Update: Just as teased, Nintendo revealed the next playable character for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate during its E3 2019 Direct. However, there was not one, but two new fighter reveals. Nintendo kicked off the presentation by announcing the Hero from Dragon Quest XI, who'll be joining Smash Bros. Ultimate's roster this summer. It appears his alternate costumes are the Heroes from Dragon Quest III, V, and VIII, and he'll be joined by other protagonists from the series' history for his Final Smash. Then at the end of the Direct, Nintendo unveiled Banjo-Kazooie. The original story follows.Nintendo has been mostly quiet about what it plans to show off during its upcoming E3 2019 Direct, but we now know at least one thing that will definitely happen during the livestream. Following the finals of the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate World Championship tournament this past weekend, the company confirmed that it will reveal the game's next playable DLC character during its E3 Direct today, June 11.In a video message, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate director Masahiro Sakurai congratulated the winning team and provided an update on the game's DLC. "As for me, I'll be continuing my work on the next DLC fighter, and more information regarding that will be shared in the Nintendo Direct for E3 2019, so I hope you're looking forward to it," Sakurai said.Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser also teased that fans wouldn't want to miss Tuesday's Direct. "I think many of you are gonna want to tune in next week to see what, or who, [Sakurai] may be talking about," he said. Bowser also announced a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Online Open tournament, which will kick off this month. The four winners of that will compete in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate at the Evo 2019 championships this August.Nintendo has already released two DLC characters for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Piranha Plant, who was offered for free to early adopters, arrived in February, while Persona 5's Joker launched in April. There are still four DLC characters coming to the game, although Nintendo hasn't revealed their identities yet.Joker and the remaining four fighters are included in the Fighters Pass, which runs for $25 USD. Each of the DLC characters comes with a brand-new stage, as well as several music tracks and a handful of new Spirits drawn from their series. The character packs can also be purchased individually for $6 USD. Nintendo says all of Smash Bros. Ultimate's DLC characters will be released by February 2020.Nintendo's E3 Direct presentation airs at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET / 5 PM BST on June 11. In addition to revealing the next Smash DLC fighter, we know the broadcast will focus on Switch games coming in 2019, including Luigi's Mansion 3, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. You can find out when and how to watch Nintendo's E3 Direct here.That wasn't the only announcement to come out of Nintendo's pre-E3 tournaments. Following the Splatoon 2 World Championship, Nintendo announced the date and theme of the game's final Splatfest event, which will take place from July 18-21. Following the Splatfest, Nintendo will release the game's 5.0 update. You can find more news and announcements from E3 on GameSpot's E3 2019 hub.E3 2019 Conference ScheduleTuesday, June 11, 9 AM PT -- Nintendo Direct Showcase More E3 news: New Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

During its press conference, Ubisoft announced a Terminator crossover will come to Ghost Recon Breakpoint. The developer didn't elaborate on what the crossover will entail, other than that it's coming.Ghost Recon Breakpoint is a direct sequel to Ghost Recon Wildlands, seeing one of the Ghosts' greatest allies go rogue and establish his own elite military unit called the Wolves. The Wolves take over an island installation that specializes in military drone manufacturing, giving them the resources and firepower to wage war as they please. Realizing it will take a Ghost to stop a former Ghost, a squad of Ghost operators is dropped onto the island.Info from Gamespot.com

The Rainbow Six series is getting another game alongside R6 Siege. During its E3 2019 press conference, Ubisoft revealed Rainbow Six Quarantine. Whereas Siege is predominately PvP, Quarantine is a PvE experience, and we got a much closer look at it in a new trailer and a brief developer talk.The trailer showed a squad of R6 agents attempting to save a man from a horror-like environment, fighting off a parasite. Lead game designer Jade Adam-Granger described it as three-player co-op PvE, to complement Siege's PvP gameplay. It's targeting a release in early 2020 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC and is in the works with a new, dedicated team at Ubisoft Montreal.The mode appears similar to Rainbow Six Siege Outbreak, a popular limited-time mode. The studio has now decided to split off PvE into its very own game, letting it develop separately with its own resources. Like Ubisoft's entire library, it will be included in the Uplay+ service set to launch this fall."We set out to create a radically re-designed co-op experience built on the foundations of one of the best shooters of this generation. What Siege is to the PVP shooter genre, we want Quarantine to be to co-op," Adam-Granger said in a press release.The announcement also teased: "Players can prepare to launch into tense, chaotic and totally unpredictable missions as they will risk everything with their squad, every time they step into Quarantine."To reiterate that this doesn't mean the end of Siege, Ubisoft's press conference also brought a look at new Siege content, with Operation Phantom Sight launching tomorrow, June 11 with a pair of new Operators. For more from the event, check out all the Ubisoft games at E3 and everything Ubisoft announced.More E3 news:New Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedInfo from Gamespot.com

