The Avatar: The Last Airbender franchise has never honestly gotten the chance to stretch its wings in the video game space, but that could change as a new “AAA” RPG has been announced for PC and consoles in a press release. Saber Interactive and Paramount Game Studios are attached to the title.
The game will be based on the Avatar world fans have enjoyed in Nickelodeon’s The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra series as part of the franchise’s Avatar Legends universe. The intriguing part of the announcement is that the actual will not be adapting either story from the series. Instead, the RPG will put players into the shoes of “an all-new, never-before-seen Avatar” set thousands of years ago.
The game is set to immerse players “in a vibrant world, master all four elements, engage in dynamic combat alongside companions, and experience the challenges and decisions that come with being the keeper of balance in the world.” While this project is still early in development, players can expect “both familiar and new elements from the franchise, offering fans an opportunity to connect deeply to the world and become the hero of this unexplored era.”
This approach is a great way to play with the lore of the world without being directly tied to the actual narrative if it were an actual adaptation, giving the developers an opportunity to surprise players. We know at least ten of the recent Avatar generations as well as the very first one, Avatar Wan, who was introduced in the Legend of Korra.
“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. Saber Interactive has a proven track record in bringing IP-based games to life, and we are excited to co-fund this AAA title alongside them and let fans experience this world first-hand,” SVP of Games and Emerging Media at Paramount Doug Rosen said in a statement.
Besides vague descriptions, everything in between is a complete mystery for fans, so it will be interesting to see what this game’s Avatar will be like. One possibility is the second Avatar, Zalir, who we know very little about other than that she was a short-haired athletic woman who lived on the Fire Islands, what the Fire Nation was known as before it united under one banner. The creative of this new Avatar will see Saber Interactive and Paramount Game Studios collaborate with Avatar Studios, a division headed up by The Last Airbender’s original creators, Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.
“At Saber, we are all truly fans of the IP we work with. 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. This unique co-fund structure is a result of our ever-expanding collaboration with Paramount, which started over a decade ago with WWZ, and we’re excited for all that’s on the horizon,” Saber Interactive head of IP development and licensing, Josh Austin said in a statement.
The announcement comes after the release of Avatar: The Last Airbender—Quest for Balance last year, which was critically panned, getting only a 4/10 on IGN. It’s not surprising, as the Avatar series hasn’t had a great history with games; even the one PlatinumGames did many years ago was mediocre at best, and I’m saying that as someone who kind of liked it but noticed that Platinum didn’t bring their A-game in that licensed game.
All of that leading up to Quest for Balance’s release probably motivated Avatar Studios to make a real attempt to get fans to play an game they deserve. With Saber Interactive at the helm following its recent success, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, it has the potential to be more than good, possibly great.
