Ubisoft has overhauled its logo for the first time in nearly 15 years, replacing the now-classic gradient design one devoid of all color. The new, silhouetted swirl retains much of the shape of its predecessor but could change depending on its backdrop. Ubisoft claims the new design is much more “player-centric.”
As one of the longest-running gaming companies in the world, Ubisoft’s image and style has changed a lot over the years. In the mid-1980s when it was a local game distributor, it had a rather colorful logo reflective of the time. That was followed up by the rainbow-topped Ubisoft logo of 1995 that followed its launch of the Rayman games, eventually evolving into the swirl that many gamers have known for the past 14 years.
But now it is time for something new. On Wednesday, Ubisoft “creates worlds,” as it puts it in the announcement. The monochromatic swirl is a window into those worlds and will sit atop screenshots of the games it plans to bring all of us in the years to come.
Waxing philosophically about its design choices, Ubisoft claims that the shape of the logo is “reminiscent of hand-drawn shapes and represent[s] our human qualities of enthusiasm, curiosity and the grain de folie that Ubisoft is known for.”
Whether you feel Ubisoft’s ‘grain of madness’ is in its game design or in some of its business practices, the new logo is certainly bold and striking. However, it is also versatile. With its simple look, we are told it will merge and become part of the games and the worlds they take place in. At E3 and beyond, the company plans to show off the new logo with textures and color schemes that apply to the games it is helping to showcase.
Presumably, one of its first overlay jobs will be in line with the much-rumored and leaked Assassin’s Creed: Origins, which is expected to make its big debut at E3 in the next few weeks.
