ubisoft.com is compatible only with base games purchased through Ubisoft.com or Ubisoft Connect. A base game bought from another retailer should not be assumed to accept that Ubisoft-store DLC.
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Why play it after the original
Watch Dogs 2 is the middle game in the release-order path. Playing it second preserves the progression from the first title to the later series without requiring you to begin with Legion’s different protagonist system.
Rank #2
- PLAYSTATION EXCLUSIVE Play future Mission Packs 30 days early on the PlayStation4
- EXPLORE THE MASSIVE AND DYNAMIC OPEN WORLD OF SAN FRANSISCO BAY Experience an incredible variety of game play possibilities in the winding streets of San Francisco, the vibrant neighborhoods of Oakland, and cutting edge Silicon Valley
- HACK EVERYTHING Every person, vehicle and connected device can be hacked. Take control of drones, cars, cranes, and more to use them as your weapon
- CONNECT WITH FRIENDS Play Co op and Player vs. Player activities in a seamless shared world
- YOU ARE IN CTRL Develop your skills and combine hacking, weapons and stealth to complete missions in ways that suit your playstyle
Its most important continuity value for a newcomer is Wrench. Ubisoft’s post-launch plan for Legion confirms that Wrench returns in the Bloodline story, so meeting him in Watch Dogs 2 gives that appearance context rather than treating it as an unexplained cameo (Ubisoft’s Legion story announcement).
Who should choose it
- Players continuing directly from the first game.
- Anyone interested in Wrench before his later role in Bloodline.
- Newcomers who want the series’ second main entry before deciding whether Legion’s roster system appeals to them.
Official product information confirms the game and its editions, but the available material does not provide a neutral review score or a defensible claim that it is categorically better than either neighboring entry (Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs 2 page). Treat “second” here as play order, not a universal quality ranking.
3. Watch Dogs: Legion: the specialist pick and release-order finale
What makes Legion different
Watch Dogs: Legion is the franchise’s third entry. Ubisoft says its fresh take on the hacking mechanics is “Play as Anyone,” which lets you choose a roster of resistance members from London’s residents (Ubisoft franchise page). The practical consequence is that your playable cast is assembled through recruitment instead of being limited to one lead character.
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Rank #3
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- HACK THE CITY: Control the city's infrastructure, in real time, with Aiden's cell phone. Trap your enemy in a 30-car pileup by manipulating the traffic lights. Stop a train, and then board it to evade the authorities. Narrowly escape capture by quickly raising a drawbridge. Anything connected to the city's CTOS can become your weapon.
- SEAMLESS MULTIPLAYER EXPERIENCE: Discover a new level of interaction, cooperation and confrontation between players thanks to a brand new multiplayer game system that links the single and multiplayer modes into one seamless experience. That means no menus, no loading screens, just instant open world multiplayer action.
- DYNAMIC NAVIGATION: Watch_Dogs gives you the ability to not only use the city's ctOS to your advantage, but the streets as well. In real-world Chicago, cut through one of the buildings or climb to the rooftops to catch your target.
- HIGH OCTANE DRIVING: Get behind the wheel of more than 65 vehicles bursting with horsepower to explore the massive city while completing missions. Ubisoft Montreal partnered with Ubisoft Reflections, the acclaimed studio behind the award-winning Driver series to develop each vehicle with state-of-art physics and handling.
“Groundbreaking” is Ubisoft’s description, not an independent verdict. The useful decision point is whether selecting and switching among London recruits is the feature you most want to try.
Why its Bloodline expansion affects the order
Bloodline brings back Aiden Pearce from the original game and Wrench from Watch Dogs 2. Ubisoft’s announcement identifies both returning characters and outlines the post-launch story content (Ubisoft News). You can play Legion first, but the earlier games make those appearances more meaningful.
Who should choose it first
- Players whose main attraction is recruiting a varied resistance roster.
- Anyone who specifically wants a London-set entry and does not mind learning the earlier character context later.
- Returning fans who want the third entry and its crossover story immediately.
