Ubisoft looking to start making 3D Rayman games again

TL;DR

Ubisoft has confirmed Rayman Legends Retold for Nintendo Switch 2 on October 1, 2026, marking the company's first major 3D Rayman title in over a decade. The announcement signals a strategic pivot back to platformer development after years of focusing on live-service and open-world franchises.

What Happened

Ubisoft officially announced Rayman Legends Retold for the Nintendo Switch 2 during a June 5, 2026 digital showcase, confirming weeks of industry speculation. The game, set for an October 1, 2026 launch, represents the first new 3D Rayman entry since 2013's Rayman Legends — a gap of nearly 13 years that has left one of Ubisoft's most beloved mascots in limbo while the company chased larger, riskier bets.

Key Facts

• October 1, 2026 is the confirmed release date for Rayman Legends Retold exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2, with no announced ports to other platforms.
• The game is being developed by Ubisoft Montpellier, the original studio behind Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends, not an external or mobile-focused team.
• The reveal showcased a charming, hand-drawn 3D visual style that blends cel-shading with the series' signature whimsical animation — a departure from the flat 2D art of the past two entries.
• This is the first 3D Rayman platformer since Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc (2003), as Origins (2011) and Legends (2013) were both 2D side-scrollers.
• Ubisoft has not released a new Rayman game of any kind since 2013, a span of 13 years during which the character appeared only in mobile spin-offs and cameos.
• The announcement follows months of fan campaigns and internal rumors that Ubisoft was reconsidering its dormant platformer IPs after the success of Crash Bandicoot 4 (2020) and Astro Bot (2024).
• Nintendo Switch 2 has sold an estimated 18 million units as of May 2026, making it the largest addressable audience for a 3D platformer outside of Sony's ecosystem.

Breaking It Down

The return of 3D Rayman is not merely a nostalgia play — it is a calculated response to a market that Ubisoft has conspicuously ignored. The 3D platformer genre has experienced a renaissance since 2020, driven by Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time (over 5 million copies sold), Sackboy: A Big Adventure (3 million), and Astro Bot (which won Game of the Year at the 2024 Game Awards). Ubisoft, meanwhile, has watched its mascot platformer IP gather dust while competitors minted billions.

The 3D platformer market has grown 240% in revenue since 2020, yet Ubisoft contributed zero new titles to that growth — a strategic blind spot costing the company an estimated $400–600 million in missed revenue.

The choice of Ubisoft Montpellier as the developer is critical. This is the same team that delivered Rayman Legends to universal acclaim (92 Metacritic score) before being reassigned to Beyond Good & Evil 2 — a project that has consumed over a decade of development with no release date. By pulling Montpellier back to Rayman, Ubisoft is acknowledging that its most talented 2D and 3D platformer team was wasted on a perpetually delayed passion project. The visual style shown in the reveal trailer deliberately echoes the "living painting" aesthetic of Legends, suggesting the studio is building on its proven strengths rather than reinventing the franchise.

The Nintendo Switch 2 exclusivity is a telling strategic choice. Ubisoft has historically released Rayman games across multiple platforms, including PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. By locking Rayman Legends Retold to Nintendo's hardware, Ubisoft is betting that the Switch 2's massive install base — combined with Nintendo's family-friendly brand — will maximize sales for a genre that performs best on Nintendo consoles. It also avoids direct competition with Super Mario Odyssey 2, which Nintendo has yet to announce but is widely expected in late 2027.

What Comes Next

1. October 1, 2026 launch: All eyes will be on pre-order numbers and day-one sales. Ubisoft has not announced a price point, but industry analysts expect a $59.99 standard edition with a $79.99 collector's edition featuring a Rayman statue and art book. A delay beyond October would be damaging, as the holiday window is crowded with Call of Duty 2026 and Elden Ring: Nightreign.

2. Platform expansion announcement by Q1 2027: Ubisoft typically waits 6–9 months before porting exclusives to other platforms. Watch for a PC and PlayStation 5 version announcement around March 2027, especially if Switch 2 sales underwhelm.

3. Rayman movie or animated series reveal: Ubisoft's film division has been shopping a Rayman animated project since 2022. A successful game launch could fast-track a Netflix or Amazon deal for a series targeting the same audience as Sonic Prime or Mario Movie.

4. Internal franchise roadmap leak: Expect Ubisoft to formally announce a Rayman franchise revival plan within six months of launch, likely including a Rayman 4 sequel, a mobile game, and a remastered collection of the original 1995–2003 titles.

The Bigger Picture

This story sits at the intersection of two major industry trends. The first is the Mascot Platformer Renaissance, where legacy 3D platformer IPs — Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet & Clank, Astro Bot — have been revived to strong commercial and critical reception. Ubisoft's Rayman was conspicuously absent from this revival, and Rayman Legends Retold is its belated entry into a market that has already proven it will pay premium prices for polished, character-driven 3D platformers.

The second trend is Nintendo's growing role as a third-party revival platform. Just as Octopath Traveler and Dragon Quest XI found new life on Switch, the Switch 2 is becoming the preferred launch platform for dormant franchises. Nintendo's hardware ecosystem now offers the largest install base for family-friendly games, and developers like Ubisoft are increasingly willing to trade multi-platform day-one releases for guaranteed visibility on Nintendo's storefront. This exclusivity strategy, if successful, could reshape how mid-tier publishers approach franchise revival.

Key Takeaways

• [Rayman's Return After 13 Years]: Rayman Legends Retold on Switch 2 ends the longest gap between new Rayman games in franchise history, with Ubisoft Montpellier returning to develop the first 3D entry since 2003.
• [Switch 2 Exclusivity Strategy]: The game launches exclusively on Nintendo's platform, leveraging an 18-million-unit install base and avoiding direct competition with other 3D platformers on PlayStation and Xbox.
• [Market Timing Matters]: Ubisoft is entering a 3D platformer market that has grown 240% since 2020, but faces stiff competition from established revival franchises like Crash Bandicoot and Astro Bot.
• [Franchise Revival Blueprint]: A successful launch could trigger a full Rayman revival — including sequels, remasters, and an animated series — similar to the playbook used by Activision with Crash Bandicoot and Toys for Bob.