Oh wait.

This year, it feels like every project from the house of Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Splinter Cell is having problems or cutting back to meet deadlines – including new entries in those very same properties. Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe has apparently pulled back and laid off 50 members from its team. Far Cry 7 is reportedly in a stage of development referred to as “Hell,” where things reportedly change every single month. And the less said about that fabled Splinter Cell Remake, which may as well be the stuff of legend at this point, the better.

So what about Ghost Recon, reportedly codenamed Project Ovr? A first-person shooter that seemingly takes after Ready or Not, reportedly promising a darker experience against the backdrop of a fictional war, where squad-based tactics are more prominent than ever? You know, everything that hardcore fans of the series have wanted? Well, sources previously told Insider Gaming that an internal alpha was scheduled for last Fall and if everything went well, it could launch this year.

Fast forward to this month, post-reshuffle and things have taken a rather drastic turn. Insider Gaming first reported that the alpha didn’t meet expectations. “Unrealistic deadlines,” “poor planning and management,” and “directors not listening to feedback” were apparently some of the things thrown around. Unfortunately, the head office has seemingly rejected any other arrangements, aside from reportedly bringing in VP of global creative Julien Sansalone and VP of production Jean-Baptiste Duval. Not to really change how the development team actually works, mind you. Just to oversee things. Presumably, they’re to be the eyes and ears for upper management, providing information on actual progress rather than going simply by whatever the studio says.

Then there’s the most recent report. What’s been done to bring the project back on track? A “cut and greatly reduced” scope, for starters, with “many features stripped.” The sources in question didn’t go into much detail on what exactly was removed, but they apparently vary in overall scale (and potential significance).

Furthermore, details on an internal alpha held last Spring have emerged. Ovr is apparently not “stable at all,” and the game is in a “terrible” state. What about last year’s internal alpha, and plans to shift to the final game within 12 months? I’m theorizing here, but it’s possible that after its organizational overhaul, upper management took one look at the game’s state and decided it was far from satisfactory.

It likely gave the developer time to shape up for another alpha test, and well, these are seemingly the results. Based on that, it’s made changes to ensure no roadblocks in deliverables.

Going back to Insider Gaming’s latest report, a beta is now apparently targeting November. Unfortunately, there’s another problem. Recent layoffs have hit multiple studios under the publisher’s umbrella, including this one, which means those remaining will purportedly have more work on hand. Which apparently means “long days of crunching” for the beta. So if it wasn’t bad enough that the team is working to get the game rolling, that too after abandoning several features, it has even less resources to do it and is under more pressure. Keep in mind that before these changes, some developers apparently expected the project to be outright cancelled.

Why? Because the studio’s management seemingly has no idea what it was doing. This was a concern that emerged with how much freedom these individual Creative Houses would have. But you should think of this as more of the old way of doing things meeting a new approach by management that’s more concerned with cutting costs and actually taking steps to ship the product rather than dilly-dallying.

And while it’s easy to blame the executives in charge at the top, you have to remember that Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced was reportedly meant for March before facing a delay. How that extra time would have helped the remake is anyone’s guess, but based on relatively positive impressions from both fans and media outlets, we’ll default to it being the correct choice.

But this is this, and that is that. One Creative House won’t necessarily operate like the others, and that goes double for its studios. It is the same as handling Splinter Cell and The Division, however – the former waffling about with its remake while the latter has yet to provide updates on The Division 3 for almost three years. Aside from executive producer Julian Gerighty, who had a key role in both titles, leaving the company, of course.

As for Ghost Recon, really, what can you say at this point? As much as this new studio structure ensures that projects actually get going rather than end up mired, it feels like the company as a whole has no clue what it wants to do with the franchise. When Wildlands embraced the open-world approach, there was significant blowback from long-time fans, and its launch state didn’t help matters either. Nevertheless, after strong sales, the company stuck with it, improving and introducing significant new features while showcasing how much fun it could be. It may not have been the true blue Ghost Recon that the hardcore fan wanted, but it was certainly getting there.

