Ubisoft and Massive are working on an Avatar game. However, fans will have to wait years for the project to be completed.
As part of the business report for the fiscal year 2017, Ubisoft announced eight AAA games that will be released in the coming two years. These are:
- a new Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry 5, The Crew 2 and South Park: The Fractured But Whole in fiscal year 2018 (until March 31, 2018)
- as well as a completely new brand and three games for already established franchises in fiscal year 2019 (until March 31, 2019).
One game is definitely not among the four unknown games, as Ubisoft has now confirmed: The new Avatar.
The fiscal year 2019 runs until March 31, 2019. This means that the Avatar game is not expected to arrive in the next two years. A Ubisoft spokesperson further pushed the possible release date into the future when speaking to IGN: The game will not be released before fiscal year 2021. This begins on April 1, 2020.
The sequel to the Avatar movie, “Avatar 2”, is scheduled for December 2020 – so it is unlikely that the game will be released months in advance. Presumably, the release dates will occur around the same time. Fans of the blue-skinned beings will have to wait a long time before they can immerse themselves in Pandora.
What is the new Avatar game actually about?
In February 2017, the Avatar game was officially announced by Ubisoft. The “The Division” developers Massive Entertainment are working on it, along with Fox Interactive and Lightstorm Entertainment. It will take place in the universe of James Cameron’s Avatar films.
According to Ubisoft, Avatar is one of the largest and strongest entertainment brands. The first Avatar game (from 2009) was already profitable, and now big plans are in place for the new game. A very strong studio (Massive) and a very strong engine (Snowdrop) will stand behind it.
It is set to be released on PC and consoles and will expand the Avatar universe with exciting innovations. Massive is said to put great emphasis on details, approach the project with much passion, and thus bring the beauty and dangers of Pandora to life.
Currently, there is no information about the Avatar game regarding gameplay or what genre it might fall into. It is assumed that it will have a “games as a service” approach, similar to The Division. Ubisoft recently announced that they will focus on this more in the future. These “games as a service” titles will continue to receive content, updates, and expansions after launch. The developers will continuously take care of the game to keep players engaged for the long term.
Who knows, maybe the new Avatar will have pronounced MMO elements, focusing on multiplayer, co-op, and progression. Massive has already gained some experience in this genre with The Division. The future will tell.
By the way: According to Hamish Bode, the community developer at Massive, the Avatar game will not affect the development of The Division. They are hiring new people. The work will be done separately. Therefore, the agents should not worry.
Interesting: The Division 2 or a Year 3? – Ubisoft announces 4 AAA games
