Call of Juarez: The Cartel

Call of Juarez: The Cartel
European cover art
Developer(s)	Techland
Publisher(s)	Ubisoft (2011–2018) Techland (2018–)
Producer(s)	Paweł Zawodny
Designer(s)	Paweł Marchewka
Programmer(s)	Grzegorz Świstowski Krzysztof Nosek Marcin Żygadło
Artist(s)	Paweł Selinger
Writer(s)	Paweł Selinger Haris Orkin
Composer(s)	Paweł Błaszczak
Series	Call of Juarez
Engine	Chrome Engine 5
Platform(s)	PlayStation 3 Windows Xbox 360
Release	PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 NA: July 19, 2011[2] AU: July 21, 2011[1] EU: July 22, 2011[3] Microsoft Windows AU: September 8, 2011[5] NA: September 13, 2011[4] EU: September 16, 2011[6]
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Call of Juarez: The Cartel is a 2011 first-person shooter for PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360. Developed by Techland and originally published by Ubisoft, the PlayStation and Xbox versions were released in June 2011 and the Windows version in September. It is the third game in the Call of Juarez series, although narratively, it is unrelated to the two previous games (Call of Juarez and Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood), and whereas they were set in a western milieu, The Cartel is set in modern-day Los Angeles and Mexico. The series would go on to include one additional game; Call of Juarez: Gunslinger (narratively unrelated to the other games, but returns to the western milieu).

The Cartel tells the story of an interagency task force investigating a powerful Mexican drug cartel after it bombed the DEA's Los Angeles offices. Featuring LAPD detective Ben McCall, FBI agent Kim Evans, and DEA agent Eddie Guerra, the team must face their mistrust of one another, as each is revealed to have their own agenda. When it emerges that the cartel has infiltrated the American government, the case morphs from a drug-related investigation into a political conspiracy, with no one sure where they stand.

The game met with controversy from the moment of its announcement. The decision to relocate from the Wild West to the modern-day was criticised by both fans and game journalists, although Ubisoft and Techland promised the game was still a Western in essence. Community leaders in El Paso and Juarez criticised the use of real-life violence and tragedy as material for violent entertainment. State legislators in Chihuahua went so far as to ask the federal government to ban the game entirely. When it was released, the game was also accused of racism and misogyny. In March 2018, as the rights to the title transitioned from publisher Ubisoft to developer Techland, The Cartel and Gunslinger were delisted from Steam, the PlayStation Store, and Xbox Live. Although Gunslinger returned in April, The Cartel remains unavailable on Steam or the PlayStation Store.

The Cartel received mainly negative reviews. Although some critics thought co-op mode featured some interesting ideas, the majority disliked the game. Common criticisms included poorly implanted game mechanics, a cliched storyline, underdeveloped characters, inconsistent audio quality, error-filled subtitles, tone-deaf racial and gender stereotypes, and poor graphics and animations. In particular, the game's glitches and lack of technical polish received a lot of negative attention, with many opining that it felt rushed, and at least one critic suggesting it was the worst game of 2011. In 2015, the game's lead designer admitted that The Cartel wasn't ready when it was released, calling the game "a mistake".