10 Games That Have Shared Universes (2024)

Since the dawn of entertainment, particularly video games, seeing our favorite characters sharing the screen side by side has always been a source of happiness and expectation.

So, as game developers and their work have grown, their tendency to experiment has also increased. This has led to shared universes becoming not only a reality but a central element of modern popular culture.

As a result, more and more titles are intertwining their dimensions, which creates entire cosmoses of stories and lore. Therefore, we celebrate these combined realms through our list of ten games that have shared universes.

10 The Witcher and Cyberpunk

Ciri's Futuristic Voyage

Despite the obvious differences between CD Projekt's two flagship franchises, the medieval setting of The Witcher and the dystopian futurism of Cyberpunk share the same universe, as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt confirms.

In the game, we heard how his daughter Ciri ended up in a world where people had “metal in their heads”, battled from a distance with “things similar to megascopes” and had their “own flying ships”, clearly describing Night City, the location of Cyberpunk 2077.

The connection between the two games lies exclusively in that dialogue, while nothing else in their respective worlds points to a shared universe. Yet, the idea is so appealing that, like any other fan, I prefer to believe it's real.

9 Hitman and Kane & Lynch

The Protagonists Meet

As IO Interactive focused on the Hitman series over the last decade, they left , their other well-known franchise, without new entries since 2010.

However, that didn't stop them from connecting the two worlds through various references in Hitman: Absolution, such as Kane's appearance in the “Welcome to Hope” mission and Lynch's in the “Birdie's Gift” mission.

In addition, albeit to a lesser extent, some newspapers in Hitman: Blood Money narrate part of the events of Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, further reinforcing their shared, although undeveloped, universe.

8 Apex Legends and Titanfall

It Was Titanfall 3, After All

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The connection between Apex Legends and Titanfall is more than established. Since the launch of Battle Royale, Respawn Entertainment has always alluded to their works as part of a shared universe, even for future projects.

To be more precise, not only do the franchises feature the same unique mechanics, but Apex Legends has numerous connections to FPS—from taking place 18 years after Titanfall 2 to sharing several characters, weapons, and factions.

In the end, Apex Legends was going to be Titanfall 3, so it's natural it was conceived as part of the Titanfall Universe. That may mean we will never get a third entry, but at least its legacy lives on.

7 Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon

War Connections

You can connect all of Tom Clancy's games, as the franchises are constantly sharing characters, events, and organizations, but some of the strongest links are found between Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon.

Among the most prominent, the Navy warship USS Clarence E. Walsh from Ghost Recon 2 appears in Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, and the initiative Third Echelon from Splinter Cell is mentioned in Ghost Recon: AW 2.

Even Sam Fisher himself appears in “Operation Watchman” from Ghost Recon: Wildlands and “Operation Checkmate” from Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, which further establishes the coexistence of both franchises in the same world.

6 Assassin's Creed and Watch Dogs

The Timeless Conflict

Ubisoft merged the worlds of Assassin's Creed and Watch Dogs in a natural and progressive way, presenting plenty of indicators of their connection through many of its entries.

From documents in Assassin's Creed: Origins alluding to Watch Dogs locations to Aiden Pearce executing a character from Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, the conflict between Assassins and Templars cuts across both franchises.

Given the state of both series, we might even think about a more formal approach to their shared universe, increasing the connection of their characters and stories to a point where they become one.

5 Deathloop and Dishonored

A Continuation By Other Means

While the world of Dishonored was originally used to bolster Deathloop's design, Arkane Studios confirmed the latter takes place after Dishonored: Death of the Outsider.

As the developers wanted to explore the aftermath of the entity's demise, Dishonored's remnants are seen in Deathloop through key elements such as the pistols of the guards from Dishonored 2 and the magic and powers from the Void.

Arkane placed clues to hint at this shared universe all along, and now there is even a unique timeline that connects both franchises, introducing Dishonored's geopolitical influence on Blackreef's origins.

4 Doom and Wolfenstein

Doom and Wolfenstein not only share their presence among the best shooters of all time, but also a common bloodline that ties their protagonists together.

Regarding their connection, the main reference is Wolfenstein RPG, which implies the original protagonist of Doom is a descendant of B.J. Blazkowicz.

Simultaneously, the game's final boss, the Harbinger of Doom, loses to Blazkowicz and swears to have a rematch with his descendants—a prophecy he fulfills as the Cyberdemon boss both in Doom RPG and Doom II RPG.

If that's not enough, John Romero and Tom Hall have often established that both franchises are related, so it's undeniably canon.

3 Drakengard and Nier

A Distant But Lasting Link

The creator of Drakengard and Nier, Yoko Taro, loves to make intricate worlds, so connecting both franchises was just an expected outcome.

As the biggest connection, Nier Replicant is set in an alternative reality transformed by the events of Drakengard's fifth ending, leaving us with shared weapons, related journal entries, and more subtle elements.

NieR: Automata has notable references too, such as the Cult of the Watchers tattoo on Eve's body, a weapon trader that mentions Accord from Drakengard 3, and even archives about the events of Drakengard's Ending E that led to Nier.

2 Portal and Half-Life

Aperture Science Vs. Black Mesa

Half-Life and Portal are one of the first recorded instances of a shared universe, with Valve's masterpieces representing everything charming about this novel concept.

Despite not being a very explicit connection, as it's not shown beyond dialogue, pictures, and drawings, it's a pioneer of the concept and a great example of players gathering to craft theories and share their interpretations.

Thanks to this, the rivalry between Half-Life's Black Mesa and Portal's Aperture Science is legendary in video games. Perhaps it is more so for what is theorized than for what is known, but it's still an iconic shared universe.

1 Control and Alan Wake

The Remedy Connected Universe

Control and Alan Wake are part of the initiative that their creators have called the Remedy Connected Universe, thus being the most direct example of a shared world in video games.

While the first Alan Wake laid the foundations and was more self-contained, Control and Alan Wake 2 have further explored their combined reality, creating a shared set of organizations, rules, and even metaphysics.

The context provided by the latter entries of the Remedy Connected Universe improved the quality and depth of its experiences, turning it into the best and most profound shared universe of the entire industry.