James Brackton is a character in Watch Dogs: Legion.
Background[]
Starting his career as a podcaster investigating the more extraordinary aspects of the human condition (such as investigating the prevalence of puppy pregnancy syndrome in northern India or the recreation of a Greek pleasure tool at a Croydon shop), Brackton eventually settled for a much less moral, but more lucrative niche: Racism and jingoism.[1] Sponsored by Rudolph Peck, he set up a conspiracy website called BigTruth, dedicated to blaming everything on immigrants, globalists, and generally advancing an extremist agenda.[2]
Brackton was republished by Peck's Daily Post (a particularly nasty tabloid, even by British tabloid standards),[3] and formed ties with a fake DedSec cell, which also received funding from Peck.[4] The fake DedSec were used to gather intel and help create hit pieces, but eventually Brackton got ambitious and decided to dabble in blackmail. He had the cell hack Vanessa Ahmed's flat network and download a sex video, republished on the dark web, as part of a long-running string of leaks to gather extra money on the side.[5]
Ahmed refused to pay, and a scandal erupted, with Ahmed publicizing the hack on social media. Hounded by the media, she blamed the actual London DedSec for the hack, which led to the cell intervening. Brackton was already living on borrowed time and the hackers managed to track him down to Lambeth Palace, where Peck chewed him out for messing with his plans, before gunning him down in a fit of rage.[6]
Interactions[]
- Brackton is never encountered directly. During Fake News is Good News, players can witness his final conversation with Peck at the Lambeth Palace library.
Behind the Scenes[]
- As the links in the above sections suggest, both of his investigations concerned actually existing phenomena (or ones theorized to exist).
References[]
- â Bagley: "Right. The hacky-box-thing you're after is quite a ways up. I've named it "el corazon," which is Spanish for "the heart." See? You can learn and climb. Speaking of, I've done some research on our friend James Brackton. I've read his entire back catalogue from when he was just a little oozing carbuncle on the arsehole of the internet Right. Well, he wasn't always a racist steamwhistle. When he started out, his heart was in the right place at least. A notable early piece was an investigation into the prevalence of a psychosomatic illness peculiar to areas of northern India known as puppy pregnancy syndrome, which probably isn't what you think it is. He also did a sponsored profile of a shop in Croydon bringing back an ancient Greek device known as a Bread Dildo, which is exactly what you think it is."
- â Fake News is Good News, BigTruth Clip: "They don't want these unwashed invaders here any more than you do. They just won't say it. The globalists are ashamed of their own instincts, so they point to those with the courage of their convictions and call us Fascists! Listen... They are all about free speech - UNTIL someone tells the truth about THEM! Then it's conspiracy talk, then it's hate. Well I'm here to tell you, we will not be shut down. We will not be silenced! "
- â Bagley: "Itâs the new English breakfast â tea, corn flakes, and a bit of sputtering impotent rage. But it doesnât stop there. Dodgy DedSec are also routinely republished by the Daily Post, a popular tabloid that lines only the finest birdcages in the land."
- â Bagley: "Well, according to this data, fake DedSec, BigTruth and the Daily Post are just three tentacles on the same anime fuckmonster. All of them are owned and financed by a man named Rudolph Peck."
- â Operative 1: "What were you able to find out, Bagley?"
Bagley: "Looks like these hacker twats have been busy leaking scandals on the dark web. Vanessa Ahmed's just their first shot at the mainstream."
Operative 2: "Secret affairs, nude photos, adoption records. Mostly targeting women, isn't that fucking charming?" - â James Brackton: "This doesn't change anything. You still get everything you want. This is just a side gig."
Rudolph Peck: "You twat, this changes everything! People may be sloppy with their nudie pics, but bloody blackmail brings the cops!"
James Brackton: "How was I to know that bitch was gonna spit it all over social media?"
Rudolph Peck: "I have bigger plans than smearing celebrities. Much bigger. You'd better have burnt your drives."
James Brackton: "Piss off! Do you know how much that equipment costs?"
Rudolph Peck: "You stupid prick. The cops will be at your door any day now. Or worse. You're a liability I can't fucking afford, Brackton!"
James Brackton: "No, wait!"
Rudolph shoots Brackton
Bagley: "Looks like Ms. Ahmed won't be the only one with her head in the mangle."