First up on E3 2021 Saturday line-up was Ubisoft Forward. Given the impressive Ubisoft catalogue of IPs, hopes were high heading into the event.
While more on Far Cry 6 was a dead cert, talk of Splinter Cell making a grand comeback gained increasing volume as the event neared - only being stoked by the announcement of an animated Netflix series. Sadly, Sam Fisher and his friends didn't make an appearance.
Some of the surprises offered by the Ubisoft Forward were not that surprising, thanks to a couple of gaffs and early footage reveals. Rocksmith+ and Mario & Rabbids: Sparks Of Hope were both revealed early, neither of which were by Ubisoft, while the villain-laden Far Cry 6 DLC was seen advertised a few days ahead of the launch.
Nevertheless, it was a well-polished event with plenty to offers gamers in both the near and far future. Here are our top nine announcements at Ubisoft Forward 2021:
Far Cry 6
Ubisoft announced more details around Far Cry 6. Namely, with a season pass for Far Cry 6, players will get access to DLC featuring three iconic villains: Vaas from Far Cry 3, Pagan from Far Cry 4 and Joseph from Far Cry 5. This wasn’t a huge surprise, given an earlier leak, but it’s exciting nonetheless. It was also announced that Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon, the neon-soaked tongue-in-cheek oddity, will be included in the season pass offering.
Far Cry 6 is available on October 7, 2021. Pre-order now. Pre-order Far Cry 6 Gold Edition to secure the main title and the season pass on day one.
Read more here.
Rainbow Six Extraction
Rainbow Six Extraction was the first game showcased in the Ubisoft Forward E3 2021 presentation. The walkthrough gameplay trailer talks us through how a co-op team works together to outsmart the alien threat. We also get a look at some of the player classes, new weapons and tech. Rainbow Six Extraction is available on September 16, 2021, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Stadia, Epic Games and Ubisoft Connect. Available for pre-order now.
Read more here.
Riders Republic
Ubisoft has released a new trailer for its upcoming MMO extreme sports game Riders Republic. The action-packed trailer showcases the fast-paced races and chaotic multiplayer modes that'll form the basis of the game. It also showcases some of the extreme sports players will be able to partake in too, with jet-powered wingsuits a particular highlight. Riders Republic will launch on September 2, 2021, and will be available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Stadia and PC. Pre-order now.
Read more here.
Just Dance 2022
The ever-popular dance game is getting a 2022 update, of course. YouTube sensation Todrick Hall made an appearance, detailing a new original song written exclusively for Just Dance 2022.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Future updates for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla were announced, including new game modes, historical deep-dives and flashy weapons (yay for single-handed swords). The next expansion for the game is called Siege of Paris - it arrives later this summer.
Werewolves Within
Despite some reservations, it appears that Ubisoft’s foray into the world of cinema has the potential to deliver the goods. Based on a game of the same title, Werewolves Within is a horror-comedy starring Sam Richardson and directed by Josh Ruben.
Mario & Rabbids: Sparks Of Hope
It was no surprise, thanks to an earlier mistake by Nintendo, that Mario & Rabbids: Sparks Of Hope was revealed. The trailer revealed the new game location, new characters and some new mechanics. The XCOM-like tactical crossover is headed exclusively to the Nintendo Switch in 2022.
Rocksmith+
Rocksmith, the guitar instruction offering from Ubisoft, is getting an upgrade - Rocksmith+. It is now in Beta testing. As was the trend with this Ubisoft Forward, word of this service came earlier, courtesy of a mistimed email from guitar manufacturer Gibson.
Avatar: Frontier Of Pandora
Ubisoft’s Avatar: Frontier Of Pandora was the last announcement, receiving a cinematic trailer and a 2022 release window. Placing the Snowdrop Engine name front and centre, the vivid trailer showed lush landscapes, as well as combat between gun-totting humans and animal-flying Na’vi.