Splinter Cell's Sam Fisher will be making a guest appearance in the upcoming turn-based tactics mobile game, Tom Clancy's Elite Squad. Announced at E3 2019, the game will include a variety of other iconic characters from Ubisoft's Tom Clancy franchise, including those from The Division, Rainbow Six Siege, and Ghost Recon.Tom Clancy's Elite Squad features a cartoonish art style. If you're intrigued by the game, be sure to check out the announcement trailer above. You can pre-register now to unlock a Ghost Recon: Breakpoint specialist.While Tom Clancy's Elite Squad is far from a new Splinter Cell game, the appearance of Sam Fisher at least builds hope that Ubisoft will make a new game in the franchise in the near future. The last Splinter Cell game we got was Splinter Cell: Blacklist in 2013.For more E3 2019 coverage, be sure to check out our E3 hub. If you're interested in the other press conference, be sure to check out our full E3 2019 press conference schedule. Info from Gamespot.com

At E3 2019, Ubisoft gave more details about its year-one roadmap for The Division 2. The first year of free content updates will include a series of three-story episodes, which will explore more of the Washington DC area and even go back to New York City, the setting for the first Division game.The first episode, now narrowed from a summer release to July, is called DC Outskirts: Expeditions. It will let you explore the woodlands surrounding DC, including the Washington National Zoo. The mission is to find the leader of the Outcasts, and the new Expeditions mechanic will offer weekly missions to progress through the wings of Trinity College.The second episode, scheduled for fall, is Pentagon: The Last Castle. You'll have to defend the Pentagon from Black Tusk and have access to The Division 2's second 8-player Raid. This one will take place in the middle of an active foundry.E3 2019 Conference ScheduleMonday, June 10, 4:30 PM PT -- Kinda Funny ShowcaseMonday, June 10, 6 PM PT -- Square Enix Press ConferenceTuesday, June 11, 9 AM PT -- Nintendo Direct ShowcaseFinally, the third episode is called Coney Island: Homecoming, and will drop in early 2020. It promises a familiar nemesis and a new threat as the agents head back to the source of the outbreak in New York. Each of the packs is said to include new areas, modes, rewards, specializations, exotic gear, and weapons.Ubisoft will be opening a Division 2 free trial starting June 13, and the game will be on sale through June 24. If you participate in the free weekend and then purchase the full game you'll keep your progression.More E3 news:New Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedInfo from Gamespot.com

."Ubisoft's E3 2019 presentation showed a bunch of games, but a movie snuck in there as well. The company announced that The Division movie, helmed by Deadpool 2 director David Leitch (Atomic Blonde, Hobbs & Shaw), is headed to Netflix.The movie will star Jake Gyllenhaal (Enemy, Nightcrawler) and Jessica Chastain (Dark Phoenix, Interstellar), and is said to bring "the Tom Clancy high-stakes action you love."[Access Granted. Commencing Transmission]Director @DavidMLeitch, @Jes_Chastain, and Jake Gyllenhaal are bringing Ubisoft’s The Division to Netflix. It’s the Tom Clancy high-stakes action you love, in the pandemic stricken Manhattan that offers no second chances. pic.twitter.com/cpi6JCp4EM — NX (@NXOnNetflix) June 10, 2019In a Collider interview back in 2018, Leitch said he and his producers were "aggressively moving forward" with the movie. Ubisoft announced that Stephen Gaghan (Call of Duty: Ghosts, Traffic) was writing the movie's script in January 2017, but it seems Gaghan may have since dropped from the project.Of course, The Division movie is a video game movie. Collider asked Leitch about what is dubbed "video game movie curse.""I mean, yes and no," he said. "They're two different experiences. Obviously the video game you're telling your own story and it's so active, and cinema is all about one person's point of view guiding a story, you're telling a story. I think sometimes those things are in conflict, but on a project like The Division again it's like there’s these bigger themes in there that you can pull one out and attach some great characters to and you can have a compelling story, and also given the trappings of the world that people love, I think you can deliver a good movie."No confirmation has been given on what The Division movie's story is, when filming will start, or what day it will come out.E3 2019 isn't over yet, so check the full schedule to see what other presentations are left. And head back here for all the latest announcements and news updates.E3 2019 Conference ScheduleMonday, June 10, 4:30 PM PT -- Kinda Funny ShowcaseMonday, June 10, 6 PM PT -- Square Enix Press ConferenceTuesday, June 11, 9 AM PT -- Nintendo Direct ShowcaseMore E3 news:New Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedInfo from Gamespot.com

