‘Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora’ release date, gameplay and latest news

6 November, 2023

James Cameron‘s blockbuster brainchild Avatar is over 10 years old now and expanding its alien reach far beyond the dimensions of the silver screen. Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment’s Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora is an open-world role-playing game (RPG) coming to PC and consoles this year, and will allow fans to go hands-on with the sprawling landscapes of Pandora.

READ MORE: The best PS5 games to play in 2023

There have been plenty of announcements made by the studio since Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora was officially revealed in 2021, meaning there’s plenty to unpack ahead of its upcoming release. Never fear, though: we’ve got you covered on the latest news about Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora, including its release date, gameplay, and more.

Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora. Credit: Ubisoft.

Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora release date and platforms

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora will launch on December 7, 2023, and it’s available to pre-order now. As well as the base edition of the game, there are Gold and Ultimate editions that offer extra cosmetics and DLC.

As for platforms, Frontiers of Pandora will be current-gen only, coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S at launch. While it will be available on both next-gen Xbox consoles, it’s unclear if there are any plans to come to Game Pass at a later date.

Trailers

A host of trailers have dropped for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, covering everything from the story to PC-specific features.

This first trailer digs into the background of the game’s Na’vi protagonist. Check it out here:

This second trailer introduces the lush environments of Pandora’s Western Frontier and spotlights many key features and mechanics.

This final trailer details what PC players can expect when the game launches, digging into specific settings and specifications, including ray-traced reflections and other features.

Gameplay

In Frontiers of Pandora, players step into the shoes of a stolen Na’vi child who spent their formative years held captive by the RDA, a militarised human organisation. After 15 years in cryosleep, the protagonist is set loose in Pandora and tasked with learning the ways of the Na’vi and earning their people’s trust to take down the RDA.

Available to play either alone or in two-player co-op, Frontiers Of Pandora takes place across the Western Frontier. Early in the game, players are set to explore the Kinglor Forrest, home to the peaceful Aranahe clan. Heading north, players can explore the Upper Plains and meet the nomadic Zeswa Clan, with western exploration leading to the Clouded Forest biome, home to healers in the Kame’tire clan.

Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora. Credit: Ubisoft.

Each clan will have information you need, though you’ll have to earn their trust before they share it. It appears to play similarly to other open world Ubisoft games, namely the studio’s popular Far Cry series.

Players will also be able to recruit customisable animal companions, namely Direhorses and flying Ikrans. The Western Frontier is also home to all kinds of creatures beyond the ones you can tame, with hunting and healing mechanics visible in the game overview trailer.

Due to the protagonist’s human-Na’vi backstory, players will have access to both Na’vi and human weaponry, utilising anything from longbows to assault rifles in combat. An instinct mechanic will also let players target and mark specific buildings and enemy locations as they lay siege to RDA strongholds. Players will also be able to upgrade their abilities by connecting to Eywa, leaning on the film series’ lore to improve things like agility, stealth, and animal handling.