10 Canceled Ubisoft Games We'll NEVER Get to Play
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00 Welcome to Mojo Plays and today we're looking through Ubisoft's long history to showcase 10 of the studio's biggest cancellations.
00:13 "Today you're gonna make up for that."
00:15 Before we begin, we publish new content all week long, so be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
00:25 10. Rayman 4
00:32 Let's start with a big one, and one that likely upsets a lot of diehard platformer fans.
00:37 "Don't be so touchy. Here, check out what I found. The manual. It's all in here. If you read the story, you'll find your way out."
00:44 Following Rayman 3, Ubisoft focused on the Rabid spin-offs until 2011's Rayman Origins.
00:50 However, before that spin-off's first entry was released, the studio spent some time on Rayman 4.
00:56 In fact, there were two iterations of the game before Ubisoft pivoted to 2006's Rayman Raving Rabbids.
01:03 One was from the now-closed Phoenix Studio, which lasted four months into development.
01:15 The other, under Ubisoft Montpellier, had a treasure trove of content leak in late 2022, including its source code and a ton of assets.
01:24 Ubisoft reportedly made the switch due to the Wii's release, going heavy on many games since Rayman 4 at that point lacked direction.
01:32 11. Zombie U 2
01:34 "Don't just stand there gawping. Hurry!"
01:40 The Wii U didn't have a great run, and that was true right at the start.
01:45 One of the launch games that failed to catch on was Ubisoft's Zombie U.
01:49 It wasn't the most original of premises. It was a zombie apocalypse, only this time in London.
01:54 But it was a fun enough time despite this, and did some interesting things with the gamepad.
01:59 "Yes, you!"
02:00 "I've got eyes on you. Follow my voice. In the tube."
02:06 A sequel was considered, and a prototype was developed.
02:09 New features would have included multiple routes to give levels more variety, as well as co-op.
02:14 It didn't get any further than that, sadly, as the first game's sales were a disappointment to Ubisoft.
02:19 So much so that it also turned an upcoming Wii U exclusive, Rayman Legends, into a multi-platform release.
02:26 12. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Frontline
02:29 It seems everyone has tried to get in on the Battle Royale trend at one point or another.
02:34 Ubisoft announced Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon series would be taking that route in late 2021 with Frontline.
02:40 But things went south pretty soon after, with fans being unhappy about the switch from stealth to action.
02:46 The studio cancelled the planned alpha test for unknown reasons, and when it hosted a closed beta in early 2022, the gameplay leaked onto Twitch.
02:54 Those who saw it berated it for being exactly like Call of Duty Warzone.
02:59 With a fanbase against it, and other financial burdens, maybe Ubisoft felt the fight wasn't worth it.
03:04 Frontline was cancelled in July of 2022.
03:08 13. Assassin's Creed Lost Legacy
03:10 Outside of the now many Switch ports, Assassin's Creed mostly stayed away from Nintendo's platforms, save for a couple of DS titles.
03:19 The series was planned to jump to the 3DS next, but that never came to be.
03:24 Assassin's Creed Lost Legacy was announced during Nintendo's E3 2010 conference,
03:28 and would have followed Ezio uncovering the history of the Assassin Order and Altair from the first game.
03:34 Ubisoft would recycle those elements into 2011's Revelations.
03:38 It seems likely the story and ideas grew too large for the smaller platform.
03:51 Nonetheless, it would have been interesting to see what it was like.
03:55 Project Q
04:03 Ubisoft has been having a rough couple of years, to put it lightly.
04:06 Amid game delays and backlash to several controversies, the studio had to cancel three games in early 2023.
04:13 While two of them were unannounced, one only ever got that far. Project Q.
04:18 Following the leak of its existence, Ubisoft announced it in 2022,
04:22 calling it a "Team Battle Arena Game" and stressing the fact that it wasn't a battle royale.
04:28 We only know it would have featured PvP modes, and Ubisoft also used the announcement as damage control
04:34 for one of its many controversies by saying it would not feature NFTs.
04:38 All we saw was concept art, so who knows how this could have gone.
