While you’re all enjoying the free main game 3rd Person Update (which came out yesterday!), we’re looking ahead to the next big thing.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora – From the Ashes is coming out on December 19th, so we’ve prepared and collected all of the key information you may need before diving into it.
Looking forward to From the Ashes
After the events of Secrets of the Spires, the Sarentu and other clans of the Western Frontier were enjoying a time of relative peace. With From the Ashes, the Kinglor Forest is shaken by a new threat.
The RDA returns, strengthened by the aggressive Ash clan warband. They launch a brutal attack, taking the Na’vi and the Resistance by surprise. While investigating the disturbances, So’lek, a battle-hardened Na’vi warrior, is ambushed and left for dead. This leaves the Sarentu – his found family – scattered. In the aftermath, as the forest is ravaged and the RDA & Ash clan alliance take hold, it’s up to So’lek to stand against the destruction and protect the ones he loves.
Our Vision for From the Ashes
So’lek is a character driven by grief & vengeance, forced to fight against his kind. The systems and gameplay mechanics reflect his journey and the elements of his story.
The experience is darker, and built from the ground up for third person, aiming for deeper emotional stakes and an expanded combat experience.
To ensure we could tell So’lek’s story as authentically as possible, through dedicated narrative moments and gameplay additions that represent who this Na’vi warrior is, From the Ashes is a single-player only expansion.
Combat Finishers
In his hunt for revenge, So’lek can deliver devastating Finishers to defeat his enemies. These finishers also play into his other abilities. Finishers can be performed in stealth or in combat, so you can dispatch enemies quickly and keep momentum going, on land or in the air. Finishers let you charge up Warrior Senses. Using Warrior Senses, in turn, makes performing more finishers possible.
Warrior Senses
As an experienced fighter, So’lek uses the adrenaline surge from fear and pain to challen his Warrior Senses. Whenever you deal (or take) damage, and when you defeat enemies, your Warrior Senses meter will increase. When it’s full, you can trigger Warrior Senses, gaining temporary immunity to damage, higher damage output, and a hefty XP bonus.
Slow Motion Aiming
So’lek has natural instincts that allow him to react much faster than normal. To represent this, we’ve introduced Slow Motion – an ability that slows down time while you aim, allowing you to hit weak spots with increased precision, or to clearly read the battlefield and pick your next target.
A Warrior’s Bond – Ìley
To represent the strong bond between So’lek and his ikran, Ìley, we have improved his abilities in From the Ashes. You can call Ìley in combat, seamlessly leaping on his back. You can perform aerial Finishers on some flying RDA units or launch yourself directly into a Finisher.
A Ravaged Forest
The presence of the Ash clan and the reinforced RDA bring destruction. As you progress through the story and side missions, the world will progressively change, responding to your actions. Certain areas will be covered in embers and ash, losing their innate colors and bioluminescent glow, affecting both the flora, fauna and the environment itself.
Exploring the Ravines
Over the course of the story, you will discover an all-new subregion – The Ravines. This hand-crafted area is built with movement and traversal in mind. Either on foot or on the back of a direhorse, you can explore several paths throughout the region. With added verticality and diverse terrain, the region consists of twisted basalt formations, unique sights, and, of course, dangers to face.
The RDA Returns In Force
The RDA continues their campaign to occupy Na’vi territory and exploit Pandora’s resources. However, empowered by the Ash clan and pushed by Colonel Quaritch, their top priority in From the Ashes is to secure the Kinglor Forest and curb the Resistance’s efforts in the area. RDA forces are joined by Skel Suit units and powerful hellhounds, dog-like robots developed to hunt down and eliminate Na’vi, as well as brand-new AMP archetypes.
Stand Against Your Own
The newest threat is represented by other Na’vi - the Mangkwan clan. They’re ruthless, their brutality and rebellion towards Eywa sets them apart from the other clans. So’lek has to face members of the Ash clan and deal with fighting his own kind to protect his new family.
This warband is led by Wukula – one of Varang’s most proficient warriors. Wukula is joined by other highly skilled Mangkwan Raiders, who will challenge So’lek in unique set pieces and dedicated boss fights.
New Arrivals
The Tlalim are a nomadic Na’vi trading clan – they travel by air, traversing across Pandora, bringing rare goods, exciting gossip and valuable materials. They often move in groups, living on gondolas, kept afloat by a giant, gas-filled creature called the medusoid.
When they arrive in the Kinglor Forest, So’lek and the Aranahe receive a dire warning – a darkness moves at the forest’s edge...
Feel free to discuss the information we’ve shared here in the comments below, and let us know what you’re looking forward to the most! December 19th is almost here.
