"Groundbreaking" New Avatar Mobile Game Coming, Has Huge Budget and Bold Ambitions

A new video game based on James Cameron's Avatar universe is on the way, but it might not be the game you were hoping for. Kabam, the mobile/social developer behind Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit games, has reached a deal with Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment and 20th Century Fox to make a "AAA massively multiplayer mobile strategy game" based on Avatar.

The untitled game will combine the characters and environments from the Avatar films (only one movie has been released so far, but four sequels are coming), along with "innovative game design" and the "highest production values."

Like Ubisoft did with Cameron for its 2009 console game, Kabam says it will "work closely" with Lightstorm to make the game. Kabam has high hopes for it, describing the game as "groundbreaking" and one that will offer an "unprecedented mobile experience."

Kabam pledged to continually update and evolve the game after its release. Cameron is planning four Avatar sequels and Kabam says "the game will take players into new, uncharted territory" as these movies are released.

"We develop games that people return to and play for years, and the Avatar game will deliver new and unexpected thrills to gamers for the foreseeable future," Kabam COO Kent Wakeford said in a statement. "James Cameron and the Avatar franchise are synonymous with groundbreaking technology and pushing the envelope. We plan to live up to those standards by creating the best AAA massively multiplayer mobile game possible for the franchise."

As for Lightstorm, COO and Avatar producer Jon Landau said the movie's universe is so big that there is no way it could be completely covered in the films alone.

"We think fans will be excited by the level of additional depth and detail that they will be able to experience in this game," he said.

Kabam president and chief creative officer Mike Verdu added that the Avatar game will represent the company's biggest-ever release. It will also have one of the largest development budgets in mobile gaming history.

No images or gameplay footage has been published, and there is no word yet on a release date. Avatar 2 is slated for 2018, with the three further sequels coming in 2020, 2022, and 2023.