Tag: Ubisoft

Ubisoft cancels development of Ghost Recon Frontline and Splinter Cell VR

The company is also scrapping two other unannounced games to focus on larger projects.

A lot is going on over at Ubisoft this week. Not only is the company delaying Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora until early next year, but several projects are getting scrapped too.

During a financial call on Thursday, Ubisoft revealed that it is canceling the development of four major titles. Specifically Ghost Recon Frontline, Splinter Cell VR, and two unannounced games. There weren’t any specifics regarding these cancellations other than the company would rather focus on larger projects and attempt to cut production costs.

There aren’t many details about any of these games. Announced last fall, Ghost Recon Frontline was going to be a competitive free-to-play battle royale shooter where more than 100 players could duke it out. Essentially another take on Call of Duty: Warzone from the looks of it. Keep in mind that Frontline wasn’t the Ghost Recon title Ubisoft Paris is reportedly working on, either.

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We know even less about Splinter Cell VR. The announcement came in August of 2020 and was being developed by Red Storm. Ubisoft gave no information whatsoever on the unannounced titles for obvious reasons.

If nothing else, the Splinter Cell remake is still happening. So fans of that franchise still have something to look forward to going forward.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.

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Ubisoft is hosting a ‘multi-game’ showcase in September

The publisher will show off several upcoming projects during this broadcast.

Just when you thought the not-E3 season was over, Ubisoft is gearing up for multiple shows.

On Thursday, the publisher announced two Ubisoft Forward events. The first, which will center around Skull & Bones, is happening on July 7, 2022, at 11:00 A.M. PDT // 2:00 P.M. EDT // 6:00 P.M. GMT. After some recent release rumors, we might finally see this game come out. Wild, considering Skull & Bones gave off vaporware vibes for ages.

The second Ubisoft Forward isn’t until Sept. 10, 2022, at 12:00 P.M. PDT // 3:00 P.M. EDT // 7:00 P.M. GMT. No details regarding what projects could be at this showcase, but Ubisoft’s blog states there will be multiple reveals from teams around the world. We could see the next Assassin’s Creed, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and maybe Prince of Persia. Don’t hold your breath on that last one, though, since Ubisoft Montréal recently took over development of the remake.

You can watch the Skull & Bones gameplay reveal on YouTube and Twitch once the time comes. The second Forward broadcast will also be on those channels, along with Ubisoft’s official website.

It’ll be interesting to see how everyone reacts to these shows. The latest Nintendo Direct already highlighted Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, so that could make an appearance too.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.

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Québec’s new French law could ban English language in game studios

Ubisoft and Eidos Montreal are among the big players who may be impacted.

Québec is hoping to enact a new law requiring that all businesses in the region operate in French, in order to protect the province’s native language.

Québec is the largest region of Canada with the country’s second-highest population. However, what makes the region unique in terms of Canadian history, is that the province was colonized by the French, rather than the British like the rest of the country. This has given the Québécois a very different culture compared to the rest of the nation.

The main difference is that the native language is French, compared to most of Canada which speaks English. However, as people live, work, and travel between different regions, English is being spoken more widely. The government hopes to introduce Bill 96 into law, which will ban speaking English within the region’s businesses. 

Québec, and its largest city Montréal, are huge players in the gaming industry. Almost 300 video game-related companies call the province home, hiring around 11,000 developers and generating $1.75 billion ($1.35 billion USD) each year. Major studios such as Éidos-Montréal, Warner Bros. Studios, and most notably Ubisoft, all operate from the region and often hire highly-skilled workers from English-speaking areas.

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Speaking anonymously to CBC, an English-speaking developer in Québec explained their concerns that they would have to find work elsewhere. They explained that before they were hired they were assured that all “meetings are held in English and learning French was optional and not expected.”

They went on to claim that the plan to introduce the new law has other employees nervous. They said, “You already see it, with some people who are looking at Bill 96 and saying: ‘OK, it’s time for me to pack up and leave.'” 

Even French-speaking developers currently in Québec are apparently worried about what the new law means for their companies. Montréal is currently seen as a prime location for game development, but businesses are worried the extra hurdle of learning French may discourage people from applying, instead opting for other locations such as California.

Christopher Chancey, the chairman of the board of the Guilde du jeu vidéo du Québec, shared his concerns stating, “Our fear is that this is sending out a message [that Québec is] not inclusive to other cultures.” The government is currently discussing a six-month English speaking grace period for new employees, and a new service to aid people in learning the language. 

In other Ubisoft news, the creative director for Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope has said the game is “more dynamic.”

Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.

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Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora will release within a year, according to Ubisoft

As should Mario + Rabbits: Sparks of Hope and Skull & Bones.

