No. You can start Watch Dogs: Legion without playing the original Watch Dogs. Legion’s main campaign sets up a new crisis in London, while the first game is optional background for Aiden Pearce, who returns in the Bloodline expansion.
Can you understand Legion without playing the first Watch Dogs?
Yes. Ubisoft describes Watch Dogs: Legion as a story about rebuilding DedSec after an attack on London and investigating Zero-Day. Its central hook is recruiting and playing as people you encounter in the city; the official campaign description does not establish an earlier game as a prerequisite. Ubisoft’s Legion page and its launch announcement lay out that distinct setup.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
![Watch Dogs Legion -PS5 [CERO Rating 'Z']](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51JjHl+4RzL._SL160_.jpg)
|
Watch Dogs Legion -PS5 [CERO Rating "Z"] | $29.50 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Watch Dogs: Legion (Multi Lang In Game) (PS5) | $22.60 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Watch Dogs Legion Ultimate Edition - UPGRADE PS5 free | $95.96 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Watch Dogs Legion Limited Edition (Exclusive to Amazon.co.uk) (PS5) | $59.13 | Buy on Amazon |
The original game adds context for Aiden Pearce, but that connection matters most if you plan to play Legion – Bloodline, not if you only want to follow Legion’s main campaign.
What connects the games?
Watch Dogs and Aiden Pearce
Aiden is the vigilante hacker from the first Watch Dogs. Knowing his earlier story can give his return more context, but Ubisoft’s descriptions do not say you need that background to begin Legion.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
#1 Best Overall
- Free to add the people you encounter on virtual and organize resistance and get back to London in the near future, facing the crisis of collapse by hacking, intrusion, and combat Now it's time to gather with resistance
- Whoever met in the city can be played as part of their companion, and each has a backstory, personality and skill set
- Hack your armed drone, unfold the Spider Bot and eliminate your enemies while concealing them with the AR Cloak
- Explore the open world recreating the huge city, and enjoy the countless landmarks and fun side activities
- Invite new members online, collaborate with friends to make missions and challenge challenging end game content
Watch Dogs 2 and Wrench
Wrench, a returning character from Watch Dogs 2, also appears in Bloodline. Ubisoft describes the expansion as a prequel adventure featuring both characters. Its premise brings Aiden to London to steal a device for controlling robots; Wrench takes it, and Aiden is pressured to retrieve it. Ubisoft’s Bloodline announcement, published July 6, 2021, identifies Aiden’s and Wrench’s earlier-game connections.
Which play order makes sense for you?
| What you want | Suggested order | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Play Legion’s main campaign now | Watch Dogs: Legion | Its DedSec and Zero-Day story has its own setup. |
| Know Aiden before Bloodline | Watch Dogs → Bloodline | The original introduces Aiden, who returns in the expansion. |
| Know both returning characters before Bloodline | Watch Dogs → Watch Dogs 2 → Bloodline | This optional order gives context for Aiden and Wrench. |
| Play Legion and decide about the expansion later | Watch Dogs: Legion → optional Bloodline | You can approach the main campaign independently; prior games are not established as required. |
The sequences involving earlier games are recommendations based on which characters appear in Bloodline, not an official mandatory order. How much extra enjoyment or understanding you get from playing in sequence is a matter of personal preference.
Rank #2
- 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
- weaponise 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
What if you are choosing a version or platform?
Ubisoft lists Legion for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. The US PlayStation listing identifies PS4 and PS5 versions. Editions and store offers can vary by region and change over time, so check the listing for your platform and country before buying; no particular edition or current price is needed to decide whether to play the original first.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Pre-order to get access to the Golden King Pack and set your heroes apart in the streets of London with:The Uneasy Lies mask, Serpent Sisters Pistol skin and Lux Car skin
- The Limited Edition includes:Digital content, The London Dissident Pack: unlock three new masks to lead your resistance with style
- Play as anyone: Recruit anyone from the entire population of London into your resistance
- World-class music artist, Stormzy will feature in his own mission ‘Fall on My Enemies’ will see Stormzy enlisting the resistance group to protect the broadcast of his track Rainfall in central London
- Play the game the way you want Build a team with a huge range of characters to choose from
Rank #3
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
