Ubisoft is reportedly reviving the Rayman franchise with a new AAA title, as indicated by job postings from Ubisoft Milan seeking a 3D gameplay animator and a senior game designer. The listings mention the development of a “prestigious AAA title for the Rayman brand,” though it’s unclear if this will be a stand-alone game or a crossover, similar to Mario + Rabbids. The animator will focus on high-quality character animation, while the designer will handle core game systems and gameplay mechanics. The last mainline Rayman game, Rayman Legends, was released in 2013, with Ubisoft stating that details will follow as the project progresses.
Ubisoft seems to be reviving Rayman in an upcoming AAA venture, as evidenced by job postings seeking new talent for the development team. Recently, Ubisoft Milan listed positions for a 3D gameplay animator and a senior game designer to partake in the creation of a “prestigious AAA title for the Rayman brand.”
It remains uncertain whether this “prestigious AAA title for the Rayman brand” refers to an independent Rayman game or a crossover, similar to Mario + Rabbids, which is a spinoff within the Rayman universe. Polygon has reached out to Ubisoft for comments on the new Rayman project and will provide updates as they come.
According to one job listing, the 3D gameplay animator will be tasked with “[creating] high-quality character animations that convey nuanced emotional expressions and personalities, developing and sustaining a cohesive animation style that shapes the game’s visual identity, collaborating across multidisciplinary teams to integrate animations smoothly into gameplay mechanics, and iterating on character animation systems to expand both technical and artistic capabilities.”
On the other hand, the senior game designer role involves responsibilities such as “pitching, designing, and prototyping core game systems, [implementing] approved designs within the editor, creating and maintaining design documentation including feature specifications and implementation guidelines, contributing to gameplay handling and mechanics setup, including data creation, collaborating with the team to ensure the integration of systems into actual gameplay, and maintaining overall balance among various gameplay systems.”
The last major entry in the Rayman series, Rayman Legends, was released in 2013 on platforms such as the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii U, and PlayStation Vita. A re-release occurred in 2017 for Nintendo Switch titled Rayman Legends Definitive Edition.
Update: Upon our inquiry, Ubisoft responded with the following statement: “The project is still in its early stages, and we will share more details later.”