Ubisoft Forward Showcase 2023: The Biggest Announcements And Games

Ubisoft Forward 2023 is now over and as expected, it showed off what the publisher has planned for the rest of 2023 and beyond. And there were some big-name franchises on show, including Star Wars, Avatar, and Assassin's Creed.

As one of the biggest publishers and developers in the industry, Ubisoft typically has several games in development at any time, and the show included updates on the return to Prince Of Persia's 2D platforming roots in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, a closer look at the open-world action game Star Wars: Outlaws, and plenty of gameplay for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.

Ubisoft also had a few updates for some of its live-service games as well, as closed beta registrations were confirmed for Skull and Bones, The Division Resurgence, and xDefiant.

On the Assassin's Creed side, games like Assassin's Creed Mirage--which already has a confirmed release date of October 12--VR exclusive Assassin's Creed Nexus, and mobile game Assassin's Creed Jade were also in the spotlight. For petrolheads, The Crew Motorfest looks like a scenic celebration of speed and Far Cry: Blood Dragon fans won't have long to wait for the animated spin-off to arrive on Netflix.

It has been a long time since Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora was first revealed, and at the Ubisoft Forward showcase, the game re-emerged to reveal an action-packed look at its gameplay. Avatar director and creator James Cameron also made an appearance to hype up the game, talking about new environments that can be explored and the story that will co-exist with the events of the Avatar films. The big news here was the release date for the game, as Ubisoft will launch Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora on December 7.

Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora Releases In December, Far Cry-Like Gameplay Revealed

After testing its high-octane PvP shooter in a closed beta session, Ubisoft is planning to push the limits on the game with an open beta stress test from June 21-23.

The release date for the game is still planned for Summer 2023, and Ubisoft already has a substantial roadmap for xDefiant planned out. The game will ship with five factions, five modes, 14 maps, and 24 weapons. As for the first year of DLC, Ubisoft plans to add more factions, maps, and weapons to the game over the course of the next year.

XDefiant Is Launching Later This Summer, With An Open Beta Starting June 21

After its debut at Summer Game Fest this month, Ubisoft shared more details on Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. This return to the 2D roots of the franchise has several hallmarks of the classic and modern games, as it mixes brutal combos with platforming sections that requires precise control to navigate across.

We also got a closer look at the return of time-manipulating powers, which can once again be used across the game. The twist here is that the prince, Sargon, isn't the only person who can use these abilities, as other foes can also wield these abilities against you.

Watch Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown's Smooth Gameplay In Action

The Division Resurgence is gearing up for launch soon, and to set the mood for this free-to-play game, Ubisoft debuted a new CG trailer. Like the main The Division game, the trailer for this mobile spin-off revealed plenty of action, exotic gadgets, and tense missions against other players in quarantined dark zones. Ubisoft describes the game as an MMO adventure that offers an independent campaign from the two main games in the series, and registrations are now live for the regional beta, which begins on June 13.

The Division Resurgence Gets Flashy CGI Trailer And Release Window

While Skull and Bones is still far off from its final release date, a new closed beta for Ubisoft's pirate adventure game. The closed beta will be held from August 25-28, and registrations are now open.

Skull And Bones Closed Beta Coming In August

After it was first revealed back in January--and more details were later leaked on it--Ubisoft has shown off the first gameplay for The Crew Motorfest and has confirmed its release date of September 14. This third entry in The Crew series adopts a festival atmosphere again, but instead of being a race across land, sea, and air across the entire United States, this game is set in Hawaii. Set on the island of O'ahu within the Hawaiian archipelago, the game is being developed by Ivory Tower, and the new trailer showed off some of the tropical environments that you'll be able to race across.

The Crew Motorfest Trailer Teases High-Speed Racing In Hawaii, Release Date Set For September

Two years after the Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon anime spin-off was first announced, producer Adi Shankar appeared on stage to provide a new update on Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix. The good news is that you won't have too much longer to wait until the violent and satirical animated series is out, as it'll be coming to Netflix this fall.

Far Cry Blood Dragon Anime Captain Laserhawk Coming To Netflix This Fall, New Trailer Revealed

Ubisoft first teased its Assassin's Creed virtual reality game at the Meta Showcase, but at its dedicated event, it showed off a slick pre-rendered CG trailer of the tone and direction that it's aiming for. The big takeaway here was that you won't just play as one assassin from the series, but three of them. Ezio, Conner, and Kassandra will all be playable protagonists, and you'll be able to take control of them across their respective time periods when it releases during the 2023 holiday season for Meta Quest 3 and 2 VR headsets.

Assassin's Creed Nexus VR Will Feature 3 Playable Protagonists From The Franchise

With just a few months left to go before it launches in October, a new trailer for Assassin's Creed Mirage revealed more of Basim's story and his induction into the Hidden Ones. Following on from a gameplay demonstration that revealed the cunning and lethal techniques that Basim will have at his disposal, the new trailer showed off stealth gameplay, opportunistic combat, and an escape from Baghdad's guards that ended with some good old-fashioned blending into a crowd to make a clean getaway.

Assassin's Creed Mirage Extended Gameplay Demonstration Shows Back-To-Roots Focus

Between back-to-basics entries and the exciting prospect of first-person Assassin's Creed action in virtual reality, Ubisoft also managed to squeeze in a quick reveal for Assassin's Creed Jade. This mobile will be free-to-play and follows a traditional Assassin's Creed style of gameplay. Set in ancient China, registrations for a closed beta on the game's official website are now open.

Assassin's Creed Jade Is A Free-To-Play Mobile AC Game

Ubisoft's open-world game set in a galaxy far (far!) away arrived in grand fashion, as an extended gameplay trailer for Star Wars Outlaws had plenty to show off. Set in the Outer Rim of Star Wars, Outlaws puts you in the boots of Kay Vess, an opportunistic thief who becomes the most wanted outlaw in the galaxy and has to pull off the greatest heist of all time if she wants to escape the Galactic Empire and its Imperial army in this ambitious adventure.

In this demo, developer Ubisoft Massive showed off third-person action, high-speed chases, and even some space combat in the atmosphere of derelict spaceships as Vess took on TIE Fighters that were attempting to shoot her down. Star Wars Outlaws is due to launch on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC in 2024.

Kay Shot First In Star Wars Outlaws Gameplay Reveal Trailer

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