Call of Juarez
First-person shooter franchise set in the Wild West.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Call of Juarez is a first-person shooter video game franchise created by Paweł Selinger in 2006. The series consists of four games: Call of Juarez (2006), Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood (2009), Call of Juarez: The Cartel (2011), and Call of Juarez: Gunslinger (2013). All four games were developed by Techland and published by Ubisoft, which has always held the publishing rights for the series. The franchise is notable for its Wild West setting, though The Cartel relocated the series to 2011 Los Angeles and Mexico, a decision that proved unpopular among fans, leading to a return to the West in Gunslinger.
- created_by
- Paweł Selinger
- first_release
- 2006
- last_release
- 2013
- developer
- Techland
- genre
- First-person shooter
- platforms
- Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch
Lore & Background
The Call of Juarez franchise began in 2006 with the original game, which takes place in Texas and Mexico in 1884 and follows Reverend Ray McCall as he hunts his nephew Billy, wrongly accused of murdering his parents. A prequel, Bound in Blood, was released in 2009 and covers the years 1864 to 1866, showing how Ray and his brother Thomas became outlaws after serving in the Confederate States Army. The Cartel (2011) broke from the Western theme by setting the story in 2011 Los Angeles and Mexico, focusing on an interagency task force investigating a drug cartel. Gunslinger (2013) returned to the West, spanning 1880 to 1910 across multiple states and Mexico, and features bounty hunter Silas Greaves encountering legendary figures like Billy the Kid and Jesse James.
Reader's Guide
The Call of Juarez series is significant for its blend of first-person shooting with Western themes, though its legacy is mixed. The original game sold poorly in North America (137,000 units across PC and Xbox 360) but performed better in Europe, with Techland crediting it for putting them 'on the map'. Bound in Blood sold 900,000 units in its first four months, and Gunslinger was Ubisoft's second best-selling digital-only game of 2013. Critically, Bound in Blood and Gunslinger received general praise, while The Cartel drew generally unfavorable reviews. The franchise introduced mechanics like 'Concentration mode' (a slow-motion technique) and dueling, which in Bound in Blood and Gunslinger switches to third-person perspective. The Cartel's modern setting alienated fans, but Gunslinger's return to the West and its skill tree system were well received. The series also saw rights revert to Techland in 2018, leading to temporary removal of The Cartel and Gunslinger from digital stores; Gunslinger returned, but The Cartel remains unavailable on Steam, PlayStation Store, and GOG.com.
Did You Know?
- The original Call of Juarez's sales figures are not officially confirmed; no reliable data supports a specific number of units sold in North America.
- Bound in Blood is a prequel set from 1864 to 1866, showing the McCall brothers as Confederate soldiers turned outlaws.
- The Cartel was the only game in the series not set in the Wild West, taking place in 2011 Los Angeles and Mexico.
- Gunslinger was ported to the Nintendo Switch in December 2019.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Call of Juarez?
Call of Juarez is a first-person shooter video game franchise rooted in the American Wild West. It was created by Paweł Selinger and first launched in 2006.
What games are in the Call of Juarez series?
The franchise spans four titles: the original Call of Juarez (2006), Bound in Blood (2009), The Cartel (2011), and Gunslinger (2013). All four were developed by the Polish studio Techland.
Who developed and published Call of Juarez?
Techland handled development across the entire series. Ubisoft served as publisher from 2006 until 2018, after which Techland assumed the publishing rights itself.
Why was Call of Juarez: The Cartel controversial among fans?
The Cartel abandoned the series' signature Wild West setting in favor of a 2011 Los Angeles and Mexico backdrop, a shift many players felt undermined the franchise's identity. The follow-up, Gunslinger, deliberately returned to the classic Western theme.
What platforms can I play Call of Juarez on?
The games were originally released for Windows PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. Nintendo Switch has since received select titles in the lineup as well.
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