Predicting Ubisoft’s Major AAA Game Releases of 2019
Watch Dogs 3
Following the news that Ubisoft plans to release three to four major AAA games between April this year and March of the next (in other words, the 19/20 fiscal year), we decided to take some time spitballing what titles most likely fit the bill and could release within this timeframe.
Honestly, it should come as a no-brainer that Watch Dogs 3 would headline Ubisoft’s major titles for the following year period. With Assassin’s Creed Odyssey releasing in 2018’s peak months, it’s time for the historical action-RPG series to take a year out and let its modern-day, tech-focused counterpart take the spotlight, instead.
It’s a release schedule we’ve seen Ubisoft adopt before, enabling them to spend more time fine-tuning arguably their biggest blockbuster series, while also giving Watch Dogs fans more off-the-wall hacking goodness every other year.
Currently, no details are known as to where Watch Dogs 3’s story could go, what city we’ll end up exploring following Chicago and San Francisco from the past games, or what new features we can expect to shake up the formula.
Still, if we were the betting kind, we’d probably say Watch Dogs 3 will release this October/ November with an initial reveal either at E3 or just prior to it, with a full gameplay reveal taking center stage during the industry expo. If you make any money from our predictions, let us know and we’ll send you a link to our PayPal tip pot! We’re kidding… kinda.
Predicting Ubisoft’s Major AAA Game Releases of 2019
Skull & Bones
Another fairly obvious candidate to be released throughout this year or the start of next is Ubisoft’s naval combat title, Skull and Bones.
As the name suggests, pretty much the entirety of the game looks set to take place on the high seas, and you’ll be able to try your hand at naval warfare either on your own or with the help of friends. You’ll acquire various different ships and upgrade them to suit your preferred combat style through a deep progression system.
Simply put, if you enjoyed the naval combat in games like Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, and Odyssey, too, you’ll probably be happy enough diving into Skull & Bones.
That being said, we weren’t overly enthralled by the title when we checked it out at E3 last year. Its combat being limited simply to ship battles feel like a missed opportunity when forts on land look so much more enjoyable to take over than simply firing cannons at them turns out to be.
Of course, there’s still plenty of time for Ubisoft to unveil a reworked Skull and Bones that addresses some of our concerns or to include additional content to assuage our fears that the end game is severely lacking. We’d predict this at being an early fall title this year, or perhaps early 2020 depending on the development process.
What we will call, though, is the announcement of another Skull and Bones beta at E3 this year prior to its inevitable release.
Predicting Ubisoft’s Major AAA Game Releases of 2019
A New Ghost Recon?
Ghost Recon marks the beginning of the less obvious predictions on our list, and it’s one we’d personally be pretty delighted to see hit store within the next year.
2017’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands was an excellent foray for the series into open world territory, though its AI meant you were far better off playing with friends than relying on your AI-controller teammates.
Though the title was supported with post-launch DLC drops, including new story content, players haven’t seen anything significant arriving in the title for a good while now. That should be enough on its own to suggest Ubisoft is hard at work on a new Ghost Recon title.
Exactly what format a new Ghost Recon title would assume, however, remains unclear. The obvious choice would be to follow in Wildlands’ footsteps, whisking players away to another exotic landscape teeming with stunning sights and drug lords to put away.
Further, considering the early impressions of Ubisoft’s latest title, The Division 2, being very positive, particularly in relation to its end game content, and the general popularity of ‘live’ games, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a Wildlands 2 take some inspiration from its open world counterpart.
Alternatively, Ubisoft could always take its Ghost Recon series back to its more traditional, linear roots. Something akin to Future Soldier could offer up a shorter, more polished 10-hour single-player experience than another sprawling open world experience could likely offer up with its plethora of content. We’re still pretty sure it’ll be a ‘Wildlands 2’ title, though.
