Highlights
- The Immortals Fenyx Rising sequel is reportedly canceled, disappointing fans of the action-adventure game inspired by Zelda. Ubisoft's priorities have shifted to focus on bigger brands like Assassin's Creed.
- Immortals Fenyx Rising underwent significant changes before release, leading to a more casual and action-focused gameplay experience. These changes may have contributed to its underwhelming success.
- Ubisoft's strategic refocusing on its major franchises means that the future of the Immortals Fenyx Rising franchise is uncertain. The company has announced several other big-name projects, making it a lower priority.
Fans of Ubisoft's action-adventure game Immortals Fenyx Rising will be disappointed to hear that a sequel for the game has reportedly been canceled. Immortals Fenyx Rising may not have proven to be the success story that Ubisoft was hoping for, but it nonetheless delivered a charming, action-packed adventure with clear The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild inspiration. Ubisoft's priorities have shifted in recent years, however, and games like Assassin's Creed have become more attractive opportunities.
Immortals Fenyx Rising was first announced at E3 2019, though it went by the name Gods and Monsters at the time. It initially looked heavily inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, with a fantastical and inspirational tone. In 2020, the game was renamed Immortals Fenyx Rising, delayed, and saw a significant reworking of the project. That led to a more casual, action-focused gameplay experience with much more humor and flashier combat. The changes led many to question if it was an entirely different game, and may have contributed to its underwhelming success.
While Immortals Fenyx Rising may not have become an overnight success, many saw it as the first effort in what could be an increasingly exciting franchise. But that no longer seems to be the case. A report from VGC states that multiple developers have confirmed a sequel to Immortals Fenyx Rising was in early development at Ubisoft. However, that project was canceled by Ubisoft leadership in early June, citing "challenges around establishing the IP."
Ubisoft announced in January that it would be strategically refocusing its development resources on its biggest brands, like Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and various Tom Clancy shooters. It confirmed the cancelations of three unannounced projects, building off of four prior cancelations in mid-2022. A future for the Immortals Fenyx Rising franchise appears to not be in Ubisoft's plans, either.
An array of projects has since been announced by Ubisoft, including this fall's Assassin's Creed Mirage. Altogether, there are reportedly eleven Assassin's Creed games in development. There's also Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, a new Prince of Persia game, the free-to-play Tom Clancy's The Division Resurgence, and the recently revealed Star Wars Outlaws. It's easy to see why Immortals Fenyx Rising was seen as less of a priority than the other big-name projects.
Even if an Immortals Fenyx Rising sequel was still in development, it would be a very long way off. Immortals Fenyx Rising developer Ubisoft Quebec is currently working on Assassin's Creed: Codename Red, which will be set in Japan. That game is likely years away from release, meaning Ubisoft Quebec won't have time for another game for a while. Perhaps once Assassin's Creed: Codename Red comes out, Ubisoft will be more open to continuing Immortals Fenyx Rising again.
Immortals Fenyx Rising is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: VGC
