It might not be the biggest conference when it comes to headlines, but on past form it's certainly one of the most fun. Ubisoft takes to the E3 stage at 9pm BST to offer fresh looks at Assassin's Creed Odyssey, The Division 2 and Beyond Good and Evil 2, plus hopefully more than a little gallic eccentricity on the side. Join us to see it all unravel.
Our live coverage of this event has finished.
Hello, hi, sorry it's me again.
иC Martin Robinson
Just over 30 minutes to go, and I'm heading down to Easy Hours on a beer run. Who wants what? Kami, you're on the jasmine tea, right?
иC Martin Robinson
Hello from the Orpheum Theatre, where I'm probably watching the same pre-conference spiel as you are. As always, the chandeliers in here are lovely.
иC Tom Phillips
ExileClub: Anything else interesting to share?
The pre-conference food is stroopwaffles. They were good.
иC Tom Phillips
Oh I do love the Orpheum Theatre.
иC Martin Robinson
Centrale1: A new version of Rocksmith would be a welcome surprise! Other than that I'm hoping to see some gameplay in BG&E2.
I've heard BGE2 still isn't playable at E3 this week, but we should definitely see more than last year's tech demo. Honestly though, Michel Ancel can take as long as he wants to nail it.
иC Tom Phillips
It's an incredibly classy backdrop, and it's just a delight to sit in the beautiful beaux arts theatre.
иC Martin Robinson
And no, Aaron Priceman - also known as Mr. Caffeine - will not be there this year.
Three minutes! I will put my money down and say we will see an Assassin's Creed game.
иC Tom Phillips
So, what to expect.
иC Martin Robinson
Well, there's the known knowns.
иC Martin Robinson
As Tom says, expect an Assassin's Creed.
иC Martin Robinson
I think there will also be a lot of disappointed people if Ubisoft's annual "one last thing" is not Splinter Cell.
иC Tom Phillips
The Division 2, Beyond Good & Evil 2, Skull & Bones.
иC Martin Robinson
What I'd love? Fade to black at the end, see three green lights come up on screen and that traditional fizzing power sound.
иC Martin Robinson
And a tease - and hopefully a little more - of a new Splinter Cell.
иC Martin Robinson
That'd be very nice thank you very much.
иC Martin Robinson
The really big news, though.
иC Martin Robinson
Is that Aisha is back.
иC Martin Robinson
Last thing from me - do refresh Eurogamer.com as soon as the conference finishes to hear a lot more about Assassin's Creed Odyssey. If you have a burning question from seeing it in the conference, we hope you will find answers.
иC Tom Phillips
Says who?
иC Martin Robinson
Right, let's do this.
иC Martin Robinson
Who are these jabronis?
иC Paul Watson
We want Aisha.
иC Paul Watson
Oh I forgot they've got a cars. The Crew 2 will obviously feature a little, even if it's out fairly soon.
иC Martin Robinson
First though, a panda dancing.
иC Martin Robinson
How can you not love Ubisoft?
иC Martin Robinson
Would be up for 90 minutes of this to be honest.
иC Martin Robinson
I've never really played Just Dance.
иC Martin Robinson
But I hope that every year it opens Ubisoft's conference.
иC Martin Robinson
Because it's just the greatest.
иC Martin Robinson
This dance number is better than all of Square Enix's miserable half hour.
иC Tom Phillips
Pacman8MyGhostkart: Please be Aisha in the Panda costume!
That'd win E3, really. Sorry Microsoft.
иC Martin Robinson
I really hope this never stops.
иC Martin Robinson
It's showing no signs of stopping as the extended musical number goes on and on and on, and the panda just keeps on dancing.
иC Martin Robinson
So there you go, there's a Just Dance game coming out in October.
иC Martin Robinson
And what is this?
иC Martin Robinson
It's Beyond Good & Evil, because why not start with the big guns.
иC Martin Robinson
I still don't quite understand how these extravagant cinematics square with what sounds like quite an MMO-ish game.
иC Martin Robinson
And there's your money shot. Jade.
