Ubisoft cancels four in-development games, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora delayed

Ubisoft has unveiled its Q1 Fiscal Year 2023 earnings, providing investors and fans with information about the company’s plans for the future. Notably, work on four upcoming titles has been cancelled to free up the developers for other projects. In addition, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora has been delayed and will no longer come out alongside the Avatar: The Way of Water’s film release date.

In the company’s Q1 sales report, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guilemot advises that “we are simultaneously adapting our organization to current economic uncertainties through cost optimization. We are also working hard to design the most efficient working conditions to ensure both flexibility for our teams as well as strong productivity and high-quality content.” During a call with investors, Ubisoft CFO Frederick Duguet stated that development on four titles has been cancelled. This list includes Ghost Recon: Frontline, Splinter Cell VR and two other unannounced games.

In addition to these cancellations, both Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and another “smaller unannounced premium game” have been delayed into a 2023-2024 release window. In the case of Avatar, the report advises that the company is “committed to delivering a cutting-edge immersive experience that takes full advantage of next-gen technology, as this amazing global entertainment brand represents a major multi-year opportunity for Ubisoft.” Although not officially confirmed, a Bloomberg report advises that the other unannounced delayed title is an Assassin’s Creed spin-off called codenamed Rift.

With Avatar delayed and other projects cancelled, Ubisoft’s confirmed release slate for the remainder of the year consists mostly of Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope and the long-delayed Skull and Bones. Sources within the company have advised Kotaku of various internal troubles and austerity measures. These include budget freezes, fewer hiring and senior developers jumping ship from work on core franchises. It is likely that we will find out more information about Ubisoft’s future plans during its next Forward gaming showcase scheduled for September 10th 2022.