During its E3 2019 press conference, Ubisoft announced a new PC subscription service that will give unlimited access to its catalog of games, including new releases. The Uplay+ premium subscription will launch in September, but signing up early will get you a month free.The Uplay+ subscription will cost $15 per month. It will include a catalog of more than 100 games, along with their premium editions and add-on content. Members will also automatically be enrolled in beta and early access programs. The catalog will include recent games like The Division 2 and Assassin's Creed Odyssey, back-catalog games like Beyond Good & Evil and Heroes of Might and Magic, and even this fall's new releases: Watch Dogs Legion, Ghost Recon Breakpoint, and Rainbow Six Quarantine.E3 2019 Conference ScheduleMonday, June 10, 4:30 PM PT -- Kinda Funny ShowcaseMonday, June 10, 6 PM PT -- Square Enix Press ConferenceTuesday, June 11, 9 AM PT -- Nintendo Direct ShowcaseUplay+ will launch on September 3, and signing up before August 15 will get you a free trial period through September 30. During that time you'll be able to participate in the Breakpoint closed beta to launch on September 5. If you stay subscribed, you'll get access to the Breakpoint Ultimate Edition on October 1--three days before the game's official launch.Uplay+ is launching only on PC in North America and Europe, but will expand to Google Stadia in 2020.For more from E3 2019, check out our full press conference schedule to follow along with all the remaining presentations and see the announcements live.More E3 news:New Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedInfo from Gamespot.com

Just days before Ubisoft's E3 2019 press conference (and shortly after an Amazon UK leak), the publisher confirmed its event would include a reveal of Watch Dogs Legion, the third installment in its Watch Dogs franchise. During Ubisoft's press conference on June 10, the company showed off quite a bit of gameplay and announced Watch Dogs Legion will release March 6, 2020 for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia.While the first two games took place in Chicago and San Francisco, respectively, Watch Dogs Legion moves the setting to a near-future, dystopian London. Interestingly, Legion will let players "recruit" and take control of any NPC in the game, and your character choice will actually affect how the game plays out.Whether you're new to Watch Dogs or a longtime fan of the series, you might be wondering where you can pre-order Watch Dogs Legion now (that's why you're here, right?). Here's all the info you need before pre-ordering, including details on Watch Dogs Legion's pre-order bonuses and Collector's edition. Watch Dogs Legion pre-order bonusesPre-order Watch Dogs Legion, and you'll receive the Gold King Pack, which includes a Lux Car Skin, Uneasy Lies Mask Skin, and Serpent Sisters Gun Skin, with any version you choose. My Best Buy members will also get $10 reward credit when pre-ordering from Best Buy.Pre-order Watch Dogs Legion standard editionOnly interested in the base game? Then the standard edition is the one you'll want. You'll also receive any applicable pre-order bonuses.Get it at Amazon -- $60 -- PS4 | Xbox OneGet it at Best Buy -- $60 -- PS4 | Xbox OneGet it at Best Buy -- $60 -- Xbox One (digital)Get it at GameStop -- $60 -- PS4 | Xbox OneGet it at Ubisoft Store -- $60 -- PS4 | Xbox One | PCPre-order Watch Dogs Legion Gold editionUpgrade to the Gold Edition, and you'll receive three days of early access to Watch Dogs Legion and its season pass in addition to the base game and any pre-order bonuses.Physical (includes steelbook):Get it at Amazon -- $110 -- PS4 | Xbox OneGet it at Best Buy -- $110 -- PS4 | Xbox OneGet it at GameStop -- $110 -- PS4 | Xbox OneGet it at Ubisoft Store -- $110 -- PS4 | Xbox OneDigital-only:Get it at Best Buy -- $100 -- Xbox OneGet it at Ubisoft Store -- $100 -- PCPre-order Watch Dogs Legion Ultimate editionOpt for the Ultimate edition, and you'll also receive the Ultimate Pack, which consists of the Urban Jungle Pack and 4-week VIP status.Physical (includes steelbook):Get it at GameStop -- $130 -- PS4 | Xbox OneDigital-only:Get it at Best Buy -- $120 -- Xbox One (digital)Get it at Ubisoft Store -- $120 -- PCPre-order Watch Dogs Legion Collector's editionFinally, you've got the Collector's edition, which adds in a Lighting Ded Coronet Mask (38 cm), an exclusive steelbook, a double-sided propaganda poster, and three stickers on top of everything in the Ultimate edition. Grab your copy quickly, as these Collector's editions sell out quickly.Get it at Ubisoft Store -- $190 -- PS4 | Xbox One | PCInfo from Gamespot.com

Ubisoft announced a new free-to-play 3v3 competitive game called Roller Champions during its E3 2019 press conference. It's set to release early 2020 on PC, but a playable pre-alpha demo is available on Uplay for Windows PC, from now through June 14 at 6 AM PT.At first glance, Roller Champions plays much like the actual sport of roller derby. Up to three players compete to make laps around an elliptical arena to gain speed and rack up points. The goal is to score five points, which can only be done when the goal opens after making a lap around the arena. After a single lap, a score through the goal nets one point, but if you make two or three laps, you score three and five points respectively. However, if the opposing team tackles you or your teammates and possesses the ball at any time as you're building up laps, the potential points you can earn will reset.The dynamic of Roller Champions seems reminiscent to Rocket League, focusing on high-energy competitive action. You can see how it looks in the gameplay video above.As you get more wins, you'll accumulate more fans, which unlocks customization items like new gear, animations, outfits, and more. This feeds into your progression overall, encouraging you to participate in games and earn more rewards.For the latest news, previews, and gameplay from Ubisoft and E3 2019 in general, be sure to check our E3 hub. If you're interested in the other press conference, be sure to check out our full E3 2019 press conference schedule.Info from Gamespot.com