иC Martin Robinson
I didn't even care much for the original, but that gave me goosebumps.
иC Martin Robinson
Will we get to see some more of the game in action though?
иC Martin Robinson
If you're at E3 - and are lucky enough to have an appointment - there's an extended demo.
иC Martin Robinson
We are getting our own look at Ganesha, though, one of the locales in the game.
иC Martin Robinson
And it's mighty, mighty pretty.
иC Martin Robinson
And annoyingly we're not seeing it properly on the feed.
иC Martin Robinson
That was an utter waste. Why show us a zoomed out shot of the stage? Silly sausages.
иC Martin Robinson
And here's Joseph Gordon-Levitt for a little touch of the bizarre - his company Hit-Record is involved in Beyond Good & Evil 2.
иC Martin Robinson
It's that guy that was going to be Batman before sad Affleck came along and ruined it all!
иC Martin Robinson
Anyway, this is about community collaboration. Do people who contribute art, assets and so forth get paid?
иC Martin Robinson
The mic is left on as they leave stage.
иC Martin Robinson
And you hear a high-pitched 'WE NAILED IT'!
иC Martin Robinson
Yeah you kind of did. Nice one!
иC Martin Robinson
Here's Rainbow Six: Siege with an impressive number to kick its section off - there are now 35 million players of Ubi's tactical shooter.
иC Martin Robinson
Kami: BGE2 is confusing. If it's a prequel - how does Pey'j know who Jade is?
\_(е─)_/¯
иC Martin Robinson
(also a quick follow-up - apparently HitRecord does pay contributors, so good one all around well done everybody!)
иC Martin Robinson
That was... A trailer for a Rainbow Six documentary?
иC Martin Robinson
Who cares her's RedLynx's nutty Antti with what must be a new Trials.
иC Martin Robinson
He is a beautifully strange man.
иC Martin Robinson
And quite a good slapstick comedian.
иC Martin Robinson
I've met him a few times, and this isn't an act. He really is this nuts.
иC Martin Robinson
We're due a decent Trials game, I think, as the last couple have fallen a little flat.
иC Martin Robinson
It looks like Trials without some of the gimmicks that have blighted recent games.
иC Martin Robinson
So I'm in.
иC Martin Robinson
Trials Rising be it.
иC Martin Robinson
Professor Fatshady, a Trials streamer, is up here now.
иC Martin Robinson
Closed beta coming later this year is the upshot of all that.
иC Martin Robinson
February 2019.
иC Martin Robinson
And yes it's coming to Switch.
иC Martin Robinson
LividCarrion: Is it the 22nd by any chance? Is it like the video game releace date version of chicken?
It must be, because every game is attracted to that date like it's some kind of deep void of a black hole.
иC Martin Robinson
Julian Gerrighty, who you might remember from the original The Crew and other games, looks like he's walked straight out of Watch Dogs as he presents The Division 2.
иC Martin Robinson
That untucked dress shirt under a jacket is not going down well in the Eurogamer office, let me tell you.
иC Martin Robinson
Korlis: Potentially unpopular opinion but I enjoyed the story/setting of The Division. The wintry city helped. Not sure I want to swelter through DC.
I'm with you, I thought it worked well.
иC Martin Robinson
Under a denim jacket. WITH SWEAT PANTS.
иC Oli Welsh
Perfect.
иC Martin Robinson
Anyway The Division 2 will have colours.
иC Martin Robinson
I love Ubisoft games, but I do think it's time to leave the Tom Clancy bullshit behind.
иC Martin Robinson
It seems dated, nasty and kind of in contrast to the values they otherwise extol.
иC Martin Robinson
I dunno though, it does mean cool gadgets and lots of shooty bang bang so maybe I should shut up.
иC Martin Robinson
The Division 2's going to have a much bigger focus on the endgame, which is a good thing seeing how hard I bounced off of it after seeing through the (generous) main questline.
иC Martin Robinson
HerrProduk: @MartinRobinson I agree. Or they should go the whole hog & base the next one on Stephen Segal’s terrible novel Way of the Shadow Wolves
Gets my vote.
