The Ubisoft Forward 2022 and Assassin's Creed Showcase was a long-awaited look at all of the exciting games in development at Ubisoft, and it was a little overwhelming. The publisher revealed a slew of new Assassin's Creed games – including our first look at Assassin's Creed Mirage, an update on Assassin's Creed Infinity, and reveals for Assassin's Creed Japan and Codename Hexe. The thing is, when we're talking everything that was announced at Ubisoft Forward there's still so much more to come.
Ubisoft also revealed Just Dance 2023, gave us updates on some of its biggest new games of 2022, detailed its mobile strategy, and so much. So you'll want to keep reading to get the highlights on the Assassin's Creed Showcase, and for more info on everything announced at Ubisoft Forward 2022.
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope
With the Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope release date now just a few weeks away – scheduled to launch on October 20, 2022 – Ubisoft took this as an opportunity to show off a little more of the accessible strategy game in action. Now it should come as no surprise that it's one of the most anticipated upcoming Nintendo Switch games for 2022, especially after we got a new look at a new world called Terra Flora – complete with a host of wacky NPCs to meet, puzzles to solve, and secrets in the environment to uncover. Naturally, Sparks of Hope looks like an absolute delight, and the Wiggler Boss fight revealed here shows just how far Ubisoft is pushing the mechanical depth of this series forward. If Mario and Rabbids: Kingdom Battles was XCOM for kids, Sparks of Hope looks like it's finally finding its own place in the genre. Additionally, Ubisoft announced that there are three post-launch DLCs planned – including the addition of Rayman as a playable hero!
Skull and Bones
Skull and Bones received a brand new showing ahead of its release on November 8, 2022. Ubisoft gave some additional detail on the scope of the world, and insight into how we'll be able to shape our own pirate ship captain fantasy. Given that Skull and Bones has been in development for almost a decade – originally a spin-off from Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag's naval battles – there are still a few unanswered questions as to how this experience will actually handle. But Skull and Bones continues to look better and better with every new showcase and this was no exception. Ubi focused on the key elements to combat which can make or break your battles – picking your weapons and ammo, choosing your armor to defend against various damage types, and customizing the look of your ship to ensure it stands out in the middle of the carnage. And in some great news, Skull and Bones will support cross-platform multiplayer from launch.
Riders Republic Season 4
Ubisoft revealed Riders Republic Season 4, which is set to launch on September 14. The new season will introduce all new tricks, new gear and outfits, and new ways to compete with friends and enemies alike. Riders Republic remains a hidden gem of sorts – something Ubisoft has recognised as it announces that the game will be free-to-play for everybody for a limited window. So get involved, explore some of the most beautiful locations in the United States of America, and have a real riot of a time.
Tom Clancy's The Division 2
The Division 2 may have launched six years ago, but Ubisoft isn't done with it! It's truly impressive how the publisher has shifted this shooter into a live service platform, something which will continue throughout the rest of 2022 with two major new updates. Season 10 will launch in a couple of days, and will see the introduction of new quality of life changes, additional difficulty modes, as well as new events and cosmetics. Before the end of the year, Season 11 will launch this year which will continue the core The Division 2 story in advance of The Division Year 5, which Ubisoft has already started work on.
Tom Clancy's The Division Heartland
We finally got some concrete details on Tom Clancy's The Division: Heartland. It's set to be an all-new standalone adventure separate from the developing story in The Division 2, with the action centered around the small town of Silvercreek – the "heartland of America." Keith Evans, the creative director at Red Storm Entertainment, says that The Division Heartland will "bring something new to fans of the franchise" with streamlined action gameplay, and a host of quality of life improvements. We'll need all that as we battle against new threats, rogue agents, and a new contamination to contain. The Division: Heartland is set to launch in 2023 as a free-to-play experience on console.
The Division Resurgence
The Division Resurgence is yet another game in this franchise, with this one coming to mobile. Ubisoft says it has had positive feedback from early playtests and is now ready to introduce one of The Division's coolest features to the expanding mobile platform – The Dark Zone. There will be a closed beta test this fall, where you'll enter contested areas with your squad, fight over valuable loot as the clock runs down, and then attempt to extract as rival Agents and NPCs converge on your position – that is, if one of your teammates doesn't betray you first. The Division Resurgence looks real solid, so be sure to sign up for the closed beta now if you want to give it a try for yourself.
Rainbow Six Mobile
Rainbow Six Mobile was announced earlier this year and Ubisoft revealed a new look at the game tonight. After successful closed Alpha playtests, the publisher is ready to transition to a closed beta on September 12 – Android users can still pre-register, while Ubi promises that iOS players will be able to jump in on the action soon enough. Justin Swan, creative director of Rainbow Six mobile, says that this is a "free to play game specifically designed for mobile devices" with the team paying particular attention to the menu systems, matchmaking, and touch-control gameplay.
Trackmania
Trackmania first launched in 2020 for PC, and now it's finally coming to console! Ubisoft announced that the free-to-play collaborative racing game is set to launch in early 2023 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, and Xbox One. Better still, Trackmania will feature crossplay and cross-progression support from day one across all platforms, meaning you'll be able to share and race all of your most ridiculous tracks with friends from day one.
Just Dance 2023
Just Dance is returning this year, and Ubisoft promises that it'll launch a "new era of Just Dance." And I can see why, given that Just Dance 2023 will finally introduce proper online multiplayer options to the experience. You'll be able to dance with whoever, to whatever, whenever you want to – no matter where you are in the world. And if you prefer to keep your dancing a little more personal, Just Dance 2023 will launch later this year with a private mode for multiplayer sessions between up to six friends.
