A new AAA video game set in the universe of Avatar: The Last Airbender is being developed for consoles and PC with an all-new story — and from the sound of it, we won’t see Aang, Korra or anyone else in the shows. There’s no release date set just yet.
The as-yet untitled role-playing game will have players taking on the role of an all-new, never-before-seen Avatar, according to a press release. The game is “set thousands of years in the past,” long before either Avatar: The Last Airbender or its sequel series, The Legend of Korra. But it will have familiar aspects of the shows, as the player’s Avatar will master all four elements and fight alongside companions while grappling with decisions as “the keeper of balance in the world.”
“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,” Doug Rosen, SVP of games and emerging media at Paramount, said in the press release.
Given the game’s time frame, it’s unclear whether it will be set far back enough to tell the story of the first Avatar, Wan, who emerged ten thousand years before The Legend of Korra (the show where he was introduced). Paramount declined to comment, and the game’s developer, Saber Interactive, didn’t responded to a request for comment by time of publication.
“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,” Josh Austin, head of IP development & licensing at Saber Interactive, said in the press release.
Saber Interactive recently released Warhammer 40,000:Space Marine II, a co-op shooter taking place in Games Workshop’s brutal Warhammer 40K universe.
The untitled Avatar game is being developed in collaboration with Avatar Studios, the division of Nickelodeon Animation helmed by Avatar and Korra creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino. It’s unclear how much they or Avatar Studios is involved in the game.
The Avatar franchise has had a handful of game adaptations in the past, including the multiplatform action brawler The Legend of Korra that arrived in 2014 to mixed reviews. Konietzko and DiMartino were initially involved with leading the Netflix live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender but left the production due to creative differences, and the first season debuted back in March to mixed reception, though a second second is coming.
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