иC Martin Robinson
And The Division 2 will have raids.
иC Martin Robinson
(I thought the incursions were already kind of like raids?)
иC Martin Robinson
DLC episodes will be free.
иC Martin Robinson
I think they're on to us, hence the new trend for jirts.
иC Martin Robinson
The jirt allows you to be free and unencumbered while still covering your nipples.
иC Martin Robinson
And on from that dirgey shooter to something a bit lighter - Rabbids.
иC Martin Robinson
It's about the Donkey Kong DLC coming to Mario and Rabbids. Rather than anything new we're getting a Grant Kirkhope performance.
иC Martin Robinson
And you know what, I'm fine with that.
иC Martin Robinson
Sometimes the mic stays on and gets stuff which paints you in a positive light. Sometimes, a little less so.
иC Martin Robinson
Again, I'm very much behind this. How lovely to have a Kirkhope performance live on stage.
иC Martin Robinson
This is, above all, a lovely celebration of games, and another nice little tip of the hat from Ubisoft to Nintendo.
иC Martin Robinson
‘They changed the intro again?’
‘Yeah, they change it every two seconds’
Something along those lines - some minor squabbling.
иC Martin Robinson
And they've slowed it riiiiiggggghhhht down.
иC Martin Robinson
Skull & Bones now please.
иC Martin Robinson
Kiliko: oh god how've we gone from Donkey Kong joyousness to a turgid grey pirate cannon-a-thon?
There is nothing turgid about pirates!
иC Martin Robinson
Pacman8MyGhostkart: This is looking like the game Sea of Thieves was meant to be. He says have only seen about 8 minutes of pre-rendered footage.
Probably enough for me to base a review on to be fair.
иC Martin Robinson
Why's Justin Farren wearing a scarf indoors?
иC Martin Robinson
Is the aircon on super strong in The Orpheum? Is he Doctor Who?
иC Martin Robinson
Or does he just have a hickey that he's trying to hide.
иC Martin Robinson
In case he's mum sees it and asks what he was up to last night.
иC Martin Robinson
wellzy4eva: Is this already confirmed as online Multiplayer only?
It was last year, I believe.
иC Martin Robinson
This does look an awful lot like Sea of Thieves. With more graphics and somehow less of them too.
иC Martin Robinson
(Don't expect me to be writing for Digital Foundry anytime soon).
иC Martin Robinson
blarty: The problem with multiplayer only games, such as Sea of Thieves, and presumably Skull & Bones, is the propensity of gankers and grievers.
But pirates are the original griefers!
иC Martin Robinson
That was Skull and Bones. It's got pirates in it.
иC Martin Robinson
And this is Elijah Woods game that I forgot all about. It's Transference.
иC Martin Robinson
Gary Busey's coming on stage to introduce his own take on the Battle Royale genre a bit later.
иC Martin Robinson
It's a VR game, I believe, but it's also getting a flatscreen release.
иC Martin Robinson
I'm sure this was announced as a VR exclusive, and that seems to have been watered down with it coming to traditional platforms.
иC Martin Robinson
It does look fascinating, mind.
иC Martin Robinson
This is a fairly interesting new take on the toys to life phenomenon - or maybe not such a phenomenon anymore - called Starlink.
иC Martin Robinson
I didn't see it last year, but people I know who did tell me it's very interesting indeed.
иC Martin Robinson
Coming October 16th.
иC Martin Robinson
I think it's for a slightly older market than Skylanders, a slightly younger one than Amiibo (because they're all bought by tragic thirtysomethings like me, right?)
иC Martin Robinson
Oh.
иC Martin Robinson
Oh.
иC Martin Robinson
Oh my.
иC Martin Robinson
It's Star Fox.
иC Martin Robinson
And that music has me close to tears.
иC Martin Robinson
YVESSSSS.
иC Martin Robinson
Star Fox is coming to Starlink. I'm not sure how integral it'll be.
иC Martin Robinson
It's a Switch exclusive - Star Fox, that is. But I guess that was obvious.
иC Martin Robinson
And here's Miyamoto, and every time I see him I can't help but smile.
