This week at Ubisoft, The Division 2, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, and Just Dance 2023 Edition got new content for players. The team at Ubisoft Quebec also worked with the Ashmolean Museum to create an Assassin's Creed Odyssey-inspired installation in a new exhibition. Check out all that and more in this week's roundup of Ubisoft news.
The Division 2 Warlords of New York Season 11 Begins Today
The Division 2 Warlords of New York's new season, Reign of Fire, is live now. The third and final season of Year 4, Reign of Fire introduces a new Manhunt target: Black Tusk demolitions expert Zachary "Stovepipe" Beattie. The new season also brings additional intel on the notorious Hunters for players to find, as well as a new exotic weapon and gear item, new gear set, and cosmetic items.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope Free Demo and First DLC, The Tower of Doooom, Available Now
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope's first DLC, The Tower of Doooom, is out now exclusively for Season Pass owners. Madame Bwahstrella has tasked the Heroes with saving Spawny, but to do it, they'll have to fight their way up a strange tower infested with Cursa's minions. For those who haven't checked out Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope yet, there is now a free demo available exclusively for Switch through the Nintendo eShop. In the demo, you can play through the game's prologue and part of its first planet, Beacon Beach.
Just Dance 2023 Edition Season 1: Lover Coaster Now Available
Just Dance 2023 Edition Season 1: Lover Coaster is available now until May 9, bringing new and legacy songs to the Just Dance+ streaming service, a new seasonal progression system, and up to 40 new rewards including avatars, backgrounds, stickers, and more. Additionally, two new themed playlists will be available free for a short time, then will be available solely through Just Dance+. New songs will be released throughout the season.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey Partners with Ashmolean Museum for Mythological Exhibit
One of the quests in Assassin's Creed Odyssey features the Labyrinth of King Minos from Greek mythology. Set in Knossos, one of the oldest known Greek settlements, the quest may take creative liberties with the mythical story, but it is rooted in history. For its exhibition Labyrinth: Knossos, Myth & Reality, the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford worked with Ubisoft to recreate scenes from Assassin's Creed Odyssey. The immersive area has the game's interpretation of the palace at Knossos projected on the walls.
Just Dance Will Be in the Olympic Esports Series 2023
On March 1, Ubisoft announced that Just Dance 2023 Edition will be part of the Olympics Esports Series later this summer. Selected players, representing top athletes from the Just Dance World Cup, will be invited to compete in the live event in Singapore from June 22-25.
Ubisoft+ Spotlight - Transference
(Editorial note: This is a series of quick weekly highlights written by Ubisoft News team writers that feature games available with a Ubisoft+ subscription. We hope you'll enjoy reminiscing with us, or perhaps discover something new.)
Brittany Spurlin, Writer/Editor: Get ready for a twisted journey into the minds of the Hayes family in the psychological thriller Transference. Raymond is a troubled scientist with PTSD, obsessed with the idea of uploading "brain data," aka human consciousness, into a virtual world. Unfortunately, his wife Katherine and son Benjamin are two of his first test subjects. Now, you'll need to enter a corrupted digital simulation of Raymond's making to recover fragmented memories and solve the mystery of the Hayes family's fate.
Playable with or without VR, Transference feels like a videogame version of an escape room. Set entirely in and around the Hayes' home, you'll need to solve puzzles in order to unlock information and progress through the story, and the game demands you pay attention to every detail to do so. For example, in order to unlock Ben's bedroom, you'll need to spell out the password using refrigerator magnets, a task that requires finding all the letters (you'll need to 3D-print at least one) and recalling information from an earlier trip outside. The puzzle clues will also enlighten you about each character, like Katherine's past as a musician, Raymond's audio logs as he works on his project, or what happened to the family pet.
Transference lets you play as each of the three members of the Hayes family at different points in the game, experiencing each of their perceptions firsthand. The game is a dark, haunting story that makes its players think, while still giving room for everyone to draw their own conclusions about each character's motivations.
You can play Transference today with a Ubisoft+ subscription.
Game Updates
In addition to a new Manhunt, The Division 2 Season 11: Reign of Fire brought a number of quality-of-life updates to the game.
- Fixed issues with the Doctor Home Exotic Rifle; the Focus Chest Talent now triggers when aiming, and the weapon now gives exotic components
- Changing between loadouts no longer nullify effects of set bonuses
- Exclamation mark now disappears after checking an item in the Expertise Menu
The Settlers: New Allies deployed a hotfix on March 2 that addressed issues with crashes and desyncing.