The Ubisoft+ streaming service is coming to Xbox, but the service will not be integrated into Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass. Ubisoft’s streaming service gives gamers unlimited access to a wide range of the company’s titles, including entries in the Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry and Watch Dogs series. It was recently announced that Ubisoft’s upcoming game Rainbow Six Extraction will be on Xbox Game Pass at launch, and the Xbox integration of Ubisoft+ will push this collaboration even further.
As a premier video game streaming service, Xbox Game Pass has drawn countless gamers to Microsoft’s line of gaming consoles. For a single monthly subscription fee, gamers are given limitless access to a massive catalog of popular games including brand-new releases like Halo Infinite. Alongside the service’s large lineup of included games, the value of Xbox Game Pass inflates even further by giving gamers access to related subscriptions such as Xbox Live Gold and EA Play. The service’s library is also constantly expanding, which gradually increases its value over time, with $6,000 worth of games added to Xbox Game Pass in 2021 alone.
A recent announcement from Ubisoft (via Twitter) reveals that Ubisoft+ will soon be added to Xbox consoles. The streaming service was previously only available on PC, Google Stadia and Amazon Luna, but gamers will soon be able to stream their favorite Ubisoft titles to Microsoft’s beloved line of consoles. One curious Twitter user asked whether Ubisoft+ would be included with an Xbox Game Pass subscription, similar to other services like EA Play. Ubisoft responded to the question, revealing that Ubisoft+ will remain a separate service that gamers must subscribe to separately from Game Pass.
While bringing Ubisoft+ to Xbox will attract a wide audience of console users to the company’s streaming service, Ubisoft itself has recently attracted some negative attention. In December 2021 the company announced the Ubisoft Quartz NFT system, which was supposed to integrate non-fungible tokens into Ghost Recon Breakpoint. The highly-criticized NFT integration would add unique digital collectibles known as Digits to the online tactical shooter, with each item being wholly unique and controlled by their owner. Ubisoft Quartz’s announcement led to massive backlash against Ubisoft, so time will tell whether this ire is offset by the Xbox integration of Ubisoft+.
Offering players unlimited access to series like Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry, Ubisoft+ seems to be a popular streaming service for those interested in the company’s output. Bringing this service to Xbox consoles will no doubt lead to a massive audience of new subscribers, which should lead to success for Ubisoft. However, the disconnect between Ubisoft+ and Xbox Game Pass means that many Xbox users will be forced to choose between the two competing subscription services.
Sources: Ubisoft/Twitter (1, 2)