At the heart of Watch Dogs is the techno-surveillance state setting, extrapolated just slightly from a real world where we have internet-capable devices (and their cameras) surrounding us at all times, vacuuming up data about us we might not even know we're providing. The protagonists of Watch Dogs are always fighting that surveillance by using it against the powerful people who created and wield it. But in all the games in the franchise, you also have the ability to spy on people, just like your enemies.In Watch Dogs and Watch Dogs 2, that power was more of a funny way to enrich the game world than practically useful--the various people scattered throughout their cities felt a little more real if you could use your Profiler device to look at their bank histories or find out something embarrassing about them. In the newly announced Watch Dogs Legion, though, all that information you can see about random people is essential to how you play the game.Ubisoft let journalists play about 45 minutes of the third Watch Dogs title at E3 2019, mostly showing off Legion's signature mechanic: you can recruit and play as any non-player character in the game, including enemies. There's no set protagonist or hero Watch Dogs Legion; instead, the people you find and convince to join your hacktavist group, DedSec, become the main characters.All that spying you did on random people in other Watch Dogs games actually matters in Watch Dogs Legion--it's key to the recruitment system. Every person you find in the game has a set of traits and background information about them, as well as a job and a schedule they follow as they move around the city. When you snoop into their lives, you'll learn personality traits and abilities that might make them useful operatives, as well as what problems their facing and struggles they're dealing with. You can then help characters deal with their problems in order to gain their loyalty.Your goal in helping out the NPCs you want to recruit is to sway their opinion of DedSec. The hacker group and its actions often get a bad rap, so some people consider you a terrorist threat, while others are more amiable to DedSec's ideas. Using your Profiler on people lets you learn how they feel about DedSec while also showing you what's going on in their lives, such as whether they're dealing gambling debts or have a relative in jail. If you can help fix those troubles, you can raise their opinion of you and your organization (and if you do things they don't like, they'll remember that, too). Get your recruits' opinion of DedSec high enough and you'll access a more involved origin mission, where you can do something that finally convinces the person to join your team.In our preview, we picked Jeremy, a guy at a bar with a pretty low opinion of DedSec, but a brawler's instincts. His intrinsic traits meant he did twice the damage in melee combat as normal characters, taking advantage of Legion's new melee combat system that can help you keep the shooting to a minimum while trying to use stealth. After raising his opinion of DedSec a bit, we discovered that this guy was helping police plant false evidence because they were blackmailing him; if we could destroy the evidence the police had against him, he'd be free to join up. That meant sneaking into the New Scotland Yard police station to reach a server and wipe the evidence.Characters in Watch Dogs Legion come in three types: Enforcer, a combat-heavy class; Infiltrator, one that's better at stealth and melee fighting and can briefly turn invisible; and Hacker, which has more abilities to manipulate the various drones in London and which can dispatch a tiny spider bot to do the dirty work. Paula, the character available in the preview when I started, was a Hacker, so I dispatched her remote-controlled spider bot to slip into the police station undetected. After sneaking past a few cops using the usual Watch Dogs abilities of activating devices to make noise and cause distractions, the bot managed to download a key Paula could use to access the server.All NPCs are effective player characters in the game, capable of using guns and hand-to-hand combat--apparently when you join DedSec, you get a crash course of special ops training. But your recruiting is based on the fact that some NPCs are more effective than others, particularly in certain roles. Paula was a useful Hacker thanks to her perks, but she was also an elderly woman, which meant she moved more slowly than other characters. Infiltrating the police station was a bit harrowing because it took Paula longer to get around, but before long, we escaped with the evidence.Building Your Own Cast Of CharactersThat added Jeremy to our growing roster of operatives; you can recruit up to 20 in the game. Adding him to the team gave us the chance to pick a character class for him, and since he was skilled at wailing on people, we made him a stealth-focused Infiltrator. Legion's melee system is specifically built to give you combat capabilities that won't necessarily alert an entire building to your presence if you're found while sneaking around, and it's fairly robust, with dodges, combos, takedowns, and finishing moves at your disposal. Jeremy's perks made the class a good fit.When you're not playing as the rest of your characters, they roam the world going about their lives, so you'll see them when you pull up your map of London. You can also switch between them freely, dropping control of one person (like Paula) and picking up control of the other person (like Jeremy) wherever they are.Switching to Jeremy, we pushed forward on the demo's story mission, which concerned a rogue spy in what remained of the British government consolidating power to apparently do bad things with it. The story cutscene for the mission was what really drove home how impressive Watch Dogs Legion's approach really is. Since I was playing as Jeremy in the story mission, he was the one who appeared in the cutscene of a meeting with a DedSec informant, complete with his own voice lines. There wasn't some leader character or other protagonist who appeared suddenly to drive the story forward.London is facing her downfall.The main character of Watch Dogs Legion is whoever you want it to be, as the developers explained at the preview, and the game has the fidelity in its NPC system to make it feel like picking a character isn't