One of the largest publishers in the gaming industry, Ubisoft, are constantly looking for new opportunities to spread their brands. Over the past few years, mobile games have received more attention from the hardcore market, with prestige titles such as Apex Legends mobile and Genshin effect proving that full AAA experiences not only work on the platform, but can be very profitable. Now Ubisoft wants to expand into that market with its own set of prestige titles, all based on beloved franchises.
Ubisoft has a lot of IPs under its belt. From the very competitive ones Rainbow Six the series for the more cooperative Division franchise and stealth-action staple Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft has plenty of beloved franchises to keep it relevant. By 2023, all three of these franchises are getting major mobile entries.
Games are coming to mobile as part of the Ubisoft and Netflix deal
In November 2021, Netflix introduced a gaming section to its service. A free addition to its regular subscription, Netflix’s gaming service launched with a whimper using just a handful of cheap mobile titles. Through 2022, Netflix has continued to state that its gaming division is more than just a failed experiment, and it is determined to continue expanding its offering. Since then, Netflix has acquired its own studios and continued to release new titles on its platform, some of which are excellent ports such as Spirit danger, Into the breach, Ox-freeand the recently released Immortalitywhich is in the running for a number of Game Awards.
In September, Netflix announced it was working with Ubisoft to produce three brand new titles for the mobile platform, each a big-budget prestige experience. The announcement of this deal made sense as Ubisoft has already worked with Netflix on one Rabbis show, as well as several upcoming ones Assassin’s Creed series in live-action and animation.
Along with these series, Ubisoft is also working with Netflix to produce one Assassin’s Creed mobile games. There are currently no details available on this Assassin’s Creed mobile game, with setting, game mechanics and characters still unconfirmed. The most likely theory is that this Assassin’s Creed mobile games will tie directly into at least one of Netflix’s upcoming Assassin’s Creed shows, although it is pure speculation.
During the Ubisoft Forward Showcase where Netflix Assassin’s Creed title was unveiled, Ubisoft also announced another sequel Valiant Hearts: The Great War coming to Netflix in January 2023. A 2014 puzzle game set during World War I, the original Brave hearts was praised by critics upon release, with its complex, emotional narrative and themes that really stand out. Under development by much of the original team, the upcoming Brave hearts the sequel has every chance of living up to the depth of its predecessor, and will hopefully tell an equally resonant story all these years later.
Ubisoft announced another mobile game coming to Netflix during the showcase: a Mighty Quest project. Also calculated for 2023, this Mighty Quest the project will apparently take the hack-and-slash combat of its predecessor and translate it into a roguelike experience. This transition makes complete sense, with the original Mighty Quest for Epic Loot places a heavy emphasis on dungeon crawling and castle building.
Other Ubisoft franchises heading to mobile
Aside from the three Netflix titles, Ubisoft also has three big-budget mobile games in the works based on popular franchises. Announced in April 2022, Rainbow Six Mobile is the first to be released. Although it is not a direct port of Rainbow Six Siege, Rainbow Six Mobile borrows a lot from its big brother, including its core defend-attack gameplay loop, the ability to play as different operators with unique abilities, and even some maps.
Rainbow Six Mobile is currently slated for a 2022 release, despite only being a month or so away. That being said, Rainbow Six Mobile recently hosted an in-depth final beta, and first impressions are pretty solid. By all accounts, the game’s gunplay feels and sounds great, the controls are intuitive, and it manages to capture Rainbow Six Siege experience well. However, there are some key connectivity issues and technical glitches that can push Rainbow Six Mobile out of the 2022 release date window.
The division also gets a mobile iteration. Title The division’s resurgenceannounced in July 2022, this free-to-play mobile title is essentially a big-budget spin-off of the two main lines Division game with similar third-person shooter mechanics, PvPvE elements and a story that puts a new perspective on the events of its predecessors. Players will be able to collect a variety of weapons, equipment and other loot; travel to the dark zone; customize their character; and unlock a variety of different skills and gadgets. The division’s resurgence is currently slated for a 2023 release, and fans can sign up for the game’s upcoming Beta now.
The last Ubisoft mobile game announced was Assassin’s Creed: Codename Jade. Revealed during the Ubisoft Forward Showcase in September, Assassin’s Creed Jade is a completely separate mobile title from the Netflix project. Assassin’s Creed Jade will be a fully fledged open world Assassin’s Creed game for mobile devices, set in the Qin Dynasty of China during 215 BCE. Not much has been revealed about Assassin’s Creed: Codename Jadebut it seems like it could be one of Ubisoftits most ambitious mobile projects yet.
