Ubisoft has presented their 2019 E3 Briefing. Taking place at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, the event showcased what’s coming next from the studio and their partners.
Assassin’s Creed
Fans of the Assassin’s Creed franchise got a preview of the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Symphony tour with the opening of this year’s presentation featuring some of the music from the series that will be performed by a full 80-piece orchestra and choir.
Conducted by Ivan Linn, the opening performance also featured a montage of clips from the various trailers that have been released of the course of the franchise’s history all the way up to the current title Odyssey – which will be getting Story Creator and Discovery Tour modes in the coming weeks.
Watch Dogs Legion
Confirmed just before the start of E3, fans got a first look at Watch Dogs Legion. Set in a near-future London, players will be able to form their own Dedsec teams to reclaim the city from the grasp of Albion – the group who has turned the country into a surveillance state. Unlike previous Watch Dogs titles, players will have the chance to play as literally anyone as every single person in the game is recruitable, with their own stories, missions and relationships in the city.
The gameplay revealed followed one possible team as they tried to recruit a hacker to the team. From Piccadilly Circus to Camden Market with a little stop at the Metropolitan Police, the presentation also presented another new feature of the game – permadeath.
The presentation concluded with the announcement that Watch Dogs Legion is scheduled for release on March 6, 2020.
Tom Clancy
Fans of Ubisoft’s various Tom Clancy titles were not left disappointed, with a whole host of announcements during the presentation.
As well as news on the new Clutch Royale mode coming to Rainbow Six Siege and the Elite Squad mobile game – which also features Splinter Cell’s Sam Fisher – there was more details about the upcoming Ghost Recon: Breakpoint
After a trailer showcasing Jon Bernthal’s character, Cole Walker, addressing his men before a mission, the actor took to the stage – accompanied by his dog Bam Bam – to give fans more insight into Walker and what players can expect from the game when it launches on October 4. In addition, it was announced that the game would have a beta in September as well as the formation of Ghost Recon Delta Company, a new fan collective comprising all aspects of the game’s community.
There was also a sneak peek of what’s coming in the next few months for The Division 2. Starting in July, the first major content update will see players head outside of Washington DC for a series of missions. With location ranging from a college campus to a zoo and even the Pentagon, players will also see the return of 8 player squads in the update. Those look to try out the game will be able to do so, as The Division 2 will be free to play from June 13-16.
Finally, it was announced that the next Rainbow Six title is in development. Entitled Quarantine, the new title will put players in the middle of a viral outbreak in a brand-new co-op experience. Also, The Division 2 Creative Director also confirmed that the Division film project – set to star Jessica Chastain and Jake Gyllenhaal – will be developed in partnership with Netflix.
Uplay Plus and a Mythic Quest
Among the announcements during the presentation was that of Uplay Plus. Set to lunch in September, this PC subscription will grant players access to the library of Ubisoft games – as well as new releases – for a monthly fee of £14.99 per month. Players who register before August 15 will get the first month for free.
In addition, it was announced that the subscription would also be coming to Google’s Stadia service in 2020.
Taking to the stage during the presentation was Rob McElhenney of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia to announce his new project – Mythic Quest – which has been produced in collaboration with Ubisoft. Set in a game studio, the comedy series follows the development team of the MMORPG Mythic Quest, which has become the most successful game ever, as they prepare to launch the game’s first major expansion Raven’s Banquet.
After showing a short clip of the show, McElhenney announced that the series would be available exclusively on Apple TV+.
Future Releases
As with previous years, Ubisoft took some time to show teaser trailers of several upcoming projects and content:
- The colourful world of Adventure Time will be coming to Brawhalla, with a new stage and all the characters from the show available to play now.
- Just Dance 2020 will be marking ten years of the franchise with a November release set for Xbox One, PS4 and Switch, as well as the Nintendo Wii and Google Stadia.
- For Honor’s next limited time event – Shadows of the Hitokiri – will pit Samurai against Vikings with a new Soul Rush ability.
- Roller Champions is a 3-on-3 competitive skating title coming in 2020, with a playable demo available until June 14
Finally, a brand-new title was teased at the end of the presentation. Coming from the team behind Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Gods & Monsters will bring tales of mythology to players in a new action RPG adventure, with a planned release date of February 25, 2020.
Information on all the games and features mentioned can be found here.
Watch the presentation in full below.
Words by Megan Roxburgh