Today, at 3:00 p.m. ET, Ubisoft will host its E3 press conference, “Ubisoft Forward.” Don’t get your hopes up for updates about the upcoming Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake or The Division. (That goes for both the base game and the recently announced The Division Heartlands.) Earlier this week, Ubisoft confirmed neither would be on the setlist. Still, there’s a whole lot we know will be there, chiefly because Ubisoft detailed the lineup in a blog post.
From an initial peek, the show looks...fine? Ubisoft says it’ll contain “surprises.” That could refer to anything—from that Star Wars game in the works to the apparently leaked Mario + Rabbids game. The following, though, are definite.
When is Ubisoft’s E3 pre-show?
It’s as Benjamin Franklin famously wrote: Nothing is certain in life except death, taxes, and Ubisoft pre-shows. Of course Ubisoft’s ballyhooed E3 presser is preceded by one. As a heads up from someone who’s sat through many Ubisoft pre-shows: these things, while entertaining, are rarely packed with breaking news. At most, expect minor updates for Watch Dogs: Legion, Trackmania, The Crew 2, Brawlhalla, and For Honor. The pre-show starts at 2:00 p.m. ET and runs one hour.
Rainbow Six
The shooter formerly known as Rainbow Six Quarantine will show up at Ubisoft Forward today. It is now called Rainbow Six Extraction. Wise choice, all things considered!
Riders Republic
Don’t call it a Steep sequel, but don’t not call it a Steep sequel. Riders Republic, the mountain sports game developed by Ubisoft Annecy (the studio behind Steep), allows you to ski, snowboard, and wingsuit around an open world based on real-world locations. The biggest apparent differences between the two is the setting (stateside rather than Euro-centric) and a new dirtbike option. The game was first announced in the fall for a February release, before getting delayed to an indefinite release date. Hopefully we get some specifics during today’s stream.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
I know what you’re thinking: Wait, this game’s already out! Yes, but the Viking-themed mead-drinking sim has received a steady drip feed of new content, including seasonal events and a fairly solid expansion with this spring’s Wrath of the Druids. The next expansion, The Siege of Paris, does not currently have a release date, nor has it been fully unveiled. Were I a betting man, I’d put my money on that showing up.
Far Cry 6
We know the setting. We know the premise. And, crucially, we know the release date and the platforms on which it will release. You’d think we have all the Far Cry 6 info we need. Still, Ubisoft will showcase the upcoming “not political” open-world shooter at today’s event.
Rainbow Six Siege
Ubisoft will detail updates about its enormously popular multiplayer shooter at some point during the stream. In the post-show—that’s right, in addition to a pre-show, there’s also a post-show—Ubisoft plans to go “in-depth with Siege developers on how they designed the latest addition to the Operator roster.”
Buncha Film And TV Stuff
Between Mythic Quest, Werewolves Within, and some “additional surprises,” Ubisoft will show off a bunch of not-a-game content today. Yesterday, during the last stream of Netflix’s Geeked Week, we saw snippets of upcoming anime series based on Splinter Cell and Far Cry: Blood Dragon.