5 big things we learned from Ubisoft Forward

Ubisoft Forward gave fans a better look at games like Far Cry 6, Hyper Scape, Watch Dogs: Legion, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and even a touch of Splinter Cell. Here are our five big takeaways.With gaming conferences going online or canceling altogether, developers have had to get a bit creative to show off their lineup of new games instead of the next set of consoles. Ubisoft took their first step into showing off what they’ve got coming next with Ubisoft Forward.Here, we break down five games that we saw that gave us some of the biggest takeaways from the event – be it a new mechanic for a classic series, a story that has interested us, or even the hint of a potential series return.

Splinter Cell is back… sort of

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMaB5BsDX68 Perhaps the biggest shock of Ubisoft Forward was the return of Splinter Cell and Sam Fisher. Fans of the popular series might have jumped for joy if they had managed to mute the stream for a brief moment, but the announcement was for a mobile game called Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad.

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The fact that Ubisoft is reviving the Splinter Cell series is a way – albeit, small and on mobile – could give us hope that we’ll see Fisher and his iconic night vision goggles on the Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and even PC at some point in the future. 

Far Cry 6 release date

Recent stories in the Far Cry series have been gritty and downright diabolical and the sixth installment looks to be more of the same. After having his character leaked ahead of the Ubisoft event, fans got a better look at Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul star Giancarlo Esposito as the new villain. Though we’ve not seen much gameplay, it looks like the actor will strike the same fear into the hearts of players as he does with the menacing Gus Fring. The biggest news about Far Cry was that it will release on February 18th 2021, meaning that it’ll come after the launch of the next-gen consoles. Will it set the bar for the next-gen, though? Only time will tell. 

Hyper Scape beta

The biggest Hyper Scape announcement to come from Ubisoft Forward was the fact that the game is now in open beta. You no longer have to hope that luck is on your side in getting a drop from Twitch.

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Sadly, it is still only restricted to PC players. Console fans will get their hands on the battle royale eventually, but there is set to be a little bit longer of a wait while Ubisoft figures out a few more kinks. 

Watch Dogs: Legion has a huge cast of characters

Part of Watch Dogs: Legion was shown off in 2019, giving everyone a hearty laugh when the usual young hacking group was swapped out and a grandmother started fighting for the cause. At Ubisoft Forward, it was confirmed that pretty much anyone can be the star of the show. As a part of DedSec, you can hack and profile AIs that interest you and add them to your team. This will give you some unique abilities as well, meaning missions can be completed however you wish. We also learned that the third Watch Dogs title will release on October 29, falling right before the launch of the Xbox Series X and PS5.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla release date

Ubisoft Forward gave Assassin’s Creed Valhalla fans a better look at the combat and a few other features that they can expect to see once Valhalla releases. Playing a Viking, you can plunder villages and towns after boating down a river in your longboat.

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The combat looks pretty much what you’d expect from an AC game, though being backed up by NPCs should make for interesting fights. You can also use customize your fighting style to best fit your playstyle too. We also got a release date of November 17, but an optimized version for the next-gen will also follow. 

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So, there you have it, five big things we learned from Ubisoft Forward. The developers are planning further events to show off their new titles in the near future, so we could see some additional information.We’ll just have to keep an eye out for what they have up their sleeve.