Assassin's Creed Mirage
Ubisoft released the first Assassin's Creed Mirage details, following its confirmation on September 1. We learned that Assassin's Creed Mirage is a homage to the early years of the franchise – back when the focus was on assassinations, parkour, and stealth. Mirage is across four-districts of 9th Century Baghdad – a more contained world than the sprawling spaces seen in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Odyssey, and Origins – and is set to star a much younger Basim, tracking his ascent from street thief to master assassin. Assassin's Creed Mirage is going to launch on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, and Xbox One in 2023.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla: The Last Chapter
Assassin's Creed Valhalla has enjoyed two years of post-launch content and now it's finally time for Ubisoft to draw Evior's stunning adventure to a close. Game director Gareth Glover joined the Ubisoft Forward showcase to tease the upcoming free quest line, which he promises will launch in just a "few months time." Assassin's Creed Valhalla: The Last Chapter will reportedly "tie up some of the storylines established throughout the game" and even include some surprising historical figures. Given that Assassin's Creed Valhalla has proven itself to be one of the best Assassin's Creed games, I'm really not sure if I'm ready for it all to end.
Assassin's Creed Codename Jade
Assassin's Creed Codename Jade is an incredibly ambitious undertaking for Ubisoft. It's set to be the publisher's first open world Assassin's Creed game for mobile, which will reportedly feature "all the iconic Assassin's Creed gameplay but optimized for an experience on touch controls." Assassin's Creed Jade will be set in China (a location the series last explored in Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China in 2015), will finally let you "parkour across the Great Wall of China", and will let you create your own character. Sadly, there was no Assassin's Creed Jade release date announced, but it sounds as if it'll be 2024 at the earliest.
Assassin's Creed Netflix series
Ubisoft announced that it was working on an Assassin's Creed Netflix series back in 2020, although there has been little information in the years since. Thankfully, Marc-Alexis Cote – executive producer of the Assassin's Creed franchise – showed up to dish a little more detail. The Netflix Assassin's Creed series is still "early in development" but Cote teases that it has been a close collaboration between Ubisoft Film and Television, Netflix, and showrunner Jeb Stuart. That's awesome news because not only is Stuart the showrunner of Netflix's Vikings: Valhalla – he's also responsible for writing the scripts to some of the best action movies of all-time, including Die Hard and The Fugitive.
Assassin's Creed Netflix game
The Assassin's Creed series isn't the only project Ubisoft has in the works with Netflix. While detail was light, the publisher confirmed that it is working on a brand new Assassin's Creed mobile game that will be released exclusively through the Netflix Games platform. Netflix has been expanding aggressively into the video game market, including some high-profile acquisitions including Oxenfree's Night School Studio. Expect to see Netflix Games Studio make more moves in this space, and for this mobile game to be a big deal in a few years.
Assassin's Creed Codename Red
Assassin's Creed Codename Red delivers on a fantasy that series fans have had since Altair first leaped into a bail of hay – Assassin's Creed Japan is happening, people! That's right, Assassin's Creed Odyssey developer Ubisoft Quebec is set to let us live out a "very powerful shinobi fantasy" in what the publisher is calling the "next premium flagship title and the future of our open-world RPG games on Assassin's Creed." The opportunity to explore feudal Japan in an Assassin's Creed game is obviously massively exciting, however it does sound as if we'll be waiting until 2024 at the earliest to play it.
Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe
I'm not really sure what to make of this one, but I know I'm desperate to see more of it. Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe made its debut with a creepy trailer that featured barking dogs, rotting trees, and a wooden Assassin's Insignia hanging over an open flame. It's a massive vibe shift for the Assassin's Creed series, and Ubi is promising that Hexe will be "a very different type of Assassins' Creed game." This new flagship title is in development at Ubisoft Montreal – the birthplace of the series, and more recently the studio behind Assassin's Creed Valhalla – and we honestly can't wait to see more. Sadly, I get the impression that we'll be waiting a little while before we do – especially with Assassin's Creed Mirage and Codename Red set to release before Hexe.
Assassin's Creed Infinity
We finally know more about Assassin's Creed Infinity. There have been rumors circulating about some sort of Assassin's Creed live-service platform for a year now, and we have finally been given a little clarity. Assassin's Creed franchise producer Marc-Alexis Cote says that" Infinity isn't a game, per se," but instead will act as "the single entry point into the Assassin's Creed franchise into the future." The service was compared to the Animus itself, and then described as "a hub that will unite all of our experiences and our players, together in meaningful ways." Imagery suggests Assassin's Creed Codename Red and Hexe will launch as part of Codename Infinity, so hopefully we'll hear more soon.
Assassin's Creed multiplayer game
Less of an announcement and more of a tease – but I'm on a roll now, so you're getting what you're getting – but Assassin's Creed franchise producer Marc-Alexis Cote has said that Ubisoft is "investigating how we will bring back standalone multiplayer experiences into the Assassin's Creed universe – all connected to the Infinity Hub." Ubisoft bringing back Assassin's Creed multiplayer would of course be fantastic; it's been almost a decade since multiplayer factored into one of the mainline titles (that would be 2013's Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag) and co-op was never tried again after 2014's Assassin's Creed Unity. Given how prominent multiplayer has become in the modern era, a standalone online experience is good sense, if nothing else.