Then Breakpoint stripped most of that away, including AI squadmates and introduced a poorly implemented survival theme. The real goal? Taking Wildlands formula and trying to create a looter shooter, complete with a social hub. As noted earlier, this went down horribly and even with massive overhauls, it’s far from the ideal experience.

So what was the plan after that? Of all things, Ghost Recon Frontline, a first-person shooter battle royale that looked to embrace the Fortnite style of building walls. Except you were actually air-dropping them in with a laser pointer. The reception to this was so bad that the publisher ultimately just scrapped it months later. Good riddance.

By comparison, Ovr looked like it was going back to what made the series great while leaning into more grounded, realistic tactical play. Yet again, however, we don’t know where it fell short as to warrant so many changes. Was the squad management terrible? Did the gunplay disappoint? If there’s an open world, did it not have enough checklists of activities? We don’t know, but whatever its problems, the publisher isn’t keen to sit on the sidelines and wait for the development team to suddenly strike gold. And it’s not going to be lenient on them either, even with reduced manpower.

While it’s nice to hope that everything will work out, the past decade or so hasn’t been kind to Ghost Recon. And at this point, wistfully hoping that those in charge just “get it” and deliver an experience that will satisfy both the hardcore and the more contemporary fans feels like a pipe dream.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Specifics aren’t available, but the features apparently vary in size. Furthermore, an Alpha test held this past Spring apparently didn’t go well, and it wasn’t a surprise to anyone on the team. Many claimed that it wasn’t “stable at all,” and even called its overall state “terrible,” which is not great news given how long it’s seemingly been in the works.

This is likely what prompted changes, as the development team is now allegedly targeting November for the beta. Due to layoffs across Ubisoft’s studios, the team apparently expects “long days of crunching” to meet the deadline. Otherwise, the rumored addition of VP of global creative Julien Sansalone and VP of production Jean-Baptiste Duval hasn’t really changed anything in the studio’s usual operations.

Initially believed to be targeting 2026 for launch, it’s looking unlikely that the next Ghost Recon could even arrive next year. The stripping of features is allegedly to meet deadlines, so never say never, but you have to wonder if it will live up to the reported promise of a darker, more tactical squad-based shooter. Either way, stay tuned for more updates in the coming months.

According to a report memo, the military shooter apparently didn’t meet its internal alpha objectives due to “unrealistic deadlines and poor planning and management.” It also seems that the project’s directors aren’t responding to feedback, despite Ubisoft outlining how important its success is. It even praised the foundation as “strong,” but as one source noted, “If I were to receive this email on a production, it would generally mean things are in a bad way.”

Changes are seemingly coming, especially after the publisher reportedly rejected alternative arrangements. Whether this means layoffs, a development reboot, or the project’s cancellation remains to be seen, but in the wake of recent studio restructuring, it’s not looking great.

In the meantime, Bruno Galet will allegedly serve as senior producer while Jean-Baptiste Duval, VP of production, and Julien Sansalone, VP of the global creative office, are also involved. They’ll apparently be “more present on a day-to-day basis” and likely try to right the ship.

Assuming it’s pushed back internally, this could affect Ubisoft’s release schedule. Besides Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced in July and Rayman Legends Retold in October, the publisher doesn’t have much else in 2026, and 2027 remains a mystery (at least officially). Stay tuned for more updates in the meantime.

It also forecasted around 8 to 9 percent more losses in fiscal year 2027, amounting to around €500 million. Profitability for the company is expected to return, complete with positive free cash flow, in FY28. This is attributed to its upcoming games that will feature plenty of ways to engage players and even get them to spend more money.

Going into more specifics, the company has promised that it will be releasing new games in its biggest franchises—Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Ghost Recon—by the end of March 2029. While Ubisoft didn’t go into further detail, Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe is going to be among the games released in this period.

One of the biggest reasons for the company’s losses last year has been its major restructuring, which revolved around the consolidation of franchises and genres between five distinct “Creative Houses”. The restructuring was announced back in January and was revealed alongside the cancellation of several of the company’s upcoming games, including Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake.

Among these Creative Houses is Vantage Studios, which has been put in charge of the Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six franchises. The fact that Ghost Recon was also mentioned as part of Ubisoft’s plans going forward likely also means that Creative House 2 is hard at work, since it is in charge of the franchise.