just changing the appearance of a generic protagonist. Durings his presentation on Legion, director Clint Hocking showed the same cutscene with four different NPCs to highlight the fact that each one sported different animations and some slightly different lines. Effectively, every character you pick up in the game is, indeed, a character. And while it's impossible that Ubisoft has populated Legion with thousands of distinct people, each with their own animations and voice actors, the studio wouldn't say how many character templates there actually were--but in our playtime, all the characters we ran across were pretty distinct.It really feels like the principles of Shadow of Mordor's Nemesis system, which endeavored to procedurally generate personalities to make enemies more interesting, applied to player characters. At least in a brief preview, they all came off as pretty distinct, with their own traits, abilities, and voices. And since you can recruit everyone, you can also lose anyone, too. Lead narrative designer Kait Tremblay explained during the demo that characters can be captured by authorities or critically wounded during combat. Wounds can require hospital stays, taking a character out of commission for a set period of time.Characters can also die permanently, Tremblay said, although it sounds as though this will generally only happen as a risk-reward proposition. If you're fighting and a character loses all their health, they'd normally go down for the count, resulting in hospitalization (or maybe capture) and the usual mission failure. Instead of restarting a whole mission with another character, though, you could choose to rally through the pain and keep fighting--but if your character loses all their health at that point, they're gone for good. A Story About Creating A ResistanceAs Hocking said during the presentation, with Brexit looming in the real world, it's tough to predict what the future holds in London; in the fictional future Ubisoft is extrapolating, though, "London is facing her downfall." Lead producer Sean Crooks told GameSpot that Legion is about the idea of building a resistance to the authoritarian powers that have taken hold in the city, like Albion, a private military company the British government has hired to keep the peace in the city, but which has gone far in abusin that power. The focus of the story is on the group, more than a single person."I think ultimately it plays very well with what we want to do as a story," Crooks said. "The game has five storylines. Each of those storylines tackles a variety of topics, from AI and automation and their effect on society to oppression from a private military controlling the city, and obviously playing a resistance with that team is caught up in that. It's crucial. It's very important and critical to the story and the team."One big question that remains is how well Legion will be able to tell those stories with a cast of characters literally plucked from anywhere. The big improvement of Watch Dogs 2 over its predecessor was the story it told and the development of the cast of characters it used to tell it. Legion seemingly sacrifices those gains for its NPC system. There are little touches, though, that help make characters seem more fleshed-out and real, like the distinct voices and animations for NPCs, and the fact that recruited characters you're not playing will chime in over the radio to comment on current missions. It seems like Legion relies on players to fill in character gaps through role-playing more than Watch Dogs 2 did, but the systems at play help keep Legion from feeling like you're switching through a catalogue of random, lifeless action figures.Our short snapshot of Legion showed more ways the game makes use of your characters to make the whole game more lifelike. In a later story mission, the spy DedSec was hunting lured us into a trap, setting off a bomb and framing DedSec for the carnage. As a result, Dana, another of our characters, was suddenly attacked and hunted by police. Jeremy and Paula chimed in over the radio as combat kicked off with Watch Dogs' usual cover shooter approach, further selling the idea that DedSec was a growing team of people who really did interact with each other. Another notification added a practical gameplay element to the situation; another of our DedSec crew had a character perk that reduced the number of police units chasing us. As Dana fled the scene, that perk activated automatically, implying that, while you're controlling a specific character on a story mission, the rest of your team are still out in the world trying to help you out.From a technology and gameplay perspective, Watch Dogs Legion was very impressive--developers wouldn't reveal too much about the systems running under the hood of the game, but it's clear what it takes to generate NPCs and their routines and backstories, and to make them feel like bespoke characters, is extensive. That set of systems alone looks like it'll push the series forward in some significant ways. If Ubisoft can stick the landing of using those systems to tell its techno-dystopia story well, all while achieving the goal of making it relevant to our real world, Legion will certainly be a game to watch when it launches on March 6, 2020. Info from Gamespot.com

