Today marks the start of Far Cry 5’s newest live event, following on from last week’s “Pickup Blowup.” Entitled “White Collar Job,” the new weekly event tasks gamers with hunting wolves using the bow. Collecting 10 collars in this fashion rewards players with XP, cash, and an incredible new weapon.
What might that weapon be, you wonder? A new hunting bow? An assault rifle? A grenade launcher? No, those all sound far too mundane. Obviously, it’s a shoulder-mounted gun that fires shovels with enough force to send its unfortunate victims flying dozens of feet; the aptly-named Shovel Launcher. While Far Cry does already have some rather unorthodox weapons, such as the alien Magnopulser, this one might be the most absurd addition to players’ arsenals thus far.
Ever since Far Cry 5’s release, the shovel has proven to be a very popular melee weapon. While the game features a number of different melee weapons, from pipes to baseball bats and even oars, few are as satisfying as the shovel. Now, those of you who frequently find yourselves lamenting that enemies are often too far away for you to bludgeon are in luck. In the words of the late author Austin O’Malley, “No matter who you are, you will be put abed at last with a shovel.” Never have those words been more true, though one doubts that this was what the professor had in mind.
In many ways, the Shovel Launcher functions like an RPG. Although its projectiles aren’t explosive, they certainly pack a punch. You can hold three shovels at a time for use as ammo, but don’t worry about running out; just like with arrows, you can retrieve the shovels from wherever they land. Of course, the shovels have a tendency to travel very far at great speed; you may want to pay close attention to where you fire.
Without a scope, the Shovel Launcher is difficult to aim at long range. Up close, however, and those poor cultists don’t stand a chance. Nor do wolves, bears, and quite possibly small vehicles. As it turns out, all the shovel needed to become an unstoppable weapon was velocity.