Ubisoft simply can’t aid but chase the pot of gold at the end of the live services rainbow.
A series of fresh leaks show that the publisher is still working on a novel sci-fi multiplayer shooter – a project that was originally released earlier this year.
Its development title is Project Scout and is described as “large-scale” and “competitive.” It also runs on Unreal Engine 5.
Previous reports referred to the game as a Battle Royale along the lines of Apex Legends, but the latest rumors don’t specifically mention that genre.
Of course, it’s difficult not to be immediately cynical given Ubisoft’s recent moves in the live services space.
The previous attempt at a live services giant was the lamentably named XDefiant, which was completely shut down over the summer, just over a year after it first launched. Rumors of the game’s death began circulating just a few months after its full release.
And before that, there was the unfortunate Hyper Scape – but most of you probably don’t even remember it at this point, and we certainly can’t blame you.
As we all know, the live services market is brutal, but Ubisoft has had obvious hits in the past, so it believes novel properties like Project Scout are worth further investment.
It’s simply difficult to see the company replicating games like Rainbow Six: Siege or For Honor based on their current form.
Despite this, apparently work on Project Scout has been going on for at least several years. We’re probably not far from full disclosure.
What are your thoughts on Ubisoft’s current trajectory? Does Project Scout have a chance, given what we know so far? You can sigh in the comments section below.
