Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is set to receive its biggest expansion yet with From The Ashes, which we got a chance to play early at an official Ubisoft event. Here’s everything you need to know from the story, gameplay changes and how it ties into the upcoming film.
There’s a brand new James Cameron Avatar movie right around the corner, and to tie in with the third film’s release, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is getting an all-new expansion pack.
Unlike previous expansions released for the game, From The Ashes was built as a companion piece to the upcoming film, which will have you square off against Fire and Ash’s frightening new villains, the Mangkwan tribe.
For this expansion, you’ll be playing as So’lek, your trusty and mysterious companion from the main game. Developers at Ubisoft said they made this choice so players can immerse themselves in the darker themes of this story. So’lek is a character with an elusive backstory, which the devs shared will be explored more in connection with Mankwan and their conquest of Pandora.
I got the opportunity to play the game early at an official Ubisoft event in Los Angeles, California, earlier in November, and interview lead game designer Amandine Lauer. In our brief chat, we’d talk about all the new changes in the upcoming expansion, the implementation of a third-person camera and the decision to focus on So’lek for an entire expansion.
Here’s everything you need to know.
What’s new in the expansion?
Avatar: From the Ashes may as well be an entirely new game in my experience, given the immense amount of content that redefines what Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is.
The biggest change is that the game now has a third-person mode. Players will be able to hold down the touchpad and change perspectives on the fly, both in the expansion campaign and the main single-player story of Frontiers of Pandora.
Your main character will also be taking a back seat in From the Ashes, with players instead taking control of So’lek, the Na’vi who helped you at various points during the main story.
Through So’lek, players will face off against three of the Mankwan clans’ Warband bosses, who all have intense and deadly personalities that make them distinct villains in the franchise.
There are also all-new enemy types for players to square up against. The RDA are back with some new tech, including the Hellhound, a vicious mechanical dog that will alert enemies to your location as well as upgraded AMPs and Skel suits.
This will also mark the first time players will get to face up against other Na’vi enemies in the game, who will offer a more agile and beefier opponent in the middle of skirmishes.
With the arrival of So’lek as a playable character, you’ll gain access to the new warrior sense, which will send you into a heightened state where you can dish out major damage.
As players continue throughout the campaign, locations they had visited in the base storyline will begin to change thanks to the Mankwan’s ongoing assault on Pandora, reducing the planet to ash.
What happens in Avatar Frontiers of Pandora: From the Ashes?
Avatar Frontiers of Pandora: From The Ashes is both a new chapter in the game’s story and a companion piece to James Cameron’s third film in the franchise, Avatar: Fire and Ash.
In this campaign, you’ll play as So’lek, a gritty and talented warrior whose clan was wiped out in the battle between the Na’vi and the RDA at the end of the first Avatar movie.
As the Mangkwan tribe enacts its campaign of destruction against Pandora, So’lek sets out to save his new family and uncover the secrets of his past.
Throughout your experience, you’ll see the locations from the base game set ablaze, now flooded with more formidable enemies to fight. You’ll also find yourself isolated and with less resources to help you, forcing you to take on entire military bases on your own.
As So’lek fights the Mangkwan tribe, he’ll draw the ire of three Warband chiefs with whom So’lek has a personal history.
How does Avatar: From The Ashes tie into Avatar: Fire and Ash?
The upcoming expansion, From The Ashes, is intended to serve as a companion piece to the film and will have players directly face off against the fire-worshipping villains, the Mankwan.
According to the team at Ubisoft, James Cameron himself has personally signed off on the game’s story, and both teams have worked closely to ensure From the Ashes remains a strong companion piece to the film.
As a result, the game can explore on lore details that the movies cannot within their runtime. It can also feature new creatures and enemies as well, such as the Hellhound, an RDA construct that was originally introduiced in one of several Dark Horse comics.
The events of From the Ashes will take place alongside the upcoming film, and will give players a deeper perspective into the Mangkwan tribe, and see how their destructive campaign is affecting Pandora.
It’s unclear as of now if characters like Jake Sully or the film’s main villain Varang will appear in the game. However, players will get to interact with the film’s second tribe, the Wind Clan, a nomadic clan of traders who play a part in the upcoming film.
When does Avatar Frontiers of Pandora: Fire and Ash release?
Avatar: From The Ashes is set to release December 19, 2025 – the exact same date as Avatar: Fire and Ash, releases in cinemas. So, you can either play the new expansion while waiting to catch it at your local theatre, or after seeing the film, itching to dive back into the world of Pandora.
Avatar: From The Ashes will release on PS5, Xbox Series S | X and PC for $37.75.
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