Despite a string of recent controversies, a huge overhaul of its business model, and a restructuring of its most important IP, Ubisoft is seemingly continuing to produce good games. Sure, Assassin’s Creed Shadows was a fairly enjoyable revamp of a very familiar formula, and Star Wars Outlaws, as lambasted as it was at launch, impressed me and many others far more than we had perhaps anticipated. However, it is the games Ubisoft is publishing outside of these AAA titles that are actually worth paying attention to, especially within the AA and even indie scenes.
Its most recent title, especially, is a pretty easy sell, as its Devil May Cry-style frenetic gameplay and Cyberpunk-esque setting make for a rather enthralling combination. Published by Ubisoft and developed by debut studio SCREEN JUICE, Morbid Metal is a criminally underrated title that could very easily take 2026 by storm if it just got a little more attention. Fortunately, I am here to spotlight what could very well be Ubisoft’s best game in a long time, even despite the fact that it didn’t develop it.
I’m a tad worried that Morbid Metal, despite the pedigree behind it, could easily become one of 2026’s most underrated games. At the time of writing this article, Morbid Metal is an Early Access roguelike hack and slash game that pretty effortlessly blends the stylings of Cyberpunk with the score-chasing action of Devil May Cry. It is a flawlessly stylish game, one with near-perfect cinematic action that really prioritizes creative play and smart strategies. We don’t get too many character action games, which is what makes Morbid Metal’s enthralling experience all the more refreshing.
In combat, you’ll switch between three completely distinct characters on the fly, stitching together the perfect combo to take down some truly difficult bosses. These characters are further fleshed out by the unlockable skills and upgrades you get throughout each run. Morbid Metal adopts a roguelike structure, which allows you to play around with different builds, not unlike Hades. Really, then, Ubisoft’s Morbid Metal is a combination of Hades, DMC, and Cyberpunk, something that really does just sell itself. This is all without mentioning the stunning visuals, which match the cinematic quality of titles like God of War.
I was immediately very impressed by Morbid Metal, despite the fact that I’m rather awful at character action games and roguelikes. Yet its fascinating world, extremely engaging combat, and plethora of build options had me hooked from the start. As an Early Access offering, Morbid Metal is a pretty great experience, and it is sure to only get better the further into its roughly one-year-long EA period it goes. What intrigues me the most, though, is why Ubisoft of all studios published Morbid Metal, and indeed what it means for the publisher’s future going forward, as I would absolutely love to see it delve into more indie projects like this.
With rumors circulating that Ubisoft is giving Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown’s developer another chance, it feels like its passion for smaller, indie-feeling experiences may be returning. Ubisoft hasn’t always strictly focused on sprawling AAA games, but that has been, for a long time, its bread and butter. It’s hard to imagine that the studio creating bloated experiences like Watch Dogs Legion or Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is the same one that made the tightly designed and focused game, Rayman Legends. However, by backing SCREEN JUICE and publishing a game as beautifully made and singular in its vision as Morbid Metal, Ubisoft appears to want to return to that style of game, at least within its publishing division.
Frankly, Ubisoft needs more games like this. The style of experience that it was becoming synonymous with lacked the creativity and innovation that goes into games like Morbid Metal. Ubisoft isn’t a lazy developer, not even by a long shot, but its games do feel iterative, despite the hundreds of millions of dollars and endlessly talented developers that go into making them. A more varied and dynamic portfolio of games could help change that perception of Ubisoft, and the studio is absolutely all about altering the public’s perception of it in 2026. After a string of commercial failures, Ubisoft has allegedly revamped the way it creates games and the projects it puts money into, and Morbid Metal could be the first sign of that change.
I would certainly be interested in seeing a more experimental side to Ubisoft, even if it isn’t directly making these titles. Taking risks on smaller developers and funding projects like Morbid Metal is not only something that will help make Ubisoft look good, but it also allows the studio to cultivate new talent. A lot of major studios started off as smaller developers who happened to be given a chance by a bigger publisher. While I’m not saying Ubisoft has any aspirations to buy out SCREEN JUICE, nor should it necessarily, its investment in the studio could absolutely lead to it building a more diverse collection of developers.
At the very least, by backing Morbid Metal, Ubisoft has had a hand in creating one of the best roguelikes of 2026, and that is worth celebrating. I’m grateful that Ubisoft believed in this project, as it has resulted in the production of a legitimately great game that somehow blends the very best elements from DMC and Cyberpunk 2077. I hope that we continue to see this side of Ubisoft going forward, along with the continued production of its more prominent and well-known franchises, as the gaming world would certainly be worse off without a little Ubisoft magic.
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