Saber Interactive Developing Avatar: The Last Airbender AAA Action RPG - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 03 October 2024 / 2,813 Views
Saber Interactive and Paramount Game Studios announced Saber is developing a AAA action RPG set in the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe for consoles and PC.
The companies told IGN it is "the biggest video game in franchise history." The new story in the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe is being developed in "close collaboration" with Avatar Studios.
The game will put players in the role of an "all-new, never-before-seen Avatar" and take place thousands of years before the Avatar: The Last Airbender series.
"[Players] can expect to be immersed in a vibrant world, master all four elements, engage in dynamic combat alongside companions, and experience the challenges and decisions that come with being the keeper of balance in the world," said Saber and Paramount.
"We know loyal fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender have been eager for more stories that bring them into the universe of the show, and through gaming, we’re able to expand the world-building and allow fans to experience the new content in a completely immersive way," said Doug Rosen, SVP, Games and Emerging Media at Paramount. "Saber Interactive has a proven track record in bringing IP-based games to life, and we are excited to co-fund this AAA title alongside them and let fans experience this world first-hand."
Saber Interactive head of intellectual property development and licensing Josh Austin added, "At Saber, we are all truly fans of the IP we work with. Our team members are some of the most devoted, passionate creatives out there and it’s an honor to join forces with Avatar Studios and Paramount Games to further expand the Avatar Legends universe in video games. This unique co-fund structure is a result of our ever-expanding collaboration with Paramount, which started over a decade ago with WWZ, and we’re excited for all that’s on the horizon."
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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Finally. Please be good.
I'm listening.
YES!! FINALLY!!!
I've been waiting for this for more than a decade!!
The decision to go with an entirely different and brand-new Avatar that lived thousands of years before the events of the OG show is certainly a decision I wasn't expecting - But the more I think about it, the more I like it!
Going back to Aang or Korra and basically trying to do a retelling of the OG show or LOK would be kind of limiting.
The are SO MANY possibilities for world-building and lore-exploration in the world and timeline of ATLA that are just waiting to be taken advantage of. I'm talking Harry Potter/LOTR level lore and world-building.
We're well past the point of just trying to stick to Aang and Korra.
Between the Kyoshi, Yangchen, and Roku novels - And the lore building we're getting from those, that 3rd Avatar show they have in development (Not to mention Season 2 of the Netflix show now in production along with the Adult Gaang movie), ATLA is about to blow up in a huge way if it hasn't already.
And exploring more of the adventures and history of the world somewhere in the ~10,000 years since Harmonic Convergence and between the eras of Wan and Aang seems like a easy but great idea!
I've not played an ATLA game since Korra and that was 2013 I think?.
I hope Saber manages to do something good with the IP, but at the same time I'm hoping I'll actually get to play it when it comes out, and not a year after release via a typical EGS deal (Saber have been quite close with EG over the past 5yrs).
I doubt they will be able to create a AAA-game.
Because I still think of AAA as an indicator of quality, not cost.
I'm skeptical of both quality and cost. The games that came out during the show's airing were probably about AA at the time, not bottom of the barrel costs or some of the worst games, but cash-ins without using the IP properly.
Quest for Balance would've been more in line with that 2006-2008 time period, but nowadays it pretty much feels like an indie game and not a well-made indie game.
I think a stylized RPG with graphics similar to Persona is the way to go. You don't need a game that pushes specs, especially because this game is a risk.
