The unpredictable nature of the coronavirus pandemic puts many a game company in some sort of bind. Some have found it easier to adjust than others, with Ubisoft counting among the former. Though many of its studios are presently working from home, the publisher hasn’t seen “significant impact to our own timelines,” according to CEO Yves Guillemot. However, should the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X miss their planned holiday season launches, the Assassin’s Creed publisher is prepared to adjust accordingly.
Speaking with The New York Times, Guillemot explained that Sony and Microsoft are making it possible for developers to continue working on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X dev kits. This has especially helped Ubisoft maintain its production timeline. Still, the publisher would be more than willing to “adjust in order to do what’s best for [Sony and Microsoft] and for our players.” Such a comment seems to suggest Ubisoft would postpone game releases if next-gen doesn’t arrived when intended.
If the new consoles do hit stores later in the year, they may receive one big Ubisoft adventure right out of the gate. According to Video Games Chronicle’s understanding of the situation, Watch Dogs: Legion is “aiming to debut alongside next-gen consoles, should there be no significant disruption to production.” This wouldn’t be too much of a surprise, considering the latest Watch Dogs was among the slate of delayed Ubisoft titles. Plus, Watch Dogs: Legion along with Gods and Monsters and Rainbow Six Quarantine were previously confirmed as next-gen releases.
As of now, both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X remain on track for holiday 2020 releases. Reportedly, Sony specifically intends to hold to the release window, unless Microsoft delays its new hardware.
[Source: New York Times via Video Games Chronicle]
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