One of the obstacles in creating Assassin's Creed: Odyssey was its Ancient Greece setting and the brand's focus on history. Looking that far back, the lines of distinction between history and mythology aren't always clear. As Odyssey creative director Jonathan Dumont explained, while the development team was doing research on the setting to capture the fidelity Assassin's Creed routinely brings to its settings, it was often tough to tell whether a historical figure or event was real or myth. That meant the team had to discard the myths whenever it could--but it also left a lot of cool things Dumont would have liked to use, but that wouldn't have been realistic enough. Enter: Gods & Monsters.Ubisoft showed off Gods & Monsters during a closed-door, hands-off demo at E3 2019. It's an open-world action-RPG and a new IP for the company that includes some of the same ideas as Assassin's Creed, but which Dumont, who's the game's director, and senior producer Marc-Alexis Côté said is angled at being more accessible. That's expressed in a painterly, more animated art style, abilities inspired by myth that are a bit more fantastic than what's in an Assassin's Creed game. The 20-minute demo that Dumont and Côté showed looked like what Assassin's Creed might be if mixed with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.Players take on the role of Phoenix, a wholly customizable hero summoned by the Olympian gods to help them battle Typhon, in a setting called the Island of the Blessed. Homer narrates the story as he tells it to his grandchildren."Gods & Monsters is a tale of mythology, but we often confuse mythology and fantasy," Dumont explained. "Mythology is not fantasy. Mythology is cautionary tales and lessons and philosophy that's been given in an oral tradition earlier on, from generation to generation for over 3,000 years, and now it's coming back to us, right? So it's still something that we can relate to. We always say, 'I'm strong like Hercules,' or things like that. It comes from that place. It is a foundation of how we view the world today, so there's a little bit of a difference here so that we are basing it on things that are the foundation of Western civilization."Gameplay looks similar to what was on offer in Assassins: Creedy Odyssey, but with new abilities like double-jumping, a magical glider, and an uppercut move that can fling you into the air to attack flying creatures. Dumont and Côté said freeform exploration and "risky" traversal were key elements of the game. You can climb a whole lot of things in Gods & Monsters, just like in Assassin's Creed, although what you can do both in traversing the world and in combat is dictated by a stamina meter more like Breath of the Wild. Giant creatures to fight like Cyclops and harpies create the "over-the-top" mythological feel Ubisoft is going for.Dumont said the Island of the Blessed is populated by monsters working for Typhon, and you'll interact with various characters and quest-givers, including folks like Zeus. The setting carries six distinct biomes and will be home to plenty of secrets to uncover as you explore it. And as a place of mythology, you'll often interact with Greek myths, whether by learning about stories reflected in puzzles, hearing about them from Homer, or running into mythological characters."There's a lesson, as well, in the way that the story is constructed," Dumont said. "Not going to talk too much about it, but you know, like, friendship is important. But it's something where the gods are cautionary tales, as well--they're flawed, you know? So how do you use that to your advantage? How do you befriend them or whatever? So there's an interesting insight on that stuff in there, and then a reflection of who you are, as well, in the game. So there's quite a bit of a small philosophical underline to all of that, while still being a fast-paced, fun game that you can go and adventure and have some fun with things that are a little bit more mechanical sometimes, too. So I think a good blend of lore meets adventure."You'll do things in Gods & Monsters that are a lot like the activities in Assassin's Creed, like collect new armor to increase your stats or earn increases to your stamina gauge. But the reason Gods & Monsters exists is that it offers Dumont, Côté, and the developers at Ubisoft to do the things they couldn't otherwise do in Ubisoft's flagship franchise."For example, I want to double-jump in the air and punch that harpy in the face, you know?" Dumont said. "In Assassin's Creed, that would not be believable. In this game, totally believable. I want to kick a monster across the ocean, bang. I want to do it, right? So those are things that we want to make sure that we push that."For players who like Ubisoft's approach to Assassin's Creed--without actually liking Assassin's Creed--Gods & Monsters could provide a fun, accessible alternative when it launches on February 25, 2020, for PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One, and Google Stadia. Info from Gamespot.com

Ubisoft's big E3 2019 press conference is over, and we've learned quite a lot for what's the come with the publisher. In addition to unveiling its upcoming plans for The Division 2 and Ghost Recon Breakpoint, we also saw footage of the next Watch Dogs game, and their new IP Gods and Monsters. In addition to their brand new AAA titles, we learned of the latest updates coming to For Honor and Rainbow Six Siege. Also, Ubisoft unveiled a new mobile game called Tom Clancy's Elite Squad, a stylized mash-up tactical game featuring various heroes from Ubisoft's Tom Clancy games--including Sam Fisher, in his only appearance at E3 2019. So with that, here are some of the big highlights from Ubisoft's E3 2019 press conference.The Debut Of Watch Dogs LegionWe finally got our first look at the next Watch Dogs game, and it's a bit of a shift from previous games. Set in London post-Brexit, Watch Dogs Legion moves away from the solo protagonist of earlier games, now allowing you to recruit and play as almost every citizen in the city. With DeadSec expanding, you'll be able to utilize every citizen's particular set of skills to take on various jobs. Though many individuals are mild-mannered citizens who reluctantly fall into DeadSec's hacker hijinks, other characters will be right at home working with the Resistance--such as an elderly retiree who was formerly a government assassin. Watch Dogs Legion releases on March 20, 2020.What's Coming For Ghost Recon: BreakpointRevealed