Ubisoft has had a good year, with new titles like The Division 2 taking off alongside thriving older games like For Honor. We don’t know exactly what Ubisoft has in store for E3 — the developers have promised “a couple of surprises”, that may take the form of new games from totally new IPs — but we can expect to see the following games get some time in the limelight during the conference.
Roller Champions
Roller Champions has leaked out in bits and pieces, and it seems like it might be Ubisoft’s big new E3 announcement. The title sounds similar to Rocket League, but instead of rocket cars, players are competing in the arena of roller derby. While a representative from Ubisoft said the company did not comment on “rumors and speculation,” these leaks look conclusive. Roller Champions would also be a title that could benefit from Ubisoft’s esports infrastructure, and might be their next foray into that market.
Watch Dogs Legion
Watch Dogs 3 has been rumored for some time, and after a recent leak by Amazon U.K., we learned that its on its way in the form of Watch Dogs Legion.
God Save the NPCs. Reveal at E3. #WatchDogsLegion #UbiE3 pic.twitter.com/xpD3bhXDaM
— Watch Dogs Legion (@watchdogsgame) June 4, 2019
Watch Dogs Legion will allow players to take control of any character in the game, turning the NPCs into your army of revolutionaries and hackers. The game takes place in a post-Brexit London and has an ambitious premise, but one that has lots of promise.
A new Rainbow Six?
While Rainbow Six Siege has been doing very well, Ubisoft may be about to return to the series’ PVE roots. Rumor says Ubisoft will be unveiling Rainbow Six Quarantine, a new co-operative shooter. This may be building off the popular Outbreak game mode from Siege, but its more likely to be its own animal with a different set of systems. Either way, fans of the Rainbow Six franchise who aren’t into Siege will want to keep an eye on Ubisoft this year.
A new IP?
Fans are buzzing about a new small scale RPG from Ubisoft. This would be a new IP. The code name for this project is Orpheus, but that’s subject to change. The art may be similar to Breath of the Wild, and it makes sense that Ubisoft would want to cap off such a successful run of sequels with a whole new start to a new franchise. We’ll have to see what shape Orpheus takes, but E3 should reveal the title’s secrets.
Ubisoft premium pass?
The Ubisoft store may have given away one of the E3 surprises — a product called the Ubisoft premium pass was briefly on display. Services like the Microsoft Game Pass and EA Access have allowed platforms like the Microsoft Store and Origin to offer exclusive games and deals to their owners. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Ubisoft jump on this trend, especially since they currently have their own launcher in Uplay and a very strong lineup of titles at their disposal.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint
The newest Ghost Recon title is set to come out in October, so we’ll likely be getting a closer look at the game. Breakpoint builds off the foundation laid down by Ghost Recon Wildlands, and takes players to a Silicon Valley-settled island. Despite the emphasis on tech, this won’t be a cushy ride; creative director Eric Couzian has emphasized themes of survival and struggle in this new environment. There’s a lot more to uncover before the release on Oct. 4 — including Breakpoint’s endgame raids — and E3 would be a prime opportunity to show off some of these new and evolved systems.
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
The Division 2 is still a newcomer to the games-as-a-service scene, coming off its strong launch in the spring. New content has come to the game after its launch, including a raid and a new endgame specialization called the Gunner. We know that The Division 2 is set for three more content drops before its first birthday, including expeditions to the outskirts of DC and a raid on the Pentagon. Ubisoft showed off The Division 2’s campaign missions at E3 last year; we can expect them to show off upcoming DLC this year.
Other games and updates
Rainbow Six Siege and For Honor are both older titles, but they’re still seeing regular updates. Siege’s new season, Operation Phantom Sight, is on its way. We’ve met one of the operators from this new season, a Secret Service defender named Warden (who is also my dad). E3 will be a prime opportunity to show off the second new operator, and display any new maps, reworks, or other changes with the season. There’s also a “celebrity showdown,” which seems like Ubisoft’s chance to promote Rainbow Six’s burgeoning esports scene alongside events like a Rayman speedrun.
For Honor will also get some time in the spotlight, which means we can expect some new content coming to the game. The most recent updates have been fun thanks to additions such as lightsabers and rabbids. We may see a more grounded update at E3.
There’s two games that we know we won’t be seeing, and that’s Skull & Bones and Beyond Good and Evil 2. When we first saw Skull & Bones during the 2018 E3 presentation, it seemed quite polished — but its been delayed until after the 2019-2020 fiscal period, which means that there’s more work to be done under the hood. Beyond Good and Evil 2 has already had a development marathon; it’s only recently that Ubisoft has shown us substantial portions of the game. Beyond Good and Evil won’t be at E3 in favor of focusing on “core development milestones”, but a Space Monkey Report livestream will clue fans in to the game’s current state.
Ubisoft will hold its E3 2019 press conference on Monday, June 10 at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET.