Today, during the Ubisoft Forward digital conference, Ubisoft announced that the next installment in the Assassin's Creed franchise, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, will release worldwide November 17, 2020, on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, the Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Store on Windows PC, as well as on UPLAY+, the Ubisoft subscription service and Stadia.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla will also release on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 upon the launch of the consoles. Players who purchase Assassin's Creed Valhalla on Xbox One or PlayStation 4 will be able to upgrade their game to the next-gen version (Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5) at no additional cost. Brand-new gameplay shown at the digital conference illustrates new features that players can enjoy, including dual-wielding, raiding, assaults and open world activities. Raids will be more action-packed and brutal than anything Assassin's Creed has seen before, with players able to take advantage of a new visceral combat system that lets players bash, dismember and decapitate foes. Eivor will be able to dual-wield axes, swords and even shields against the greatest variety of enemy types ever seen in an Assassin's Creed. Additionally, the return of the Hidden Blade allows Eivor to assassinate targets with deadly precision.

Ubisoft's games SaaS (software as a service) subscription platform, UPlay+, has gone live in select markets, such as the UK. The month of September is completely free, and is charged £12.99 per month thereafter. Unlike Origin Access, UPlay+ isn't tiered, and you get full access to over 100 AAA titles from Ubisoft, including their premium editions and DLCs. UPlay+ subscribers also become eligible to early-access beta access to upcoming games. You also get SaaS essentials such as the ability to cancel your subscription at any time, and renew it later (along with your data intact). There's a catch to the September FFA - you need to provide your credit card details upfront, which UPlay authenticates with a £1 reversible charge. On October 1, the first charge for £12.99 takes place, and your subscription rolls on. Reddit members have reported teething troubles with the payment gateway such as failed credit card charges.

Today, Ubisoft announced Gods & MonstersTM, an all-new action-adventure game developed by Ubisoft Quebec, the team behind Assassin's Creed Odyssey, will launch worldwide on February 25th, 2020. This open world fantasy adventure features a beautiful art style, and engages players in a fantastical world as they use godlike abilities to defeat famed mythological beasts and save the Greek gods in a heroic journey for the ages.

In Gods & Monsters players embody Fenyx, a forgotten hero on a quest to restore power to the Greek gods after it was stolen by Typhon, the deadliest creature in Greek mythology. Players will explore the Isle of the Blessed and prove their heroism as they face dangerous mythological creatures, including fearsome Gorgons, Harpies and mighty Cyclopes. Gifted with special powers from the gods of Olympus, players must overcome treacherous dungeons, challenging trials and perform heroic feats on their journey to save the gods.

Everyone likes free stuff, so why not enjoy a free copy of Ubisoft's STEEP game? Today Ubisoft announced on their Twitter page that they will be giving away free copies of the STEEP, Ubisoft's game focused on extreme snow sports. It requires you to have a Uplay account to redeem it for free. After getting the game you will be able to keep it forever. But there is a catch. I, for example, can't redeem the giveaway as I am not from the US. The giveaway seems to be targeted at US users exclusively.

Update: Several users on TechPowerUp Forums are reporting that they have redeemed the giveaway without being in the US. It is global. There must have been a problem when I checked it out.

STEEP is game about snow adventures such as snowboarding and sky-diving. Launched way back in the year 2016, it still is a good software everyone should try out. So if you are from the US and want to try some extreme snow adventures and dive deep into the world's mountains without leaving the comfort of your home, you can check the giveaway here. The giveaway will last until May 21st when it will officially end. If you have redeemed the game before that, you will be keeping it forever.

As the smoke clears on the events that unfolded on Monday at the Notre-Dame de Paris, we stand in solidarité with our fellow Parisians and everyone around the world moved by the devastation the fire caused. Notre-Dame is an integral part of Paris, a city to which we are deeply connected. Seeing the monument in peril like this affected us all.

In light of Monday's events, Ubisoft will be donating €500,000 to help with the restoration and reconstruction of the Cathedral. We encourage all of you who are interested to donate as well. In addition, we want to give everyone the chance to experience the majesty and beauty of Notre-Dame the best way we know how. For one week, we will be giving Assassin's Creed Unity away free on PC, for anyone who wants to enjoy it. You can download it now for Uplay PC.

News of Assassin's Creed III getting a remaster was met with lukewarm reception from the get go, primarily because the original game does not rank high in the preference of games in the series for most people. Personally, I thought it was an underrated game but does have a slow start that can put off many people who came to it after the excellent Ezio trilogy just before. The remaster itself also seemed to be more a color palette sweep-over than many suspected, with a faux-HDR effect at times that has had mixed reviews in the few short days since it has been made available. Many on Steam have also took to the review section to complain about bugs and launch issues, as well as the $39.99 pricing (although it is included for free with the season pass for Assassins Creed Odyssey at the same price point).

Ubisoft has since de-listed the original game from Uplay, and had the same done on Steam too as the original store page says. This is a standard business practice in cases where the publisher does not wish to have any confusion on what they intend to be the best gameplay experience henceforth, but things are less simple on the PC. Steam users, and others in general, were quick to point out that the remaster now is the only choice and at a much higher price than what the original went for, especially during a sale. Others made reference to PC remasters usually getting a free update, bringing out examples such as Bioshock 1 and 2. A combination of everything discussed here has in turn led to the game having mostly negative reviews on steam, and reviews by independent media outlets seem to also indicate a troubled future ahead for the remaster.

Anno 1602 will likely be a blast from the past for some of us, with the game initially launching all the way back in 1998. Now 20 years later, Ubisoft has decided to give the first game in this illustrious franchise away for free on Uplay until December 23rd. This cult classic brings a mix of city building and economy management with a liberal sprinkle of real-time strategy creating a unique title that defined a genre and still scratches that odd nostalgic itch today.

Of course, since the game is being made available on a digital platform, means improved support for modern operating systems including Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, and 10. That said, you will need a Uplay account if you don't have one already and will need to redeem the game on Ubisoft's site. Considering the February release of Anno 1800 is fast approaching, now might be a good time to enjoy a classic while you wait. After all what do you have to lose? It is free.

We covered Project Stream in a more detailed news post recently, so this is a short update. The test period is active as of the time of testing, and will remain so through January 15, 2019. Selected entrants now get a bonus incentive of retaining a copy of Assassin's Creed Odyssey, with all progress from the test retained, even after the stream test is done. Indeed, users (who are limited to the USA as of the test period) with a minimum of an hour of game play will see the game added to their Uplay account on file and this should prompt more of the testers (which you can still apply to be, from everything we have seen) to try out Google's take on game streaming over the internet. Yours truly happens to be one who applied, was selected, and played all of five minutes thus far, but be on the lookout for another post early next year with impressions galore on how it goes.

Today, Ubisoft announced that The Crew 2, the newest iteration in the revolutionary open world driving franchise The Crew, will launch on June 29th, 2018, for PlayStation4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices and Windows PC. In addition, The Crew 2 has been enhanced with additional features for PS4 Pro systems.

Developed by Ubisoft Ivory Tower, a studio based in Lyon, France, The Crew 2 will let players experience the thrill of American motorsports inside a fully redesigned USA. The game's playground pushes physical boundaries to let driving and open world fans test their skills, solo or with friends, in nonstop competition and exploration. From coast to coast, drivers will explore America and compete to become the greatest motorsports champion, by collecting a wide variety of exotic cars, bikes, boats and planes, and dominating the motorsports scene on the land, on the water and in the air. Players will find challenges and inspiration among four different motorsports families: street racing, off-road, pro racing and freestyle, and will be given a broad set of options among a wide selection of vehicle types.

Your underpowered PC can now pack the punch of high-performance GeForce GTX GPUs with GeForce NOW. Starting today, the game-streaming service, which launched a successful beta last summer, is available as a free beta compatible with most Windows-based desktops and laptops. GeForce NOW can connect gamers to their library of games from many of the top digital stores - and starting today that includes Uplay PC, Ubisoft's PC games portal.

"Ubisoft is excited that gamers playing acclaimed franchises such as Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege on Uplay PC can now enjoy outstanding play experiences on PCs and Macs thanks to NVIDIA's futuristic GeForce NOW service, without needing a high-end PC," said Chris Early, vice president of Partnerships and Revenue at Ubisoft. "NVIDIA is powering a high-quality experience that now streams a selection of Ubisoft's top franchises."

Holidays are the perfect occasion to spend time with friends, family and have fun playing games! Just in time for the festive season, Ubisoft is giving two digital PC games away for FREE as part of its Happy Playdays! Players will have the opportunity to polish their strategy with World in Conflict and experience the Golden Age of Pirates with Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag. In addition to celebrate the festive season, Ubisoft is marking the 10th anniversary of both World in Conflict's launch and the creation of the Assassin's Creed's universe.

Ubisoft Massive released World in Conflict in September 2007, an innovative RTS game in a Cold War setting. A single-player expansion called Soviet Assault followed in 2009. The game features both a strong and captivating single-player campaign and an intense multiplayer section that supports up to 16 players. With many other features, including Voice Over IP, amazing graphics and completely destructible battlefields, World in Conflict is an intense strategy experience unlike anything you've ever seen before. Released to high critical acclaim, it has been called one of the best strategy games ever made.

After naming ENCE the champions of the Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege Season 3 Pro League Final that took place in Sao Paulo from November 17th - 19th, Ubisoft announced Year 3 of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, continuing to bring exciting and thrilling challenges to its fans.

Year 3 will be structured into four Seasons including:

• 8 new operators from the world's highly performing CTUs
• 2 brand new maps set in Italy and Morocco
• 1 existing map make over with a new level design and art direction

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege will be available to play for free from November 16th to November 19th, 2017. Interested players can join the more than 20 million player Rainbow Six Siege community on PlayStation4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Windows PC via Uplay and Steam. The game will be on sale up to 50% off from November 16th to November 27th, 2017. Players who try the game during the free weekend can carry over their progress and continue to play uninterrupted.

The latest content from Year 2 Season 4, Operation White Noise, will deploy on the Technical Test Server (PC) on November 20th, 2017. Operation White Noise features a new map set in a sky high observation tower above Seoul's skyline in South Korea. Three new operators are joining the fray, including two members of South Korea's 707th Special Mission Battalion and a new Operator from Poland's GROM.

We've earlier reported about the implementation of EasyAntiCheat on Watch Dogs 2 - and how the Ubisoft game installs a driver in kernel mode and a service that monitors your systems' operating files (when Watch Dogs 2 is running). In that piece, we said that "This mechanism is also running even when you're in single-player-only - and even offline - modes, meaning that you're not getting out of its crosshairs no matter how you are playing the game". Now, there seems to be a way to bypass the system monitoring altogether and enjoy the game in single-player. The way to do so, however, varies whether you're running the game on Steam or on Uplay.