In the meantime, Ubisoft has also fallen into plenty of trouble with workers’ unions thanks to its plans for further cost-cutting, as well as a series of layoffs. The company’s restructuring announcement, as well as a long line of layoffs, led the Ubisoft Paris employee union to call for the resignation of CEO Yves Guillemot. Union representatives Marc Rutschlé and Chakib Mataoui criticized the upper leadership of the company, calling out Guillemot for nepotism in light of his son, Charlie Guillemot, being assigned as co-CEO of Vantage Studios, as well as an overall lack of diversity.

One of the more recent instances of these layoffs was Red Storm Entertainment, which was reportedly working on 10 different projects before its development team was let go. These included Brawlhalla, Beyond Good and Evil 2, and The Division 2. Around 105 employees have seemingly been affected.

Ubisoft is currently gearing up for the release of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced—a ground-up remake of 2013’s Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag. The title got a trailer earlier this week showcasing its core gameplay without any of the in-game HUD getting in the way.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on July 9th.

The publisher officially confirmed the next Ghost Recon is in development, but a release window remains unknown. Internally, an alpha is planned for this Fall, and if everything goes according to plan, it could launch next year. Splinter Cell Remake hasn’t received many updates, but rumors from last year indicate a potential 2026 release. As for Assassin’s Creed Hexe, it was previously alleged to launch after support wraps for Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Of course, that’s not all, as Ubisoft allegedly has the next mainline Far Cry (Project Blackbird) and an extraction shooter spin-off (Project Maverick) in development. There’s also the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake, which the publisher said would launch before the fiscal year ends; Project Alterra, an “Animal Crossing-esque” game; Project Crest, an extraction shooter in World War 2; and Beyond Good and Evil 2.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Remake and Assassin’s Creed Invictus are currently “up in the air” with regards to release dates. Tom Clancy’s The Division 3, the next Crew, and “multiple other mainline and smaller Assassin’s Creed experiences” are planned for “beyond 2027.” Regardless, the next two years should feel fairly packed. Stay tuned for updates and potential reveals in the coming months.

It also seems that the company has live service aspirations for the title. “In addition to the flagship game that I just mentioned, our objective is to also make strong progress in the growing market, generally speaking, by continuing to enhance our current experiences that we offer—and capitalizing on upcoming launches, such as The Division and Ghost Recon,” said Guillemot.

Interestingly, CFO Frederick Duguet seemingly confirmed that it’s a first-person shooter. Regarding how the publisher is utilizing its Tencent investment (which resulted in a new subsidiary), he said, it will be “used for future development of other major brand names. So we’ve got…Ghost Recon is just one example, for our first-person-shooter-type games.”

First rumored in 2022, the new Ghost Recon (codenamed “Ovr”) allegedly takes cues from Void Interactive’s Ready or Not with its military sim gameplay and darker setting. Squad-based combat is also reportedly a huge thing. The title is rumored to enter internal alpha this Fall and will seemingly require 12 months to move to a full release.

That would put its release date at some point next year, but as always, plans can change. Stay tuned for more details and updates, both official and otherwise, in the coming months.

Various sources revealed to Henderson that an internal alpha will begin this Fall. It’s reportedly expected to launch next year, with 12 months required to go from alpha to the final product. Of course, in game development, that’s if things go according to plan and major changes aren’t required.

Rumors have circulated about the next Ghost Recon since 2022. It’s reportedly a first-person shooter with military sim mechanics, with Ready or Not used as a comparison. The setting is also allegedly much darker as players venture into the fictional “Naiman War,” where hundreds of thousands of deaths have occurred.

There’s apparently a stronger focus on squad-based combat, though it’s unknown if there will be open-world elements like Ghost Recon Wildlands and Breakpoint. Stay tuned for updates in the meantime.

As Henderson has claimed in past reports, the next Ghost Recon title is being developed under the codename Project Ovr, and is currently targeting a launch either in 2025 or 2026. The fictional Naiman War serves as the game’s backdrop, and will take players to “a hostile southeast country” where “hundreds of thousands of people” have died due to “war crimes”. Against this backdrop, players are tasked with taking on “secret missions to locate a traitor.”

