James Cameron's Avatar doesn't need an introduction. Its name has cemented itself as one of the most successful movies of all time, and recently surpassed 1997's iconic Titanic to become the third highest-grossing movie ever. The film was so successful that it spawned multiple spin-offs, including an Avatar comic, a video game, and a theme park.
The sequel to the first Avatar movie, Avatar: The Way of the Water, was quite successful too, grossing over a whopping $2 billion at the box office. More entries in the franchise are already in development that will be released in the coming years, with shorter spans between releases than the 13 years between the first two movies. This hopes to make up for the lack of releases in the past decade, with James Cameron aiming to create an Avatar's own cinematic universe reminiscent of the MCU and the DCEU.
The Avatar franchise is set to expand even more as Ubisoft prepares to release an Avatar video game titled Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora. What link will this game have to the films?
What Is Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora About?
Developed by Massive Entertainment and published by Ubisoft, Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora is set to be released later this year for PC and next-gen consoles. James Cameron's studio, Lightstorm Entertainment, is closely involved with the game's development, as Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora will be considered canon within the Avatar movie universe. While the exact time period of the game is unknown, it follows a story similar to the first Avatar movie released in 2009. Still, it will be a fresh new experience for players.
Unlike the concept of human consciousness inside a Na'avi body, the first Avatar movie, Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora, features a genuine Na'avi protagonist captured by humanity's Resource Development Administration (RDA) as a child. The RDA aims to invade Pandora to extract its resources and enlist young Na'avi's aid, training them to fight against their kind. Due to their unique circumstances, these young Na'avi soldiers are placed in hibernation for 15 years.
Upon awakening in an abandoned facility, players assume the role of one of these Na'avi soldiers. Players will explore the western frontier of Pandora, an area not previously seen in the movies. The protagonist will reconnect with their Na'avi heritage and aim to drive out the human presence in Pandora. Frontiers Of Pandora essentially adopts Ubisoft's Far Cry approach for the science fiction and fantasy genre.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora's Relation To The Movies
Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora is already confirmed canon by the director, James Cameron himself, to the Avatar movies. According to Cameron, the game will co-exist with the films and explore a "new corner" of Pandora. However, this doesn't mean the game won't include references and characters from the mainline Avatar movies.
Frontiers of Pandora takes place during the 15-year time skip between the first Avatar movie and the recent Avatar: Way Of Water. The game will also include references to General Ardmore, one of the main villains in the Avatar movies. However, the game will tell its own story, and Cameron stated that they wanted to describe different stories in the same universe without them being intertwined. They will be standalone stories, and audiences don't need to be familiar with one to experience the other
This approach aims to distinguish the game from other franchises. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora will not have a crossover with the Avatar movies in the future, but both games and movies might contain references and feature some known names.
Is Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Related To James Cameron's Avatar: The Game?
In addition to Frontiers Of Pandora, Ubisoft has released another Avatar game title. James Cameron's Avatar: The Game, released in 2009 by the same publisher, Ubisoft. However, the gamme tends to be forgotten. Just like with Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora, James Cameron was also involved closely with developing James Cameron's Avatar: The Game.
The game's release closely followed the movie's, although it featured a distinct storyline set years before the events. Notably, some plot elements in the game contradicted those of the film. It serves as an entry unrelated to any of the Avatar movies or even the upcoming Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora. The game's launch received mixed reception due to its underwhelming gameplay mechanics.
The upcoming release of Avatar: The Frontiers of Pandora will be Ubisoft and James Cameron's second shot at making an Avatar game that lives up to the movies' standards and quality. This time, they'll be prepared with a clear direction and the lessons learned from the failure of the first game. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora shows promise and raises hopes that it will fulfill expectations. Hopefully, the new game will resonate with fans of the Avatar franchise, offering them another opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of Pandora. At the same time, they await the release of Avatar 3, scheduled for late 2025.
Avatar: The Frontiers of Pandora is scheduled to release for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 on December 7, 2023.