The Biggest Games And Announcements From Ubisoft Forward 2022

Ubisoft brought lots of upcoming games (including a few unannounced ones) to its Ubisoft Forward presentation on September 10. Several of these games are arriving very soon, such as Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, and whether you're playing on PC, mobile, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, or even streaming platforms, there was something for you during the show.

Big upcoming games like Skull and Bones got some of the spotlight during the show, but the real star was Assassin's Creed. We got news on several different Assassin's Creed games, including the standalone title Assassin's Creed Mirage as well as Assassin's Creed Infinity. It will serve as the future home for Assassin's Creed releases, with the two confirmed being set in feudal Japan and the Holy Roman Empire. Yes, we're finally going to Japan.

We can't forget about the Clancy-verse, either. The Division got a particularly big showing, including new content for The Division 2, a look at The Division Resurgence on mobile, and the free-to-play The Division Heartland. You'll be able to play The Division wherever you are, and the same is true for Rainbow Six, as we got a fresh look at Rainbow Six Mobile.

These were the biggest games and announcements from Ubisoft Forward.

The next Assassin's Creed game is taking the series back to its gameplay roots. Assassin's Creed Mirage stars Basim of Assassin's Creed Valhalla fame, taking place a few decades earlier and setting the stage for much of what would come later in the Assassin's Creed storyline. The game will focus more on social stealth and more-traditional Assassin's Creed gameplay than the RPG-focused games we've seen in the last several years, and it won't be nearly as large as Valhalla or the next entry on our list.

We've heard rumors for months and months, but Ubisoft officially detailed Assassin's Creed Infinity during Ubisoft Forward. You shouldn't think of it as a game in its own right, but rather as the platform moving forward for future Assassin's Creed content. Rather than release each new game as a separate, well, "game," they'll be offered within Infinity. Two of the upcoming games are codenamed "Red" and "Hexe," which are focused on feudal Japan (at long last) and the Holy Roman Empire's witch trials, respectively. The former is in development at Ubisoft Quebec, with the latter being developed at Ubisoft Montreal by the Assassin's Creed Valhalla team. Clint Hocking, who previously directed games like Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, Far Cry 2, and Watch Dogs Legion, will direct Hexe.

Two different Assassin's Creed mobile games are on the way, though one appears to be coming much earlier than the other. Project Jade, set in China, will be releasing for mobile devices and features a fully customizable protagonist, while the other still-untitled game will release via Netflix. That will be the only way to play the game, and if you didn't know, mobile gaming is included for free with a Netflix subscription.

Following the game's launch on PC, the newest Trackmania game is finally making the jump to both Xbox Series X|S and PS5 as well as several other systems. If you got started on PC--or want to move between platforms at some point--the game features cross-progression and cross-play. Alongside the new-gen systems, it's also coming to PS4, Xbox One, Stadia, and Luna in early 2023. Unlike earlier games in the series, it uses a free-to-play model and subscription system.

Skull and Bones is actually a real video game, and we learned more about how it will let you customize your ship and use smuggling networks during the presentation. You'll be able to sell goods, including illicit products like rum and opium, in order to grow your wealth, and you can choose which contracts and treasure hunts you want to complete. You'll also have lots of control over how you outfit your ship, including which weapons you want, how much cargo capacity it has, and what kind of armor it has. You can choose to go for brute force or can go for a lighter and more agile ship, and you can choose whether you want to focus on destroying enemy ships or just disabling them so they can be boarded.

Next month's Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is the long-awaited sequel to Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, and what we get at launch will not be all the game has to offer. Ubisoft has confirmed the game will be getting DLC, and it showed off a roadmap for post-launch content during Ubisoft Forward. There will be three different DLC packs released via the season pass, and the third will add Rayman as a playable character. We also saw a look at gameplay in the Terra Flora region, with Mario and pals traversing to the top of a volcano and even taking a train--but things don't go as planned, with an angry Wiggler battling the gang in a action-packed speeding battle.

Ubisoft is supporting Tom Clancy's The Division in several different ways, including The Division 2's Season 10 in just a few days. The new season launches September 13 and focuses on the True Sons faction's leader, General Anderson. Season 11 was confirmed to be on the way, too. Alongside The Division 2, Ubisoft Forward also featured The Division Heartland, a free-to-play spin-off game that will feature a 45-player mode called Storm Operations. It's launching in 2023, with PC testing signups available now. You can also sign up for The Division Resurgence's alpha test on mobile right now. The game is set both before the events of the first Division game as well as in between that game and The Division 2, with similar looting-shooting gameplay as its big siblings.

Ubisoft detailed how you can sign up to try out the Rainbow Six Mobile closed beta test during its Ubisoft Forward presentation. If you're on Android, you can pre-register right now on Google Play, with iOS users able to do so in the near future. The test kicks off very soon, starting September 12, and as we've seen in brief gameplay glimpses thus far, it looks to deliver an experience very similar to Rainbow Six Siege. That means some of the same characters and locations, as well as the game's signature destruction physics.

The popular party fighter Brawlhalla is getting a spooky new character just in time for Halloween. Actually, it's getting a few of them, as both Alucard and Simon Belmont from Castlevania are joining the free-to-play game on October 19. Brawlhalla is no stranger to crossovers, with characters from a variety of franchises--including several non-Ubisoft ones like Tomb Raider and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles--have already been featured in the game. It's available on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, PC, and both iOS and Android.

But that's not all! Here are even more Ubisoft Forward stories from right here on GameSpot:

• Play 100+ Ubisoft Games For Free Until October 10 With Ubisoft Plus
• Assassin's Creed Valhalla Finally Concludes This Year With One Final Expansion
• Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope Preorders Come With $10 Gift Card
• Assassin's Creed Mirage Preorders Available Now