After two films and several years, the world of Pandora will finally be open to explore in the upcoming video game Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. The game will feature the yet-to-be-seen Western Frontier of James Cameron's wondrous alien planet. Playing as an orphaned Na'vi, players will venture out into the wild and interact with the many Na'vi clans in hopes of helping them with their fight against the RDA.
While Pandora is home to many plants and animals, the primary inhabitants of the planet are the Na'vi people. The Na'vi are spread out throughout the planet in several clans, and players will be coming into contact with several brand-new clans in the game. Thanks to Frontiers of Pandora, players will be able to experience the world of Avatar like they've never seen before.
5 The Na'vi Clans
On Pandora, the Na'vi are separated into several clans scattered around the planet. While only a few have been shown across the two films, there are actually plenty more that have either only been shown briefly or not at all to fans. With seventeen known clans, the Na'vi have clans in every biome across Pandora.
So far, fans have been exposed to the jungle-dwelling Omatikaya clan and the ocean-dwelling Metkayina clan in the two films. But Frontiers of Pandora will introduce fans to three new clans. First, players will meet the Aranahe clan, who live around the floating islands of the Rookery. Then there's the nomadic Zeswa clan who roam the Upper Plains with their horse-like Zakru, or Direhorses. Finally, there is the mysterious Kame'tire clan who, for unknown reasons, hides away from the rest of Pandora. As players traverse Pandora, they will be sure to get to know each of the new clans very well.
4 Skills
Each Na'vi clan varies in several ways, and one of those ways is the skills that each has mastered. The Na'vi clans each have their own strengths, often derived from a combination of their surrounding environment and their unique cultures. The Omatikaya clan, primarily featured in the first Avatar film, are expert weavers and can create brilliant textiles. Avatar: The Way of Water introduced the Metkkayina clan, who are expert swimmers.
As to be expected, the new clans of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora will also have their own sets of special skills, many of which will be passed down to the player. The Aranahe clan is known for weaving clothes and fabrics, and will be the tutorial for players learning how to hunt and fly. In the Upper Plains, players will be able to learn how to tame Direhorses thanks to the Zeswa clan. The Kame'tire clan are known for their skills at healing, though due to their mysterious ways, what they'll be able to teach the player may remain unknown for the time being.
3 Habitat
As mentioned before, each of the Na'vi clans resides in one of the different Pandora biomes. The Na'vi are well-adapted to their environment and often have differing physical traits as a result of their surroundings. Clans also differ greatly in culture, though will often put aside their differences in order to fight a common enemy.
While venturing across Pandora, players will be sure to see many of the different sights of Pandora's diverse environment. The Aranahe clan live among the floating rocks known as the Rookery, giving players a rare chance to see these unique sights up close. Players will be able to explore the plains with the Zeswa clan, while the Kame'tire clan will give players the chance to explore the more dense Clouded Forest.
2 Animal Bonding
In Na'vi culture, Tsaheylu refers to the act of the Na'vi bonding with one of Pandora's many wondrous animals. As depicted in the films, the Na'vi can bond with many of the fauna of Pandora, sharing not only a physical connection but an emotional one as well. The Na'vi have a variety of uses for bonding, ranging from animal training to communication.
Because of the importance of bonding to the Na'vi, players can expect to bond with more than a few animals in their journey across Pandora. While venturing with the Aranahe clan, players will be given the opportunity to bond with the flying Banshees, much like Jake in the first Avatar film. While on land with the Zeswa clan, players will be able to bond with the Zakru, giving them a fast way of traveling both in the skies and on land.
1 Fight with the RDA
Just like in both films, the main antagonist in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora will be the human-led Resources Development Administration, or the RDA. Having traveled to Pandora decades before the events of the game, the RDA has the goal of exploiting the natural resources of Pandora. Naturally, the many Na'vi clans have banded together to protect their home.
Interestingly enough, the player will begin not as a native Na'vi per se, but as an orphan raised by the RDA and trained as a soldier willing to do their bidding. Fifteen years later, the player character will wake up from suspended animation to find a long-abandoned RDA facility. Venturing out into the wilderness, it's up to the player to seek out the various Na'vi tribes to fight the RDA across the western frontier.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora releases on December 7, 2023, on PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.