04:42 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Patriots
04:45 In late 2011, Ubisoft announced a new entry in the Rainbow Six series, titled Patriots.
04:57 Its trailers were only of pre-rendered footage, but the premise sounded enticing.
05:02 Players and their allies would have gone up against a group called the True Patriots,
05:06 wreaking havoc in New York City and putting Wall Street on trial.
05:09 Unfortunately, the game's development period was troubled, with many key leads,
05:13 including its creative director and lead designer, leaving the project in 2012.
05:18 The onset of the 8th console generation probably complicated matters,
05:22 and Ubisoft announced its cancellation in 2014.
05:25 However, all was not lost, as Rainbow Six Siege was announced immediately after.
05:30 Heroes, the video game
05:39 Ah, tie-in games.
05:48 There was a time where every license was thrown at the proverbial video game wall
05:52 to see what would stick, even network TV dramas.
05:55 Ubisoft jumped on a couple as well.
05:57 While working on 2008's Lost Via Domus, it attempted to pick up another popular sci-fi show, NBC's Heroes.
06:05 Announced in 2007 and planned for a fall 2008 release window,
06:09 it would have adapted events from season 1 while focusing on a brand new character.
06:13 Ubisoft partnered with developer High Voltage Software,
06:15 but the team backed out due to a lack of resources for a short development period.
06:20 The show's ratings began to steeply decline as well, causing Ubisoft to abandon it shortly after.
06:25 Published by Ubisoft and developed by Gearbox,
06:31 the Brothers in Arms series chronicles various operations during World War II.
06:35 The franchise has sadly been quiet for a while now, and its last few installments were mobile only.
06:40 However, a full-fledged console release was planned and announced by Ubisoft at E3 2011.
06:46 [Gunshots]
06:49 [Glass shattering]
06:52 [Groaning]
06:54 "Scheiße."
06:55 It would have been far more lighthearted in tone compared to other entries,
06:59 focusing on four new characters as they murdered their way across Germany looking for Hitler.
07:04 The change in tone was negatively received by fans, causing Gearbox to pivot.
07:09 Ubisoft backed out prior to the transformation of the game, which eventually morphed into Battleborn,
07:14 another game that was doomed for failure.
07:16 [Music]
07:22 Splinter Cell VR
07:24 Around the same time Ubisoft cancelled Ghost Recon Frontline,
07:28 it also broke news of another Tom Clancy cancellation.
07:31 Like we said, it's been a rough couple of years.
07:34 The company had previously announced a Splinter Cell VR title in 2020,
07:38 exclusively in development for Oculus.
07:40 At the time of its 2022 cancellation, Ubisoft was attempting to reduce the blow of financial failures
07:46 by leaning on more well-known franchises.
07:48 The Assassin's Creed VR game, which was announced simultaneously, finished development and released in November of 2023.
07:55 That's a real shame because Splinter Cell seems like a great fit for VR.
07:59 Putting you in spy missions using different gadgets and weaponry sounds like a great experience.
08:05 Prince of Persia Redemption
08:07 [Music]
08:13 Prince of Persia made a stunning comeback after a 14-year-long absence with 2024's The Lost Crown.
08:20 However, another entry could have broken up that hiatus.
08:24 Prince of Persia Redemption was in early development at Ubisoft Montreal in the early 2010s.
08:29 A pre-rendered trailer made the internet rounds in 2020, and the fanbase was unanimous in its positivity.
08:35 [Music]
08:44 Reason for cancellation is unclear.
08:46 Prince of Persia's popularity had certainly declined by that point,
08:50 and some have speculated that its profit margins are smaller due to series creator Jordan Mechner retaining the license.
08:56 Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed, which features similar gameplay, was also growing in popularity at the time.
09:02 Regardless, the rejected pitch seems interesting enough that we wish Ubisoft had followed through on it.
09:08 "Stay on your guard. We will find the prince in Anahita."
09:12 What cancelled Ubisoft game do you wish you could have tried?
09:16 Share your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to Mojo Plays for more great gaming videos every day.
09:22 [Music]