Interestingly, unlike the vast majority of Ghost Recon titles, it’s claimed that Project Ovr is going to be a first-person shooter. The game is allegedly taking a much more grounded and authentic approach as it looks to deliver tactical squad-based action, and is taking inspiration from the likes of Battlefield, Ready or Not, Squad, and the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare games.

The latter in particular seems like a particularly strong inspiration, with Henderson’s report describing a scene in Project Ovr where a squad of Ghosts nearly guns down a man holding a baby because they mistakenly thought the baby was a bomb, only to realize at the last second that it’s not.

How long it’ll be before we see this game remains to be seen, but given the supposed 2025/26 target window, we might have to wait a while.

As per Henderson, who claims that Star Wars Outlaws will launch in the first half of this year, with Assassin’s Creed Codename Red following in the second half, the 2025-26 period will see the release of several other major Ubisoft titles. Chief among them is allegedly going to be the Splinter Cell remake, which was officially confirmed to be in development back in December 2021.

Henderson claims that a new mainline Ghost Recon title, which first emerged in rumours nearly two years ago, is also planned for the same two-year window. It’s claimed that the game will be set during the fictional Naiman War, and is being developed under the codename Project Over. Meanwhile, the report mentions a few other major releases lined up for the 2025-26 period, including the likes of Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe, the multiplayer-focused Assassin’s Creed Invictus, and two new Far Cry games, one of which will be a mainline entry, and the other an extraction shooter spinoff.

How long it’ll be before Ubisoft begins sharing official details on the games it has in the pipeline for beyond 2024 remains to be seen.

Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake Reveal

Metal Gear Solid had its share of rumors last year, the most significant being that Virtuos is working on a remake of Metal Gear Solid 3. Things seemed somewhat quiet since this news emerged, but this past October saw the developer uploading a recruitment video where fans spotted the “The Art of Metal Gear Solid” book. It then recently listed Konami as a client on its website while noting its experience with Fox Engine (used to develop Metal Gear Solid 5). An announcement at The Game Awards may seem off base, but these recent developments are conspicuous.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Trailer and Release Date

You’d be forgiven for thinking Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a way off. Electronic Arts revealed the sequel to the hit action-adventure back in May and went radio silent. Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb alleges it to be on track for release in March 2023, with new information coming in December. Insider-Gaming’s Tom Henderson would later reveal a new trailer, release date, and pre-order date would be revealed roughly 30 minutes into The Game Awards 2022. Again, we’ll have to wait and see, but EA needs to start promoting the game sooner rather than later.

Overdose Reveal

Back in June, Kojima Productions’ rumored next project Overdose was leaked. It allegedly stars Margaret Qualley of Death Stranding fame, though it seems more of a horror game. The studio would begin teasing the title at TGS 2022 with a mysterious woman (later revealed to be Elle Fanning) and a tagline stating, “Who am I?”

Another image at PAX Australia featured another silhouetted actor (later confirmed to be Shioli Kutsuna) with the words “Where am I?” The next teaser image had no actor and simply asked, “How come?” It’s all seemingly leading to something, and a reveal at The Game Awards feels likely.

Diablo 4 Release Date Reveal

It’s no secret that Blizzard has been hosting closed tests for Diablo 4, but Insider-Gaming’s Tom Henderson reported that various hands-on impressions from media outlets would go live in early December. This is reportedly slated for before The Game Awards, though the actual date may be subject to change.

XboxEra’s Nick Baker alleged that a release date would be announced at the show, with Windows Central corroborating. The latter also claimed pre-orders to be going live as well, along with a reveal of premium physical and digital editions, and pre-order bonuses (including an open beta in February). So whether it’s before the awards or on the same date, Diablo 4 news is reportedly due in the coming weeks.