last May, Ghost Recon: Breakpoint is the follow up to Wildlands. During the press conference, lead actor Jon Bernthal--who plays the main antagonist Cole D. Walker--took the stage to talk about what's to come with Breakpoint. Later on, developers unveiled new trailers for the open-world tactical shooter, showcasing all the intense action to be had in solo play and online. The developers also revealed that Breakpoint will have a playable beta on September 5, 2019, allowing players to dive into the game before its release in October. For more on the game, Check out Jake Dekker and Aaron Sampson's impressions of the latest build of Ghost Recon Breakpoint.The Return of Quarantine In Rainbow SixRainbow Six Siege has continually been one of Ubisoft's most successful games. In the years since its debut, new modes and operators have joined the fray, letting you switch things up. While Ubisoft revealed some new content for Siege, the standout announcement for the Rainbow Six franchise was the reveal of Quarantine--a 3-player tactical co-op game. Based on the limited time Quarantine event for Siege, it now returns as a standalone game where players once again fight against infected humans and monsters.The Next DLC For Division 2Following the launch of The Division 2 last March, the developers revealed what's to come with the online tactical shooter RPG. In the next three expansions, titled Episodes, you'll explore more areas in and around Washington D.C. to fight back against various threats around the city. In Episode 2, you'll venture to the Pentagon to face off against a new threat, and in Episode 3, the Division agents will return to Manhattan--the setting of the original game. Furthermore, The Division 2 will temporarily be free-to-play during June 13-16 and will be on sale till June 24. Also, The Division live-action movie will be released on Netflix.UPlay PlusThough it was leaked earlier, Ubisoft revealed plans for its new premium service called Uplay Plus. As an extension of their game service client Uplay, this new service will allow users to play well over 100 games on the service, with the $14.99 subscription fee. Also, Uplay Plus will be available on the Google Stadia sometime in 2020.Ubisoft's New IP Roller ChampionsShown off slightly before E3 2019, the next new IP from Ubisoft is Roller Champions, a team-based competitive sports game. With a very vibrant style, showing similar shades to Overwatch and Rocket League, Roller Champions is a roller-derby style action game where two teams of four face off to score points on the field. During E3 2019, players will be able to try a demo on UPlay.Ubisoft's Other New IP Gods and MonstersClosing out the show, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot helped introduce the next game coming from the developers of Assassin's Creed Odyssey titled Gods and Monsters, which is releasing on February 25, 2020. As an open world action game, you'll play as a wandering warrior who explores a vast and colorful world full of ancient deities and creatures who roam the land. For more on Gods and Monsters, be sure to check out Phil Hornshaw's E3 impressions of the open-world action game.Make sure to check out GameSpot's full coverage of E3 2019 for the latest breaking news. You can also see what other publishers and companies are doing in our full E3 2019 schedule.New Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedWatch Dogs Legion revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

During its E3 2019 press conference, Ubisoft threw out a slew of announcements for both upcoming games and new expansions for the studio's recently released titles. The developer also announced a surprise free trial for The Division 2, which will start very soon.The Division 2 free trial will begin on June 13 and continue to June 16. Ubisoft had a lot of Tom Clancy content to announce during E3. Ghost Recon Breakpoint got a new trailer and it a new Terminator crossover for the game was announced. Rainbow Six Siege got a new trailer for its upcoming Phantom Sight expansion and Ubisoft revealed one of the game's most popular limited-time modes, Outbreak, is becoming a full-fledged game called Rainbow Six Quarantine.The Division 2 can expect several months of episodic content as well, all of which is story-driven. Finally, the characters from all the aforementioned games (and Sam Fisher from Splinter Cell) will all be included in a new upcoming strategy game coming to mobile devices.Info from Gamespot.com

Ubisoft's E3 2019 conference just wrapped up, and we finally got a good look at what the company has cooking in the oven. Some things we already knew, like Roller Champions and Watch Dogs Legion--both of which leaked ahead of E3--but there were a few surprises as well, such as Gods & Monsters. In case you missed the event, we've collected all of the trailers from Ubisoft's presentation in one convenient place.Ubisoft showcased a bevy of trailers and reveals, including a Story Creator mode for Assassin's Creed Odyssey, a new For Honor event, an impassioned Ghost Recon Breakpoint speech delivered by actor Jon Bernthal (Baby Driver, The Wolf of Wall Street), and more. Also, check out the biggest announcements and all the games revealed during Ubisoft's E3 presser.Ubisoft E3 2019 TrailersAssassin's Creed Odyssey Story Creator ModeAs if Assassin's Creed Odyssey couldn't get any bigger, Ubisoft Quebec has unveiled a Story Creator mode for the open-world action-RPG. You can now create your own quest line, with whatever conditions and objectives suit your fancy, all in a nifty little node-based interface. Along with the Story Creator mode, which is available now for free to all who own the game, a Discovery Mode will be added sometime this fall.Watch Dogs LegionAll NPCs are playable in Watch Dogs Legion, and we finally got an idea of what Ubisoft means by that. You can play as a hacker, a banker, a