Best Ubisoft Game Franchises the Company Has Neglected

Ubisoft is currently in the news because they’ve delayed their financial report and stopped trading shares, which could indicate big changes are coming, though nothing is certain. In recent years, Ubisoft has faced challenges with its public image, even while releasing critically acclaimed games like The Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Many players have already formed strong opinions about Ubisoft’s game style, particularly in franchises like Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry. While these popular series aren’t releasing new titles as often as they did in the 2010s, interest in new installments has waned, suggesting the formula may have run its course.

Ubisoft has a lot of fantastic game series that haven’t been updated in a long time, and fans are eager for new installments. Reviving these well-known franchises would not only please existing players but also add more variety to Ubisoft’s current lineup of games. Right now, it’s unclear what the future holds for many of Ubisoft’s properties, but some feel like they’ve been abandoned for years.

Some criteria and notes:

If a franchise has received a game in the last 5 years or has a new entry announced for 2025 (with a title and everything), it will not be considered. Prince of Persia and Heroes of Might and Magic are examples of such franchises.
We will list the number of mainline entries and the last game’s release year. Also, if Ubisoft picked up an existing franchise, we would list the number of releases pre- and post-acquisition.
Ubisoft has created many great games over the years. Just wanted to say that.
We are only considering IPs with multiple games. So, nothing like Child of Light, For Honor, and Immortals Fenyx Rising.

Rayman (Mario + Rabbids DLC Notwithstanding)

The Biggest Ubisoft Franchise That Has Been Mostly Dormant For A Decade

Number of Main Rayman Games: 5
Last Mainline Rayman Game: Rayman Legends (2013)
Last Appearance Of Any Kind: Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope DLC 3: Rayman in the Phantom Show (2023)
Fun Fact: Since the last proper Rayman adventure, there have been roughly 10 Rabbids games or releases.

When people consider Ubisoft franchises that haven’t been used in a while, Rayman usually comes to mind. The series was a mainstay in gaming for about twenty years. Though it never achieved the same popularity as Mario or Sonic, Rayman was a major gaming icon. The original three games are consistently excellent, classic platformers that still hold up today. Then, surprisingly, the series was revitalized by Rayman Origins and especially Rayman Legends, which many consider to be one of the best games of the 2010s. Focusing just on the main games in the series, Rayman has consistently delivered exceptional quality.

Around the mid-2000s, the Rayman series began to lose focus as Ubisoft prioritized the Rabbids spin-offs. While this decision led to some great games, like the surprisingly excellent Mario + Rabbids crossovers, it unfortunately overshadowed Rayman. Now, Rayman feels like a small part of the Rabbids’ story, rather than the other way around.

Splinter Cell

A Genre-Defining Stealth Franchise With No Games Since The PS3 And Xbox 360 Era (Although, A Remake Has Been Announced For 2026)

Number of Mainline Splinter Cell Games: 6 (Not Counting Compilations)
Last Main Splinter Cell Game: Blacklist (2013)
Last Appearance: Splinter Cell: Deathwatch (2025)
Upcoming Release: Spinter Cell Remake Aiming For 2026
Fun Fact: As Open-Critic launched in 2015, a Splinter Cell game has yet to receive an average score. That said, Blacklist has an Open-Critic page.

It’s surprising looking back, given recent games, but Splinter Cell was once considered one of the best stealth series, alongside Metal Gear and Hitman. Some would even argue it was better than those games in the early 2000s – a time now seen as the peak of the stealth genre.

After the release of Blacklist in 2013, the main Splinter Cell series went on hold. While there were talks of a new game and a brief appearance in Netflix’s Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, fans waited a long time for a continuation. In fact, it took over six years into the current console generation before a new installment finally arrived, skipping an entire generation of consoles in the process.

Driver

Ubisoft Published The Best Driver Game And Then Mostly Nothing

Number of Main Driver Games Before Ubisoft’s Acquisition: 4
Number of Main Driver Games After Ubisoft’s Acquisition: 4
Last Driver Game Of Any Form: Driver: Speedboat Paradise (2014)
Fun Fact: Driver: San Francisco was delisted in 2016 and is difficult to get nowadays. If you have never played it and come across a physical copy, pick it up. The game is relentlessly fun.

