Last Updated on July 17, 2020 by Mark P.
The Ubisoft Forward livestream was just a few days ago on July 12th, and with it was a pretty huge array of details and news on many upcoming Ubisoft games, particularly their most expected titles, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Watch Dogs: Legion, and Far Cry 6, the last of which was leaked in the days preceding the event, meaning it probably wasn’t meant to be announced there initially. Also worth mentioning was a free giveaway for Watch Dogs 2 on PC.
Initially, the free giveaway was only for individuals that met certain criteria, but following some technical issues that stopped things from working properly, anyone and everyone is now eligible to get the game for free. Despite the ongoing and quite serious abuse allegations that have been hounding Ubisoft recently, the publisher did not address them in any manner during the pre-recorded show.
Instead, they released a statement before the show entirely, stating that they would release more details on those allegations at a later date. That said, everything below is a synopsis of the things that were covered during the show, from game details and announcements to other news.
Ubisoft Game Announcements and News
Just Dance 2020
The very first game shown during the pre-show presentation was Just Dance 2020, but we didn’t actually learn a whole lot about it, other than the fact that a tournament mode will be introduced and six new songs will be a part of the roster. This Virtual Paradise content is out July 23.
Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet
Ubisoft only provided a short glance at this playable sandbox, which was used for the Apple TV+ show of the same name. The story behind it is actually kind of amusing: the Ubisoft Red Storm team initially made a fake game for the show in question, but they ultimately made that fake game completely functional, so people can play it if they really want to.
The Crew 2
Ubisoft Ivory Tower provided an update regarding racing game The Crew 2 during the pre-show. Recently, an update called Summer in Hollywood went live, and it will include a number of special additions to the game, like Neon Battle and The Beach over the course of the next few weeks. Furthermore, special modded events will become available in August, so that’s also something interesting to look forward to.
The Division 2
The pre-show revealed an interesting Easter Egg, for lack of a better word, for The Division 2. The various rubber ducks hanging around the game were officially acknowledged. The purpose of these many rubber ducks was to remind one of the developers of something important while the game was still being developed, but apparently, he forgot to take them out. Now Ubisoft is just going to leave them in the game, as a little ray of hope and silliness in an otherwise bleak setting.
Trials Rising
The pre-show also revealed an unexpected surprise for the game Trials Rising in the form of the Gigatrack, an endurance type event. This track has been a fan favorite for some time, as it is the largest track ever put into the game series, making it an extreme test of endurance or just a very long joyride. Whether you want to ride it alone or against your friends, it was made free on July 16th.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint
Ubisoft Forward also ending up discusses a number of upcoming changes to Ghost Recon Breakpoint. These changes seek to fix the many problems brought forward by poor reviews for the game last year, not to mention the rather lackluster sales figures that Ubisoft was probably not expecting after Wildlands. AI teammates were finally added to the game on July 15th, and they are fully customizable, to the same extent they were back in Wildlands. They will also follow orders just like the teammates in Wildlands did, so players can finally have a break from having to take on everyone solo.
Watch Dogs: Legion
Ubisoft Toronto’s Watch Dogs: Legion is an undoubtedly ambitious title, as it intends to features the unique ability to play as any character in the game. This was showcased during Ubisoft Forward, demonstrating how gameplay will be changed by character’s unique abilities, as well as how they will manage to mesh seamlessly into the story’s cutscenes, something no game has ever really done before. Watch Dogs: Legion was originally supposed to be slated for a March release, but now it will launch on October 29, 2020 for Xbox One, PS4, Stadia, and PC, as well as Uplay+. The game will also be a free upgrade for anyone that owns it on those consoles when the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 are released.
Brawlhalla
Ubisoft’s slightly niche fighting game Brawlhalla will be coming to iOS and Android devices within the span of a few weeks. Unlike the console versions, these mobile versions will feature customizable controls, and more notably, cross-play with other platforms. Both versions of the game will launch on August 6th, and those who pre-order it will be able to get a special skin for the game.
Mobile Showcase
Interestingly, Ubisoft dedicated a portion of their pre-show to its variety of mobile games, which includes Might & Magic: Era of Chaos, and a number of exclusive rewards for the title. Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad was also shown in a trailer, and it provided a rather interesting look at Splinter Cell’s Sam Fisher alongside other well-known Tom Clancy universe heroes.
Hyper Scape
Hyper Scape was literally announced in July, and yet it immediately launched into a closed testing phase on PC. However, the game has now entered an open beta phase. An exact final release date hasn’t been revealed yet, but we do know that the game is scheduled to debut sometime this summer on all noteworthy platforms save the Nintendo Switch.
Assassins’ Creed Valhalla
Ubisoft finally fully revealed Assassin’s Creed Valhalla during the show, mostly showing full gameplay, but also confirming that the earlier leaked release date, November 17, would in fact be the actual release date. The game is set to release on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS4, PS5, PC, and Stadia. However, while the release date for the current generation of consoles is confirmed, there’s no information on the exact release date for the next generation of consoles yet.
Far Cry 6
Ubisoft confirmed Far Cry 6 and the involvement of actor Giancarlo Esposito’s several days prior to what they intended, thanks to a number of leaks revealing it ahead of time. During Ubisoft Forward they offered up a full trailer of the game. The game notably features a fully voiced protagonist of either gender, and it’s set to release on February 21 2020 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS4, PS5, and PC.
