Ubisoft is reportedly developing a new battle royale game, codenamed "Scout," that takes significant inspiration from Respawn Entertainment's popular title, Apex Legends. According to a report by Insider Gaming on April 16, 2025, the game has been in development for at least a couple of years and aims to capitalize on the declining player base of Apex Legends.
The project is said to feature characters that closely resemble those found in Apex Legends, including unique spins on fan favorites such as Pathfinder, Wraith, and Lifeline. One source familiar with the project noted, "I think the goal is to capitalize on the player count of Apex dropping and them [Ubisoft higher-ups] thinking there’s room in the market for another hero Battle Royale." This sentiment reflects a broader trend as many battle royale games have seen a decrease in player engagement, with a recent Newzoo study revealing that the genre's share of total games played dropped from 19% to 12% between 2021 and 2024.
Interestingly, while Ubisoft is pursuing this new venture, its internal research team has questioned what might come next after the battle royale genre, highlighting concerns regarding the sustainability of such games. The company has faced significant challenges in this space before. Its previous attempt at a battle royale game, Hyperscape, launched in 2020 but was shut down just 18 months later due to poor performance and dwindling player interest.
Despite its struggles, Ubisoft is not entirely abandoning the battle royale genre. The company has reportedly explored developing up to a dozen battle royale concepts since 2020, with Scout being one of the few still in the pipeline. The decision to move forward with Scout comes at a time when Apex Legends itself is experiencing financial difficulties, with EA's CEO Andrew Wilson admitting that the game is no longer meeting the company's financial expectations. EA plans a major update, referred to as "Apex Legends 2.0," to reinvigorate the franchise, but whether this will be enough to turn things around remains uncertain.
Ubisoft's current financial landscape adds another layer of complexity to the development of Scout. Earlier this month, the company’s stock fell to a 12-year low, raising concerns among investors about its future. The recent announcement of a $1.2 billion partnership with Tencent, a Chinese gaming giant, aims to stabilize Ubisoft's financial situation. This partnership gives Tencent a 25% stake in Ubisoft 2, which will oversee the development of the company’s major franchises, including Assassin's Creed, Rainbow Six, and Far Cry.
Despite these challenges, Ubisoft appears determined to carve out a niche in the battle royale market once again. The company’s executives reportedly see an opportunity in the current gaming landscape, where many players are looking for new experiences as established titles begin to falter. However, skepticism remains about whether a new battle royale, especially one so closely modeled after Apex Legends, can succeed in a saturated market.
As Ubisoft prepares to launch Scout, the industry is watching closely. Will this new title be able to attract players and provide a fresh take on the battle royale genre? Or will it become another footnote in the company’s history of canceled or failed projects? Only time will tell if Scout can rise above the challenges that have plagued its predecessors.
For now, the gaming community is left to speculate about the future of Ubisoft and its latest venture into the battle royale space. With the ongoing evolution of multiplayer games and changing player preferences, Scout's release could either mark a new beginning for Ubisoft or another misstep in a long line of ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful projects.