fighter, a grandma--anyone and everyone in Ubisoft's London setting. The game will launch on March 6, 2020 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon BreakpointJon Bernthal may have had a good boy on Ubisoft's E3 stage, but he doesn't seem to be a good boy in Ghost Recon Breakpoint. In the above trailer, Cole D. Walker (portrayed by Bernthal) sees the former Ghost give an impassioned speech to his Wolves--and they seem very mean. Ghost Recon Breakpoint is set to launch on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on October 4, with a closed beta set to start on September 5. The game will also come to Google Stadia.Tom Clancy's Elite SquadTom Clancy is quite busy this year. Ubisoft unveiled Tom Clancy's Elite Squad, a mash-up tactics mobile game that sees various Tom Clancy protagonists converge in a unique art style. Pre-registration is available now, and doing so unlocks a Ghost Recon Breakpoint tool. Sam Fisher is also in the game for fans of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell.For Honor: Shadows of The HitokiriA new event is headed to the sword-fighting game For Honor. Shadows of the Hitokiri will introduce a new mode called Soul Rush, and will bring spectral customizations and otherworldly map ambiance to the game. The event, which began on June 10, is set to conclude on June 27.Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six QuarantineThere's yet another Rainbow Six game on the way--Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Quarantine. Lead game designer Jade Adam Granger described the game as a three-player, co-op PvE experience. It's scheduled to release sometime next year for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.Tom Clancy's The Division 2 Episode 3Tom Clancy's The Division 2 has had its Year One Roadmap outline, which includes an episode that takes Agents back to New York. The above trailer highlights the game's third episode, Coney Island: Homecoming--set to drop in early 2020--placing Agents back in the outbreak's birthplace. The third-person shooter will host a free trial from June 13-16.Roller ChampionsUbisoft showed two trailers for Roller Champions, but the one above gives a better sense of the frantic, off-the-wall action that's to come in the extreme sport's title. It's set to release early 2020 on PC, but a playable demo is available on Uplay for Windows PC from now until June 14 at 6 AM PT.Gods & MonstersThough the trailer is short, Gods & Monsters looks absolutely gorgeous. Ubisoft Quebec, developers of Assassin's Creed Odyssey, are taking on a new, fantasy action-RPG project. Gods & Monsters launches on February 25, 2020 for Google Stadia, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.Just Dance 2020It wouldn't be an Ubisoft E3 press conference without choreography. Just Dance 2020 was revealed onstage with a plethora of dancers in and out of sync. Just Dance 2020 will arrive on Google Stadia, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One--and yes, the Wii--this November.Uplay+ SubscriptionUbisoft is venturing into the subscription-service game with Uplay Plus. For $15 a month, you'll get unlimited access to hundreds of games and their DLCs, as well as plenty of Ubisoft classic games like Assassin's Creed and Prince of Persia. You'll also get access to new releases as they happen, including Ghost Recon Breakpoint and Gods & Monsters. Uplay Plus is set to debut this September.There's still plenty of E3 2019 left, so check the full schedule for the rest of the presentations to come. And head back here for all the latest announcements and news updates.E3 2019 Conference ScheduleMonday, June 10, 4:30 PM PT -- Kinda Funny ShowcaseMonday, June 10, 6 PM PT -- Square Enix Press ConferenceTuesday, June 11, 9 AM PT -- Nintendo Direct ShowcaseMore E3 news:New Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake announcedInfo from Gamespot.com

Ubisoft's E3 2019 press conference had quite a few unexpected surprises, but none seems to have hit as hard as an octogenarian with a mean streak. Helen, one of the showcased playable characters from Watch Dogs Legion, has captured the hearts of the Internet.That's no small feat, because the pitch behind Legion is that anyone is a playable character. Any of the residents of London you find wandering have their own stories and backgrounds and habits, and you can hack into their lives and learn more about them to recruit them. Many of them have specialized skills like brawling or robotics expertise. Helen, according to the trailer, is a former assassin, and the wrinkles have made her no less deadly.The Internet quickly agreed: Helen's pretty great.Is it bad that a major reason for me buying Watch Dogs: Legion is just to plays Grandma Helen? @watchdogsgame #E319 — Another Dream (@AquilusJackson) June 10, 2019Watch Dogs Legion actually looks amazing - Granny Helen stole the show! — ローレン・Lauren (@Ponkikipon) June 10, 2019Watch Dogs 2: Okay I’m playing these DedSec characters as pacifists, no killing, just tazersWatch Dogs Legion: MY NAME IS HELEN AND I SHALL SLAUGHTER THE GOVERNMENT PIGS — David Rayfield (@RaygunBrown) June 10, 2019Others felt instantly protective of their surrogate grandma.I REFUSE TO LET HELEN DIE WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON WATCH DOGS LEGION — Courtnerd (@RanunculusAhsha) June 10, 2019And still others committed to making Helen their main.You bet your ass I'm not gonna play any other character than Helen. Lady's the official MC of Watch Dogs Legion — Samuel Leijerstam (@SamuelLeijerst1) June 10, 2019Lemme just play Helen Dashwood, alpha granny for Watch Dogs: LegionDon't mess, she'll spike ye tea#WatchDogsLegion @watchdogsgame — Mr. Expendable (@OP_GeorgeRankin) June 10, 2019Helen. She'll knit a blanket for your coffin and then put you in it.More E3 news:New Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedInfo from Gamespot.com