Final Fantasy 16 New Trailer and Release Date Announcement

Final Fantasy 16 is the next big mainline Final Fantasy title and has only looked more impressive since its reveal last year. While the development team plans to reveal the release date in December, this could happen at The Game Awards. According to Insider-Gaming’s Tom Henderson, pre-orders are reportedly going live on December 7th or 8th, with a new trailer also to be revealed. That could be when the event unveils the release date, though the developer could opt to specify the month instead of a hard date.

NetherRealm’s Next Game

Whether it’s leaks or teases from the studio itself, Mortal Kombat 12 has long been rumored as NetherRealm’s next project. Nevertheless, chief creative officer Ed Boon took some fans aback when he outright tweeted that the developer’s next project was Injustice 3 or Mortal Kombat 12. Call it rolling or an honest-to-goodness answer, but NetherRealm did announce Mortal Kombat X and Mortal Kombat 11 at previous TGAs. Perhaps three times the charm this year.

Alan Wake 2

Remedy Entertainment was set to reveal more on Alan Wake 2 at this year’s Summer Game Fest showcase. That didn’t happen, but it assured fans that the horror game is on track for 2023. An appearance at The Game Awards 2022 is still kind of 50/50, but since it was revealed at last year’s show, it’s certainly possible.

Crash Bandicoot Wumpa League

Rumors of a new Crash Bandicoot game have circulated for a while, with several indications that it could be a multiplayer project called Wumpa League. Jez Corden of Windows Central reported on the next title being a four-player brawler developed by Toys for Bob. Why could it be announced at The Game Awards? An “Aku Aku’s Steam-In Pizza Shack” box was sent to YouTuber Canadian Guy Eh with a receipt that said, “Hungry for more? Try out our new Wumpa Pizza for $12.08!” “12.08,” of course, corresponds to The Game Awards on December 8th. Whether it’s Wumpa League or not, a new Crash Bandicoot announcement is coming.

Death Stranding 2

Would two Kojima Productions reveals at one show make much sense? Probably not, which is also why Kojima may go ahead and do it. We already know Death Stranding 2 is in development, thanks to actor Norman Reedus confirming the same. Whether it’s far enough to showcase anything remains to be seen, but even a simple announcement by Kojima that it’s in the works, even in pre-production, is enough.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora

While a new trailer for Skull and Bones is likely to be showcased to remind everyone that it still exists, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora could appear, despite being delayed to sometime between April 2023 and March 2024. Avatar: The Way of Water, the long-awaited sequel to the first movie, will release one week after The Game Awards. Weird as it sounds, some cross-promotion is possible, though it’s still a toss-up given rumors in July about Frontiers of Pandora being in rough shape.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2

Like Mortal Kombat, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 has a history with The Game Awards. It was first revealed at The Game Awards 2019 and re-emerged at TGA 2021 with a gameplay trailer. Given the lack of new footage at the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase, not to mention the lackluster number of Xbox exclusives this year, it could get some update on December 8th. Not a release date, of course, but one can still dream.

Layers of Fears Release Date Reveal

While Bloober Team is now known more for being “The Silent Hill 2 Remake Studio,” it still has a new Layers of Fear title coming out. Developed on Unreal Engine 5 for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, it was announced at the Summer Game Fest showcase and received another trailer at the Future Games Show during Gamescom. A proper release date at The Game Awards is possible, especially if it’s out in early 2023.

New Ghost Recon

A new Ghost Recon is rumored to be in development. It was mentioned in the infamous GeForce Now leak and reportedly targets a release by March 31st, 2023. If still planned for the same, a reveal at The Game Awards wouldn’t be far-fetched. It’s unlikely but keep an eye out all the same.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Back in September, an insider claimed that gameplay for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 would be shown “soon.” That didn’t happen, but Insomniac did note that the game is making good progress and is still scheduled for 2023. Sony would probably save a major reveal like this for its next PlayStation Showcase. Or it may try to steal everyone’s thunder at The Game Awards.

The Wolf Among Us 2

Given how it’s releasing in 2023 and had a preview hosted by The Game Awards creator Geoff Keighley last February, The Wolf Among Us 2 seems plausible for this year’s show. Telltale Games said in September that there wouldn’t be any more updates “for a while” since it doesn’t want to overhype the game. Call it a toss-up for now.