Publishers Nintendo and EA have stopped holding traditional press conferences during E3, and Sony has even decided to skip out on the event entirely. One constant each year, however, remains Ubisoft, a publisher with a diverse library of games and a trick or two always just up its sleeve.
E3 has been the site for major game announcements including Watch Dogs, The Division, and Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot and his team typically load their conferences up with gameplay demonstrations, musical performances, and one or two titles that seem completely bonkers. As such, the Ubisoft E3 2019 press conference is one you definitely don't want to miss.
How to watch the Ubisoft press conference at E3 2019
Ubisoft will host its E3 2019 press conference on January 10 at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m ET. The publisher has not shared specific streaming plans for the event, but if it is following the model set forth by other publishers, you can expect to watch it via the official Ubisoft Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch channels.
Ubisoft will likely be following the format it has used over the last two years, which has developers and key company officials revealing games and diving deep into their features. Previously, comedian and actor Aisha Tyler hosted the show. She was the last celebrity hosting an E3 press conference at the time.
What to expect to see from Ubisoft at E3 2019
Ubisoft always keeps at least one big-name game under wraps prior to its E3 press conferences. We fully anticipate this being the case again in 2019, but we could also get a few pieces of new that aren't directly tied to game announcements at all, including a new subscription service.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint
Ubisoft first revealed Ghost Recon Breakpoint in early May, outlining the basic premise for the open-world shooter and showing the improvements and changes made since Ghost Recon Wildlands in 2017. The developers have already confirmed that the next major news will come during the E3 2019 press conference.
So far, we've seen cooperative gameplay during a demonstration, which focused on stealth and well as team-based tactics. The game plans to have competitive multiplayer in place at launch, as well, and we could see a battle between players during the conference. There will also be a raid – a first for the series – which would certainly make for a big spectacle.
The Division 2
Tom Clancy's The Division 2 managed to be the anti-Anthem when it released earlier this year, providing a varied amount of side activities and campaign missions, snappy combat, and a gorgeous world to explore. Unlike the first game, its expansions will also be free to all players, potentially keeping the user-base together for more post-launch content. More information on this upcoming content will almost certainly be shown during the E3 conference, and with Breakpoint releasing a few months later, we wouldn't be surprised if there were a crossover event.
Just Dance
Just as the sun rises in the morning and falls in the evening, Ubisoft releases a new Just Dance game every year, and it's always accompanied by a theatrical dance number at E3. We're not sure what sort of costumes or animal suits the dancers will have this year, but expect a well-choreographed dance number and an audience of creators and journalists waiting for it to be over.
Dance Central has already made the jump to VR, but there is still a possibility that Just Dance sees a release on Oculus Quest, and that could actually get attendees to pay attention during the dancing segment.
Watch Dogs Legion
Watch Dogs 2 released back in 2016 to warm reviews, but its sales were down on the first game and we have heard very little about the franchise since then. A Kotaku report, however, shared that Watch Dogs Legion is in development and will take place in London — a setting the previous game even seemed to tease.
Ubisoft later confirmed this itself via Twitter, while also teasing a reportedly new gameplay feature; you will be able to control any character you encounter in the game and use them as your own.
What we could see from Ubisoft at E3 2019
The games listed in the above section are either 100 percent guaranteed to appear or extremely close to it. However, there are several other games we believe we could see during the presentation, as well as a few we've got our fingers crossed for.
Rainbow Six Quarantine
Ubisoft is reportedly set to unveil a new cooperative shooter called Rainbow Six Quarantine, which will not be focused on competitive action like Rainbow Six Siege. The game could be similar to the Outbreak event previously included in Siege, and is possibly based on a previous science-fiction project that Ubisoft has been developing but later canceled.
New action-role-playing game
Ubisoft is also reportedly developing a new action-role-playing game with an art style similar to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. According to Kotaku's Jason Schreier, this game will be smaller than typical games we've seen from Ubisoft. The different art style makes us almost positive the game code named "Orpheus" is not an Assassin's Creed title.
Roller Champions
If you don't know what Roller Champions is, it's likely because the game hasn't been officially announced. However, a few weeks ahead of E3 2019, footage leaked of a roller derby game bearing the name. An alleged control scheme for the game was even shown, detailing how users will shoot balls, tackle other players, and use emotes. It will apparently be multiplayer-focused, and possibly online-only. Should it be real, expect an on-stage match.
Ubisoft Pass
Ubisoft has been quite bullish on game streaming's potential thus far, with CEO Yves Guillemot even believing that the next generation of consoles will be the last. Because of Ubisoft's support for Google Stadia thus far, it's unlikely to have a competing service, but something called "Ubisoft Pass" leaked on the official Ubisoft store just weeks before E3. This could be a service offering access to current or future Ubisoft games, and we could very well hear more at E3 2019.
Splinter Cell
Unlike with Watch Dogs 3, there have been no reports outright confirming the development of a new Splinter Cell game. Instead, there have only been a series of Easter eggs and teases. Far Cry: New Dawn features the Paladin plane and a hidden Sam Fisher suit. Later, Ubisoft creative director Julian Gerighty joked on Twitter that he was working on a new Splinter Cell game. Yves Guillemot himself has expressed concerns, however, that a new game could not live up to fans' expectations, so it remains up in the air whether we'll actually get an announcement – but we really, really want one.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle 2
One of the first major exclusive games for Nintendo Switch was Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, an XCOM-like strategy game that combined the Mario and Rabbids series into one bizarre and engaging package. It was a surprise hit, and nearly two years out from its release, now seems like the perfect time for Ubisoft Milan to reveal a follow-up. Of course, with how unexpected the original game is, it's possible the studio is working on something just as unexpected.
What we won't see from Ubisoft at E3 2019
Alongside the huge number of games Ubisoft brings to E3 every year, there are always a few no-shows, as well. The games that won't appear this year are among the most high-profile Ubisoft has in the works.
Assassin's Creed
Ubisoft stopped its annual releases of the Assassin's Creed games back in 2016, and it will once again skip a new game in 2019. We've heard reports and seen teases in The Division 2 that suggest a new game will involve Vikings, but given that Ubisoft always releases Assassin's Creed games during the fall, that would mean it's still well over a year away. We anticipate it getting its time in the spotlight at E3 2020, instead.
Skull & Bones
The online nautical warfare game Skull & Bones is shaping up to be one of Ubisoft's most promising games, but it was recently delayed out of 2019. Despite being shown at previous E3 presentations and even being announced at one, Skull & Bones is skipping E3 2019. With the number other potential big-name games at the Ubisoft press conference, however, perhaps it's for the best that it's being kept on the back burner for the moments.
Beyond Good & Evil 2
E3 2018 didn't feature any game announcements as enormous as a new Watch Dogs or Ghost Recon title, but it did see the full reintroduction of Beyond Good & Evil 2. The revived version of the game is a prequel to the original title, featuring an enormous online open world and partially crowdsourced art and music through a partnership with Joseph Gordon Levitt's company HitRecord.
We've seen a flashy pre-rendered trailer filled with curse words, as well as some very early gameplay footage, but the game will be absent from E3 this year. Ancel previously said there could be a beta by the end of the year.
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