There’s been next to no information on Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora since its gameplay debut at E3 2021. However, Ubisoft claims it’s coming out sooner than many expected.

During Ubisoft’s latest earnings briefing on Wednesday, the publisher confirmed several high-profile titles, including Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, Skull & Bones, and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, will come within the fiscal year. That’s anywhere between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2022, for those of you that don’t live inside Excel spreadsheets. 

The release window seems fairly on-point since Avatar: The Way of Water is coming out in theaters on Dec. 16, 2022, and Ubisoft likely wants its game to release close to James Cameron’s film.

If you’re unfamiliar with Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, it’s a first-person adventure game that we’ve seen nothing of besides its last trailer, which you can watch below.

It certainly looks sharp if those are indeed in-game visuals. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora will only be available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, so no last-generation consoles are holding the technical prowess of this one back.

Massive Entertainment, the studio behind The Division series, is working on Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. While it’ll share the film’s canon, Ubisoft states that it’ll be a stand-alone story. No crossovers with the Avatar: Reckoning mobile title either.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.

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Ubisoft will keep adding NFTs to its games despite fan backlash

The publisher is still investing in blockchain technology.

Earlier this week, Ubisoft announced that Ghost Recon Breakpoint would no longer receive updates. Many fans hoped this was also a death knell for the publisher’s controversial NFT platform Ubisoft Quartz, but that’s looking unlikely.

GamesIndustry.biz reached out to Ubisoft for clarification, and while there will be no additional NFTs made for Ghost Recon Breakpoint, the company will add more to other games. There’s no word on what those titles might be, but it’s only a matter of time until Ubisoft lets everyone know. 

According to Kotaku, the Ubisoft Quartz team has gone silent internally following the massive backlash. In January, Ubisoft’s strategic innovations lab VP Nicolas Pouard insisted that fans don’t understand NFTs.

Ubisoft stated last year that it wasn’t finished investing in NFTs, and that stance obviously hasn’t shifted. 

By this point, virtually every company within the games industry that’s toe-dipped into NFT integration has seen massive pushback from fans. Some examples are Behaviour Interactive, GSC Game World, and Team 17. Similarly, actor Troy Baker’s NFT endeavors ended with him quickly walking back the decision.

Cryptocurrency and NFT integration will probably be a hot-button issue in the games industry for quite some time. Valve’s Gabe Newell recently said the company removed Bitcoin support on Steam since more than half of purchases made with the currency were fraudulent.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.

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Ghost Recon Breakpoint isn’t getting content updates anymore

Ubisoft is dropping most support for the third-person shooter.

There will no longer be any content updates for Ghost Recon Breakpoint.

On Tuesday, Ubisoft announced that besides maintaining Ghost Recon Breakpoint’s online capabilities online capabilities like matchmaking and server hosting, official content support for the third-person shooter is effectively over. 

“The last four months marked the release of our final piece of content: the brand new Operation Motherland mode, tons of new items including 20th-anniversary iconic outfits and Quartz items for Ghost Recon Breakpoint,” Ubisoft’s statement reads on Twitter. “We will continue to maintain servers for both Ghost Recon Wildlands and Ghost Recon Breakpoint, and we truly hope you will continue to enjoy the game and have fun playing solo or co-op with your friends.”

You can read the entire statement regarding Ghost Recon Breakpoint from Ubisoft for yourself below.

Ghost Recon Wildlands recently came under fire for the controversial Ubisoft Quartz NFT implementation, which saw a particularly adverse reaction on YouTube from fans. However, the company isn’t giving up on NFT investments yet.

It’s only been roughly two and a half years since Ghost Recon Wildland’s release date on October 4, 2019. It didn’t receive the warmest reception from critics, only garnering a Metascore of 56 on PS4.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.

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Prince of Persia 2.5D game inspired by Ori, Immortals 2 reportedly in development

Insider Tom Henderson has revealed that Ubisoft could be working on a new Ori-inspired Prince of Persia 2.5 and and Immortals Fenyx Rising sequel.

Insider Tom Henderson has revealed that Ubisoft could be working on a third Ubisoft Forward-style event, where the publisher would be ready to reveal a huge variety of new games.

This event was originally expected in Summer, close to E3, but “recent world events seemingly put those plans on hold”.

Overall, Ubisoft is reported to have “a total of 20 games” that would be “lined up and ready for some form of an announcement in the near future,” among which we’d find an Ori-inspired Prince of Persia 2.5 game and a follow up to Immortals Fenyx Rising.

On top of the already announced Sands of Time Remake, “a second Prince of Persia title is reportedly in the works at Ubisoft, with Ubisoft Montpellier being involved in the project.”

