Report: Ubisoft developing new battle royale like Apex Legends, but it may not actually release

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Ubisoft is developing a new battle royale game that takes direct inspiration from Respawn's Apex Legends, sources have told Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson.

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Ubisoft could be making another battle royale game--codenamed Scout, this new shooter is the latest in a long series of experimental projects. The new battle royale is reportedly based on Respawn's billion-dollar battle royale game Apex Legends, complete with Ubisoft's own takes on distinct Apex characters like Pathfinder, Wraith and Lifeline.

Scout is believed to have been in development for multiple years, but Ubisoft's current finance situation could see the game cancelled and written down.

The French games-maker tried to break into the popular battle royale market in 2020 with its failed Hyper Scape game, which was pulled offline about a year and a half post-launch.

Sources also tell Insider Gaming that Ubisoft has cancelled nearly a dozen battle royale games since 2020.

It's unclear what will happen with Scout, if anything. Ubisoft recently announced a $1.2 billion partnership with Chinese games colossus Tencent. This funding will essentially stave off hostile takeover attempts and arm Ubisoft with enough money to pay down its debts, bring products to market, and continuing investing into more products.

That cash influx splintered Ubisoft into two groups: Ubisoft 1, which handles the operations of the overall business as well as handling non-specific franchises, and Ubisoft 2, which is the big one.

Ubisoft 2 will oversee the development, production, and upkeep/bookkeeping of the company's biggest franchises: Assassin's Creed, Rainbow Six, Far Cry.

Tencent's $1.2 billion buyout netted it a 25% stake in Ubisoft 2. Given the range of IPs and products involved, Ubisoft 2 has been valued in excess of $4 billion.

Given this situation--essentially the splintering of Ubisoft--it really is hard to predict what exactly will happen in regards to any games that were, or even are currently, in development.

Ubisoft explains the Tencent deal:

The new subsidiary would include the teams developing the Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six, Assassin's Creed and Far Cry franchises based in Montréal, Quebec, Sherbrooke, Saguenay, Barcelona, and Sofia as well as the back-catalog and any new games currently under development or to be developed."

"The new subsidiary would have a dedicated leadership team, supervised by a Board of Directors, focused on enhancing creative vision and streamlining operations, with the authority to make swift, high-impact decisions across development, marketing, and distribution, to ensure these brands continue to evolve, attract new audiences, and deliver groundbreaking gaming experiences for years to come."