Ubisoft’s official Legion page describes the game and editions (Ubisoft Watch Dogs: Legion). A launch announcement described a Gold Edition with Season Pass content such as story expansions, extra missions, playable heroes and the original Watch Dogs Complete Edition (Ubisoft’s launch announcement). That was launch-era information from 2020; edition names, contents and availability can change, so confirm the current listing for your platform before purchase.
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Do you need to play Watch Dogs in order?
No. The games can be approached separately, and Legion is an understandable first choice if its recruitment premise is what interests you. The release-order recommendation is about context, not an official requirement.
Rank #4
- Open-world London, explore a massive urban open-world where you can visit London's many famous landmarks.
- Play as anyone, experience a never-seen-before gameplay innovation. Anyone you see can join your team complete with a unique backstory, personality, and skill set.
- Weaponize London's tech infrastructure. Hijack armed combat drones, deploy stealthy spider-bots, covertly take down enemies using an Augmented Reality Cloak, and much more.
- Bring your team online and join forces with up to three friends and explore the world together or take on entirely new co-op missions
Play the first two before Legion when you want the fullest continuity payoff. Aiden’s return in Bloodline connects to the original game, while Wrench’s return connects to the second. Playing in order means those characters arrive with established identities rather than as unfamiliar names.
Start with Legion when the “Play as Anyone” system outweighs chronology for you. You can then go back to the earlier games to see where the returning characters originated, accepting that the prequel context will come after the crossover.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose by the experience you want
| If your priority is… | Start with… | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| The beginning of the franchise and Aiden’s story | Watch Dogs | It is the original entry and establishes Aiden before Bloodline. |
| A complete three-game progression | Watch Dogs, then Watch Dogs 2, then Legion | This follows release order and preserves both returning-character introductions. |
| Meeting Wrench before his later appearance | Watch Dogs 2 after the original | Bloodline brings Wrench back from the second game. |
| Recruiting many playable London residents | Watch Dogs: Legion | “Play as Anyone” is the defining advertised innovation. |
| Extra story material for the original game | Watch Dogs Complete Edition | Its listed Season Pass content includes T-Bone’s campaign and additional missions. |
| A bundled Legion-era package | Check the current Legion edition listing | Launch-era Gold Edition contents are documented, but present-day names and availability may differ. |
Buying and edition checks
Confirm the platform and storefront
Official product pages describe editions, but platform support, stock and pricing are changeable. Check the exact platform, region and edition on the storefront you intend to use rather than relying on an old launch description.
Do not mix incompatible DLC assumptions
The Ubisoft Complete Edition page specifically limits Ubisoft-store DLC compatibility to base games purchased through Ubisoft.com or Ubisoft Connect. Treat a retailer’s digital code, a console region and a PC storefront as separate compatibility questions.
Best Value
Use launch information as historical context
The October 29 launch announcement is useful for understanding what Ubisoft called the Gold Edition at release, including its Season Pass bundle. It does not guarantee that the same package, name or contents are still sold today.
A simple decision path
- Ask whether continuity matters. If you want Aiden and Wrench’s Bloodline appearances to have prior context, begin with Watch Dogs.
- Decide whether you want all three main entries. If yes, follow release order: Watch Dogs, Watch Dogs 2, then Legion.
- Identify your must-have mechanic. If recruiting London residents is the strongest draw, begin with Legion despite the alternative order.
- Check the edition details at checkout. Verify current platform, region, included expansions and storefront compatibility, especially for DLC.
What the evidence does—and does not—say
Ubisoft provides the franchise sequence, the “Play as Anyone” description, the returning-character information and the listed edition contents. It does not provide a neutral comparative score proving that one game is the best. The ranking in this guide therefore means “best first stop for a particular newcomer,” with release order as the broadest fit.
A Reddit reader phrased the same practical problem as, “I wanna play in watch dogs, but idk which i should start first.” That post is an individual question, not audience-wide evidence, but it captures why a preference-based answer is more useful than declaring a universal winner (r/watch_dogs discussion).
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