The Avatar: The Last Airbender AAA RPG announced in 2024 is dead, IGN can confirm.
In October 2024, IGN revealed plans for the first Avatar: The Last Airbender AAA RPG, which was set for development at Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 maker Saber Interactive with a 2027/2028 release window. Details were thin on the ground, but we were told the Avatar RPG was going to be "the biggest video game in franchise history," and it would tell a new story in the universe developed in "close collaboration" with Avatar Studios.
With a working title of Ice Wars, the new Avatar RPG would have put players in the role of an "all-new, never-before-seen Avatar," with a story taking place thousands of years in the past. At the time, Avatar owner Paramount and Saber said players "can expect to be immersed 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.”
“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,” Paramount said at the time.
Unfortunately, we didn’t hear anything more of the project. And now, two years later, we have confirmation it’s fallen by the wayside. Shawn Kittelsen, senior vice president, head of creative and production at Paramount Games Studio, told IGN that the Avatar RPG wasn’t in production when Paramount Games Studio, which unifies all Paramount and Skydance gaming studios including Skydance Interactive and Skydance New Media, was set up last fall after the Paramount Skydance merger.
It’s a similar situation to Embracer-owned studio Black Forest Games' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin, which ceased development at some point before Skydance merged with Paramount. But the big difference here is Paramount Games decided to continue development of TMNT, opting to go with PlatinumGames. For the Avatar RPG, Paramount Games decided against continuing the project. It is, however, publishing the recently delayed Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game.
“That's a project that wasn't in production when we came in,” Kittelsen told IGN of the Avatar RPG. “We didn't start this iteration of Paramount Games until last fall, after the Paramount Skydance merger. So that game was not in production.”
“There were a lot of aspirations previously at Paramount, but there wasn't necessarily the conviction or the support, and it wasn't a separate division,” Kittelsen continued. “Games was a sub-department within consumer products. Now we are a business unit and we're accountable for driving revenue and building games, and we have a larger team and more support behind us including the fact that Skydance came with two game studios ready to play.
“So we're taking a different approach to games and wanting to see things through and make sure that anything that we announce we're prepared to launch. Even with something like The Last Ronin that's earlier on, there is a deeper conviction and a larger investment being made in that title that we are going to ensure that we drive to launch. We are fully publishing that game and control all aspects of it alongside Platinum, and we've made sure that Platinum's as committed as we are to making it a reality.
“So doesn't mean you won't get a AAA Avatar game at some point, but it might come in a different iteration.”
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
