One of the biggest publishers in the games industry,Ubisoft,is constantly searching for new opportunities to spread its brands. Over the last few years, mobile gaming has gained more attention from the hardcore market, with prestige titles likeApex Legends MobileandGenshin Impactproving that full AAA experiences not only work on the platform, but can be highly profitable. Now Ubisoft is looking to expand into that market with its own set of prestige titles, all of which are based on beloved pre-existing franchises.
Ubisoft has a lot of IPs under its belt. Fromthe highly competitiveRainbow Sixseriesto the more cooperativeDivisionfranchise and stealth-action stapleAssassin’s Creed, Ubisoft has plenty of beloved franchises to keep it relevant. In 2023, all three of these franchises are getting big-budget mobile entries.
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Games 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 the usual subscription,Netflix’s games servicelaunched with a whimper utilizing just a handful of cheap mobile titles. Throughout 2022, Netflix has continued to state that its gaming department is more than just a failed experiment, and it’s determined to continue expanding its offerings. Since then, Netflix has acquired its own studios and continued to release new titles on its platform, some of which are excellent ports likeSpiritfarer,Into the Breach,Oxenfree, and the recently releasedImmortality, which is in the running for a slew of Game Awards.
This September, Netflix announced that it was working alongside Ubisoft to produce three brand-new titles for the mobile platform, each one being a big-budget, prestige experience. The announcement of this deal made sense with Ubisoft already having worked alongside Netflix on aRabbidsshow, as well as multipleupcomingAssassin’s Creedseriesin live-action and animation.
Along with these series, Ubisoft is also working with Netflix to produce anAssassin’s Creedmobile game. There are currently no details available about thisAssassin’s Creedmobile game, with its setting, gameplay mechanics, and characters still being unconfirmed. The most likely theory is that thisAssassin’s Creedmobile game will tie in directly with at least one of Netflix’s upcomingAssassin’s Creedshows, though that’s pure speculation.
During the Ubisoft Forward Showcase where the NetflixAssassin’s Creedtitle was unveiled, Ubisoft also announced a sequel toValiant Hearts: The Great Waris coming to Netflix in January 2023. A2014 puzzle game set during WW1, the originalValiant Heartswas praised by critics upon release, with its complex, emotional narrative and themes being real stand-outs. Under development by much of the original team, the upcomingValiant Heartssequel has every chance to live up to the depths of its predecessor, and will hopefully tell a tale just as resonant all these years later.
Ubisoft announced one more mobile game heading to Netflix during the showcase: aMighty Questproject. Also slated for 2023, thisMighty Questproject will apparently take the hack-and-slash combat of its predecessor and translate it intoa roguelike experience. This transition makes complete sense, with the originalMighty Quest for Epic Lootputting a heavy emphasis on dungeon crawling and castle building.
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Other Ubisoft Franchises Heading to Mobile
Aside from the three Netflix titles,Ubisoftalso has three big-budget mobile games currently in the works, based on popular franchises. Announced in April 2022,Rainbow Six Mobileis the first that’s set to release. While not a direct port ofRainbow Six Siege,Rainbow Six Mobileborrows a lot from its bigger brother, including its core defender-attacker gameplay loop, the ability to play as different Operators with unique abilities, and even some maps.
Rainbow Six Mobileis currently slated for a 2022 release, despite there being just a month or so left. That being said,Rainbow Six Mobiledid recently host an in-depth final Beta, and first impressions are fairly solid. By all accounts, the game’s gunplay feels and sounds good, its controls are intuitive, and it manages to capture theRainbow Six Siegeexperience well. However, there are some key connectivity issues and technical bugs that could pushRainbow Six Mobileout of its 2022 release date window.
The last Ubisoft mobile game to be announced wasAssassin’s Creed: Codename Jade. Revealed during the Ubisoft Forward Showcase in September,Assassin’s Creed Jadeis a completely separate mobile title from the Netflix project.Assassin’s Creed Jadewill be a fully-fledgedopen-worldAssassin’s Creedgame for mobile devices, set in Qin dynasty China during 215 BCE. Not a lot has been revealed aboutAssassin’s Creed: Codename Jade, but it seems like it may be one ofUbisoft’s most ambitious mobile projects yet.
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