иC Martin Robinson
Enormous cheers and applause for Yves and Miyamoto. Crowd here loved that.
иC Tom Phillips
And here's what Star Fox the toy looks like in Star Link.
иC Martin Robinson
I will be buying that.
иC Martin Robinson
Well that was a nice surprise.
иC Martin Robinson
For Honor, which judging by our recent re-review has come a fair way since launch, steps up now.
иC Martin Robinson
We've still got Assassin's Creed to step up as well, and just over 20 minutes left to run through by my estimations.
иC Martin Robinson
Marching Fire is an all-new For Honor expansion.
иC Martin Robinson
It's out October 16th.
иC Martin Robinson
We're due one, aren't we? Hoping it shows up tomorrow.
иC Martin Robinson
There's a new 4x4 multiplayer mode coming to For Honor, in a new mode called Bridge.
иC Martin Robinson
I can't hear for all the explosions. You're right, it is.
иC Martin Robinson
The Crew 2 up now, then - so we might only have room for Assassin's and one... more... thing.
иC Martin Robinson
Pre-load for The Crew 2 is up right now, if that's your thing.
иC Martin Robinson
I think collectively at Eurogamer we also enjoyed it more than most, as we've all got a bit of a soft spot for eccentric racers. This also looks pleasingly offbeat.
иC Martin Robinson
It's time for your Assassin's update - a sequel to last year's Origins, and a continuation of that story.
иC Martin Robinson
We'll have quite a bit more detail on this hitting the site shortly.
иC Martin Robinson
This chap's gone even further to protect any nipple reveal under the shirt - he's wearing some kind of protective undergarment so even if they stiffen up and poke out like bullets we're unlikely to see them.
иC Martin Robinson
For shame.
иC Martin Robinson
Ah so I might have bene wrong and it's not a strict continuation, seeing as you choose your own character in this Assassin's Creed.
иC Martin Robinson
blarty: Given the focus on nippleage - what drinking game are you playing, Martin?
I'm drinking a beer every time I get thirsty.
иC Martin Robinson
It's my favourite drinking game.
иC Martin Robinson
Kami: Almost nipples!
Taking that as the title of my memoirs, thanks.
иC Martin Robinson
I got it wrong, sorry - I'm not too hot on Assassin's stuff (Tom is the super nerd on all things AC, and thankfully he's handling the write-up that's about to hit the site).
иC Martin Robinson
Well Odyssey certainly has its fair share of graphics.
иC Martin Robinson
There's a much bigger RPG feel to this, especially in the branching conversations.
иC Martin Robinson
Also it's just really, really pretty.
иC Martin Robinson
I believe so. More BioWare than Anthem, it would seem.
иC Martin Robinson
Korlis: So the PC Gaming show up next - is it worth watching? Does anything interesting get announced, or should I go watch Black Panther before it's time for Sony?
We won't be live reporting the PC gaming show this year, but it's always got a few good moments in there. And it is something to do while we wait for Sony, so...
иC Martin Robinson
That's Odyssey then. Looks alright, don't it?
иC Martin Robinson
We're past 90 minutes now.
иC Martin Robinson
That dancing panda seems like a lifetime ago.
иC Martin Robinson
But there's surely time for one last thing.
иC Martin Robinson
Oh.
иC Martin Robinson
That really is it.
иC Martin Robinson
No big climax, although Assassin's does look lovely.
иC Martin Robinson
So that was Ubisoft's conference.
иC Martin Robinson
Typically upbeat, full of lovely moments - Antti being a highlight, as ever - and some decent looking games.
иC Martin Robinson
No real showstoppers like The Division, Watch Dogs or Rabbids back in the day - but maybe there's something of a holding pattern while Ubi preps for the next gen that's clearly imminent.
иC Martin Robinson
In the meantime we've got lots of awesome things to keep us occupied.
иC Martin Robinson
We'll be back at 2am for Sony. Hopefully see you there!
иC Martin Robinson
Srsly.
иC Martin Robinson
Catch you all later, and thanks, as ever, for joining.