Baseball cards have long been a popular collectible item for sports fans across the globe. One unexpected place collectors have been finding baseball cards is in the post-apocalyptic setting of the 2018 first-person shooter video game Far Cry 5.

Set in Hope County, Montana, Far Cry 5 places players in the middle of a violent standoff between a doomsday cult called Eden’s Gate and local law enforcement. Amidst the chaos of this unfolding conflict, players can search barns, abandoned buildings, and other locations around the open world map to find various collectible items. Surprisingly, stashes of old baseball cards are among the scattered treasures that can be uncovered.

While the inclusion of baseball cards may seem like a strange detail in such a dire scenario, it fits with the developers’ goal of crafting an immersive open world with believable environments. Barns and homes in rural Montana would realistically contain all sorts of forgotten memorabilia and possessions from past generations stored away in nooks and crannies. Finding baseball card collections undisturbed for decades gives players a small glimpse into the ordinary lives that were once lived in these places before the cult overran the county.

The baseball cards found in Far Cry 5 range from the 1950s all the way up to the modern day. Franchises represented include the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, and many more. Rarer finds include vintage cards of legends like Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and Willie Mays in near mint condition. More common are cards from the late 80s and 90s featuring stars like Ken Griffey Jr., Cal Ripken Jr., and Greg Maddux.

In total, over 200 unique baseball cards can be collected in Far Cry 5. They are scattered randomly throughout the map in sets of 3 to 5 cards stashed together. Locations include dilapidated barns, dusty attics, abandoned vehicles, root cellars, sheds, and other tucked away places you might expect to find forgotten boxes of memories. Some cards are easy to spot, while others require eagle-eyed searching or breaking objects to reveal hidden stashes.

Once a baseball card is collected, it is added to the player’s inventory to be viewed up close with details on the back. While purely cosmetic, the cards provide a fun historical element and serve as a tangible in-game representation of the past lives that were lived on the land before the cult takeover. They also encourage exploration of every nook and cranny in buildings to find all the hidden memorabilia stashes.

In addition to being collectible items, the baseball cards in Far Cry 5 tie into the game’s narrative and themes in interesting ways. The cult that has seized control of Hope County believes the end of the world is coming and stockpiles supplies accordingly. Storing away boxes of baseball cards could represent holding onto remnants of past Americana and childhood nostalgia even in doomsday preparation.

Likewise, finding the cards undisturbed in abandoned homes represents both the mundane lives that were lived there before and how completely the cult has now overtaken the area, with no time or interest to rummage through such trivial belongings. It shows a world that has moved on from such ordinary pastimes as collecting sports memorabilia.

In the post-apocalyptic setting of Far Cry 5, the inclusion of baseball card collections to explore adds believable historical world-building elements and nostalgic touches that help immerse players. While a strange inclusion at first glance, the cards represent ordinary past American lives and provide insight into the narrative and themes of a county overtaken by radical ideologies. They encourage thorough searching and provide a fun tangible reward for players to enjoy as a small glimpse into Hope County’s history before the events of the game.