News from the James Cameron's AVATAR fanbase

The AVATAR franchise has a long history of delays as James Cameron chases his perfect vision. Whether it was the initial 2012 "we were too ambitious" delay or the 2020 pandemic delay, fans of James Cameron's AVATAR have weathered their fair share of disappointments as they await the next installments in the franchise. With the arrival of The Way of Water in December, it seemed as though the tide was turning in favor of the fans. Disney, however, had other plans.

Avatar 3 has been delayed until 2025 as Disney re-evaluates its release schedule and makes room for two new Star Wars films in the 2025 theatrical year. In addition, the fourth and fifth installments in the film saga have been rescheduled to arrive in 2029 and 2031 respectively. For fans who saw the first film in 2009, that's a staggering 22 years between the first and last films in the series.

The lining is silver, however. The delays that plagued Avatar: The Way of Water ended up producing a masterpiece of a film that vastly exceeded its predecessor in scope and emotional depth. Cameron benefits from additional time to hone his vision and execution, and the fans reap the benefits as well. In addition, the added time provides fans more space to engage with the franchise at its calmest before building the hype back up when the next sequel is imminent. In fact, here are three reasons why now may very well be the best time to be an Avatar​ fan.

The Way of Water brought an unprecedented resurgence of interest in the world of Pandora, and it's safe to say that things got quite, well, loud. ​As the hype fades and the noise settles, impactful discussion can once again take root. People can feel like they're being heard without having to compete with hundreds of other eager opinions. The extra year between films gives the Avatar fan community more time to be at its best: When able to foster real, lasting connections between people from all around the world.

If you're unsure where to find your voice as an Avatar fan, the Kelutral.org Discord server is the perfect place to dip your feet into the online conversation about the franchise. Whether you're just interested in discussing the films or diving deeper into the Na'vi cultures, Kelutral has topics and resources that you will find helpful.

The Avatar fan community has a history of pulling out all the stops for fan events, and now there's even more time to dedicate to bringing people together. OmatiCon, an annual virtual fan convention in January will be making its return not once but twice before Avatar 3. Each year has exceeded the previous one in scale and scope, so it's certain to be twice as incredible as it is now by the time the next Avatar sequel hits theaters in 2025.

In addition, this summer you can join Na'vi language teachers and other language learners for a first-of-its-kind learning experience called Na'vigation. The weekend-long boot camp serves as both an introduction to the Na'vi language from the Avatar films for fans who are only interested in it on a surface level, and a deep dive of practice and learning for fans who are already well invested in the language.

Ubisoft's reveal of their upcoming Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora couldn't be more timely for Avatar fans dismayed by the sequel delays. The first-person action-adventure game promises to allow players to explore the living, breathing world of Pandora both alone and with a friend in two-player co-op.

The Avatar community is at its best when bringing people together, and Frontiers of Pandora is no exception. As the December 7th release date for Avatar: Frontiers draws ever closer, fans will be looking for ways to find other players to explore Pandora with, and Kelutral.org has them covered. Visit the unofficial Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora looking for group Discord server to connect with other players, plan co-op play, and share your discoveries once December 7th arrives.

While the last several days may have been a roller-coaster of emotions, there's still plenty to be excited about. Franchise delays are never expected, and but they are easier to weather together. Take heart, Avatar fan. When the franchise is quiet, the community excels. Makto ko!

If you keep up with the latest game releases, chances are you're at least passingly aware of Respawn Entertainment's Jedi: Survivor which released on April 28th, 2023. Jedi: Survivor is a sequel to the critically-acclaimed Jedi: Fallen Order, which stunned the world in 2019 with its revolutionary gameplay and compelling story. As we began to explore Respawn's latest Star Wars adventure, it quickly became apparent that a new bar has been set for open world, action-adventure games.

As fans of James Cameron's Avatar, and with Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora news expected as early as this summer, we couldn't help but notice several things that Jedi: Survivor does well which would similarly benefit Ubisoft Massive's upcoming open-world action RPG. Here are three takeaways from Jedi: Survivor that we hope UbiMassive is paying attention to for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.

Open-world games often suffer from "hiking simulator" syndrome, where there are large swathes of environment that are simply empty, natural terrain between the more interesting focal points of the world. Jedi: Survivor does not fall into this pitfall. The world itself breathes. Between dynamic enemy encounters, documenting local flora and fauna, and tucked-away mini-narratives, even in the remotest parts of the world there are discoveries to be made.

Additionally, Jedi: Survivor creates a sense of grounded civilization by introducing settlements to its planets, something its predecessor did not have. Whether it's the frontier-reminiscent Rambler's Reach on Koboh or the Narkis Anchorite archeological outpost on Jehda, each world is benefitted by giving players a personal experience with the planet's long-term inhabitants. This builds the illusion that these civilizations have existed long before the player's arrival, and will continue to exist long after.

In a world as vast and diverse as Pandora, there is an opportunity to craft an unforgettable player experience that pulls on all of Jedi: Survivor's worldbuilding triumphs. The mix of unmarred Pandoran frontier and RDA settlement should provide diverse gameplay while helping to balance out the open world.

Jedi: Survivor's excellence doesn't stop at large-scale worldbuilding, however. The attention to detail in the natural environments shows how truly impressive a next generation title can be, and is nothing short of beautiful. Sunlight filters through alien trees and onto basalt pillars not entirely unreminiscent of Pandora's Hallelujah Mountains. Water flows down natural watersheds and tumbles into rivers far below. The sound of wildlife, both seen and unseen, permeates the air.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is being developed on Ubisoft's proprietary next-gen Snowdrop engine. The announcement trailer gives a live demonstration of the in-engine capabilities, and after playing Jedi: Survivor Avatar fans can only hope that the same attention to detail is being paid to the environments in Frontiers of Pandora.

Finally, and most importantly, Jedi: Survivor's story anchors its gameplay and gives the player a reason to engage with the game. The characters are diverse, both in background and personality. Where many open world games sacrifice story for scale, Jedi: Survivor manages to do retain both by committing to over-arching narratives and small scale ones that are uncovered through exploration and discovery.

Jedi: Survivor has the benefit of being a sequel with established characters, however Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is already confirmed to have one important recurring character: Pandora itself. With the planet of Pandora anchoring its narrative, we hope that Ubisoft Massive can craft a compelling narrative that ties into the overall conflict on Pandora, creating a consistent and faithful experience for dedicated Avatar fans and newcomers alike.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is set to release sometime in the next year, with official news expected at UbiForward in June. Looking for the latest updates on the game? Join us on Discord.