The Fox Hunt

Lore & Background

The Fox is a phantom in San Francisco’s hacker scene—a figure whispered about in encrypted chat rooms and dismissed as urban legend by all but the most paranoid. Unlike DedSec’s flashy, public stunts, The Fox works in absolute silence, leaving behind digital fingerprints that only the sharpest eyes can spot: a QR code reflected in a skyscraper’s window, a drone hovering over a rooftop with a data cache, a ctOS node that blinks in Morse code. Their motives are a riddle wrapped in a cipher. Some say they’re a disillusioned Blume insider; others, an AI gone rogue. What’s certain is that every clue they leave is a test—a way to expose the cracks in ctOS 2.0 and the arrogance of its creators. When Marcus Holloway stumbles onto their first breadcrumb, it feels like a glitch. But as the puzzles escalate—from dead drops in the Marina to a server room under the Golden Gate Bridge—DedSec realizes they’re not hunting The Fox. The Fox is hunting them, always one step ahead, watching from the shadows of their own network.

In Their Own Story

The first clue arrived as a glitch in Marcus's phone—a single line of code that, when traced, led to a dead drop in the Marina. Inside was a USB drive with a message: 'Find me if you can.' Over the next weeks, DedSec followed a trail of breadcrumbs: a hacked billboard in Sausalito, a drone that led them to a rooftop in Oakland, a puzzle that required them to sync four ctOS nodes simultaneously. The Fox was always watching, their taunts appearing on screens just as Marcus solved each challenge. The final clue pointed to a server room under the Golden Gate Bridge, but when they arrived, the room was empty—save for a single monitor displaying a fox's silhouette and the words: 'You're getting closer.'

Reader's Guide

{'The Fox Hunt': "This side campaign consists of multiple missions triggered by finding hidden QR codes or data caches across San Francisco. Each mission presents a unique hacking puzzle, such as bypassing security systems, decoding encrypted messages, or manipulating the environment to reach a clue. The campaign has no direct combat; it relies entirely on stealth, hacking, and observation. Key characters include Marcus Holloway and the unseen Fox. The campaign connects to the larger DedSec arc by showcasing the broader hacker community beyond the main group, emphasizing that ctOS 2.0 has created a world where even the most skilled hackers remain anonymous. It is a post-launch addition, available as part of the game's free updates.", "The Fox's Lair": "The final mission of the campaign, where Marcus tracks The Fox to a hidden server room beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. The puzzle involves disabling security lasers, hacking multiple terminals simultaneously, and avoiding automated turrets. The room contains evidence of The Fox's extensive surveillance of DedSec, but the hacker themselves is absent. The mission ends with a final message from The Fox, leaving their identity ambiguous. This mission ties into the overarching theme of surveillance and anonymity, reinforcing that not all hackers seek fame or confrontation.", "The Fox's Legacy": "After completing The Fox Hunt, players unlock a unique outfit and a special paint job for Marcus's car. The campaign has no direct impact on the main story, but it adds depth to the world by suggesting that DedSec is not the only group challenging Blume's control. The Fox's continued presence in the game's lore is a reminder that the hacker underground is vast and that some mysteries are meant to remain unsolved."}

Did You Know?

• The Fox Hunt was added to Watch Dogs 2 as free post-launch content, released alongside the Human Conditions DLC.
• The Fox's identity is never revealed, even after completing the campaign, leaving fans to speculate for years.
• One of the puzzles in The Fox Hunt requires players to use the game's drone to read a QR code on a skyscraper's window.
• The campaign's name is a reference to the classic puzzle game 'The Fox and the Hound,' but with a hacker twist.