In 2006, Ubisoft bought Reflections Interactive, the studio that originally created the Driver game series. While the first Driver on PlayStation was a hit, the series had started to decline by the mid-2000s, and the third game was plagued with problems. Parallel Lines was a step in the right direction, but it wasn’t enough to fully revive the franchise. This acquisition by Ubisoft was a good thing, because it eventually led to the development of Driver: San Francisco, a game that likely wouldn’t have existed otherwise.

The best game in the Driver series took a bold leap away from realism, letting players possess and instantly switch between different drivers and cars. This feature was truly innovative and may have influenced Watch Dogs Legion, and a sequel could have built upon it even further. Interestingly, the original Watch Dogs actually began as a continuation of the Driver series before evolving into its own unique game. While Watch Dogs feels like a spiritual successor, it’s still distinct and doesn’t quite offer the same experience as Driver.

Ubisoft hinted in 2024 that they’re exploring new installments in the Driver series, suggesting a potential return for the franchise in the future. Fans are optimistic about the possibility.

Silent Hunter

Ubisoft’s Submarine War Sim Series Is Resting At The Bottom Of The Ocean

Number of Silent Hunter Games Before Ubisoft’s Acquisition: 1
Number of Silent Hunter Games After Ubisoft’s Acquisition: 5 (But Also Multiple Spin-Offs And Mobile Games)
Last Silent Hunter Game: Silent Hunter Online (2013–16)
Fun Fact: Silent Hunter 3 is the best submarine sim game of all time. Admittedly, it does not have a lot of competition, but it executed the concept perfectly for its era.

The Silent Hunter series was a somewhat specialized franchise that Ubisoft consistently released games for between 2005 and 2010 – a notable commitment given its unconventional subject matter. While all three games are playable, the later installments received more negative feedback, and Silent Hunter 5 is generally considered the least successful of the bunch.

As a long-time Ubisoft fan, I’m glad to know they haven’t completely disappeared from PC, even if some series seem to be on hold. It feels like Silent Hunter maybe just got lost in the shuffle with how huge Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry became in the last decade or so. Honestly, it seems like Ubisoft started focusing on different kinds of games, and maybe they didn’t think making another Silent Hunter would be worth the investment.

Red Steel

The Second Game Was A Lot Of Fun, But Red Steel Died With The Nintendo Wii

Number of Red Steel Games: 2
Last Red Steel Game: Red Steel 2 (2010)
Fun Fact: I loved Red Steel 2 back in the day.

Let me explain. While the original Red Steel wasn’t a fantastic game and is mainly known as an average Wii launch title, the 2010 sequel was a significant improvement in almost every way. Some would even say it’s essential playing for any Wii owner. Unfortunately, neither game has been re-released or made available on other platforms, and Red Steel faded into obscurity when the Wii was no longer popular.

Although the game was marketed around the Wii Remote, its core gameplay – running, slashing, and shooting – was similar to the Shadow Warrior games and could have easily worked with a traditional controller. Had it been released on all major consoles, a sequel could have built upon the over-the-top, violent action to create a really enjoyable single-player game, something quite different from what Ubisoft has been making lately.

Special Mention: The Core Might And Magic Series (Not Full Franchise)

Lives On In Free-To-Play Mobile Games And Spin-Offs

Number of Main Might and Magic Games Before Ubisoft’s Acquisition: 9
Number of Main Might and Magic Games After Ubisoft’s Acquisition: 1 (But Also Multiple Spin-Offs And Mobile Games)
Last Magic and Might Game Of Any Form: Might & Magic Fates (2025)
Fun Fact: There has been a Might & Magic release nearly every year since 2018, at least in some form.

The history of Might and Magic is a little unusual. While Ubisoft has owned the franchise since 2003 and even published some popular titles like Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, they haven’t released many new core Might and Magic games. In fact, Might and Magic X: Legacy was their only numbered installment, and it came almost ten years after the previous one.

Ubisoft enjoys celebrating the history of the Might and Magic series, and there are spin-off games like Might and Magic: Era of Chaos available on mobile devices for those interested. While a new Might and Magic XI doesn’t seem likely in the near future, a new Heroes of Might and Magic game is on the way.

2025-11-14 15:40