Predicting Ubisoft’s Major AAA Game Releases of 2019
Splinter Cell’s Return
It’s been a long time since fans lost got a dose of Sam Fisher and his stealthy espionage antics. Six. Long. Years. At this point, it seems as though Splinter Cell is as ripe as any of Ubisoft’s series for a 2019 release, and it’s not as though it’s not been hinted at for a while, either.
Back in 2017, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot told Geoff Keighley in a YouTube Live E3 livestream that “all the Clancy games are really coming along, so we are not forgetting Splinter Cell.” Similarly, just a year ago, in an AMA over on Reddit, Guillemot reassured fans Splinter Cell hadn’t been forgotten about.
When asked if there was any word on Splinter Cell games in the works, Guillemot replied “Splinter Cell is a brand we talk about a lot. It’s also personally one of my favorite series. We don’t have anything specific to share at the moment but teams are working on different things, so stay tuned for more.”
Similarly, Ubisoft’s decision to throw in a cheeky reference to Sam Fisher and the Splinter Cell series in Far Cry: New Dawn, to us, feels like a hint of what’s to come.
Sadly, no details have been shared on an upcoming Splinter Cell project, so for now, it’s just a case of crossing those fingers and hoping we see those three, shiny green lights strapped to Fisher’s face once again sometime soon.
Predicting Ubisoft’s Major AAA Game Releases of 2019
Prince of Persia
At this point, it’d be unlikely we’ll get every predicted title on this list… mainly because we’ve now got more than four predictions, but also because it’d probably blow the minds of all Ubisoft fans to receive all of these in one short, 12-month stint. Still, this one we couldn’t help but include.
The Prince of Persia series has been laying (mostly) dormant for six years now (if you include The Shadow and the Flame remake in 2013). Sure, there was Prince of Persia: Escape last year — a mobile endless-runner title — but that’s not really what fans’ minds immediately jump to when they think of the series.
Instead, players want more engaging combat, and platforming sections that made the original titles (and subsequent remasters and remakes) so darn compelling. Toss in a cel-shaded visual style running on current-gen consoles and we’d be looking at one hell of a good-looking game.
Alas, it was back in 2013 that we last got a hint that a Prince of Persia title may be in the works. Speaking with Eurogamer, Ubisoft’s European head Alain Corre replied to a question about a Prince of Persia title being in development with.
“All our franchises are always in gestation. We are iterating. We are thinking about what can be done… It will happen when we feel it is ready, when the creators have brought something interesting. That’s the case for all our franchises. They’re cooking. Some are cooking longer than others, but they’re cooking.”
Aside from making us mildly hungry with all that talk of cooking, it does suggest that the Prince of Persia series isn’t completely dead just yet. Whether or not it’s one of the four due to release in the following fiscal year remains to be seen, but it’d certainly compliment the likes of Watch Dogs 3 and Skull and Bones very nicely in our opinion.
Predicting Ubisoft’s Major AAA Game Releases of 2019
Mario & Rabbids: Kingdom Battle 2
Mario & Rabbids: Kingdom Battle was the video game that summed up the classic saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” On the surface, it looked like some obscure, overly-kid-friendly title that many felt would be a watered down XCOM, or involve mini-games, because Rabbids.
What we instead got, was a deep, engaging, turn-based strategy game that blended together the goofy personalities of the Rabbids with the vibrant and colorful world of the Mushroom Kingdom. It was delightful.
Levels were challenging, various weapons and abilities had strategic depth, and the game looked stunning regardless of how you played it on the Nintendo Switch.
Selling two million copies in its opening year, Kingdom Battle certainly performed at retail, and a sequel would most definitely be welcomed by Switch owners and Nintendo alike, with many of its AAA franchises having hit the hybrid in its opening two years.
Again, there’s been no rumors or details regarding a Kingdom Battle sequel for the Switch, but it’d certainly bolster the Nintendo system’s release schedule for 2019 should it make an appearance. Personally, we just hope this gives Yves and Miyamoto another opportunity to pose with bizarre weapons on-stage. A beautiful moment.
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