Montpellier studio has recently worked on acclaimed 2D platformers, including Rayman Legends, and is also leading development efforts on the much anticipated Beyond Good and Evil 2 (which, at least officially, is still in the making, despite Michel Ancel leaving the team).

Development is also said to be underway on The Crew 3. The so-called Project Orlando leaked last year and was initially thought to be a The Crew 2 DLC, but is now reportedly a full game.

“It will be a brand new game featuring a new driving engine and other overhauls,” and it could be “announced later this year,” having been “in development for some time” now.

An Immortals Fenyx Rising sequel is also said to be in development, as Ubisoft Quebec’s take on Greek mythology has “apparently pleased” Ubisoft’s executives in terms of commercial performance.

The Canadian developer is working on the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Infinity alongside this new project, but “has been hiring talent for the title”.

At this moment, none of these details have been confirmed, so there are just rumors for now.

Sure enough, Ubisoft seemingly has a quite busy pipeline of games coming over the next couple years and more, so fans should expect announcements shortly.

Written by Paolo Sirio on behalf of GLHF.

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Ubisoft executive says users ‘don’t get it’ regarding NFT backlash

Nicolas Pouard thinks fans aren’t seeing the big picture.

Perhaps no recent backlash in the video game industry has been more intense than  Ubisoft’s Quartz announcement, which implements Non-Fungible Token (NFT) systems into games.

Immediately, fans of Ubisoft’s games were utterly furious — with the announcement video garnering  over 10,000 dislikes  in no time flat. Despite the overwhelmingly negative response, Ubisoft isn’t  giving up on NFTs. Quite the opposite, even.

In an interview with Finder, Ubisoft’s strategic innovations lab VP Nicolas Pouard claims that the audience is in the wrong about NFTs.

“I think gamers don’t get what a digital secondary market can bring to them,” Pouard said. “For now, because of the current situation and context of NFTs, gamers really believe it’s first destroying the planet, and second just a tool for speculation.”

“But what we [at Ubisoft] are seeing first is the end game. The end game is about giving players the opportunity to resell their items once they’re finished with them or they’re finished playing the game itself,” Pouard continues. “So, it’s really, for them. It’s really beneficial. But they don’t get it for now.”

Ubisoft isn’t the only company catching heat for dabbling in cryptocurrency technology. Behaviour Interactive  went through something similar  during a Dead By Daylight promotional event, as did S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl  developer GSC Game World, which  removed all NFT integration. Voice actor Troy Baker went through something similar after  pre-emptively antagonizing fans  not interested in NFTs.

Cryptocurrency enthusiasts will likely persist with their attempts at pushing the technology into video games for some time to come.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.

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Ubisoft’s scifi battle royale Hyper Scape is shutting down

No escape, it seems.

Hyper Scape, the neon-cyberpunk battle royale from Ubisoft, will shut down soon.

Over on Hyper Scape’s  website, a statement quietly let everyone know that the free-to-play first-person shooter is closing up shop on April 29, 2022.

“We have made the difficult decision to end development of Hyper Scape and shut the game down as of April 28,” Ubisoft said. “We set out to create a vertical, close-quarters, and fast-paced shooter experience and we are extremely grateful to our community for joining us on our journey.”

Ubisoft didn’t elaborate on why Hyper Scape is shutting down, but it’s likely due to the game never finding an audience. Between Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Fortnite,  the battle royale genre is overflowing with fierce competition.

There are also tons of  great free-to-play games  that make success difficult, even for a huge company like Ubisoft. There’s also the fact that Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Frontline, another free-to-play FPS from Ubisoft, is coming later this year. 

Recently, Ubisoft released Rainbow Six Extraction, which is  surprisingly good. The company is also bringing more than  100 games to Xbox  via its Ubisoft+ subscription separate from  Xbox Game Pass, despite being on the same platform.

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.

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Essential tips for staying alive in Rainbow Six Extraction

Here are some tips about not dying in Rainbow Six Extraction. We learned these by dying a lot.

It’s here, it’s got aliens in it, and surprisingly it doesn’t play all that much like Siege after all. Ubisoft’s new 3-player PvE shooter Rainbow Six Extraction is a tough game, particularly for the first two hours or so, and at first, the difficulty can seem a bit punitive. There you are, trying to figure out the basics, and you’re losing operators and XP hand over fist while you do it. What fun. 

And actually, it is fun, that heightened risk-reward system, once you get to grips with it. But there’s a lot to learn in those opening hours. A lot of systems to become fluent in, and only a brief VR tutorial that teaches them to you formally.

So here, have some tips. This is what we learned about not dying in Rainbow Six Extraction during the review process. We learned it by dying a lot.

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