Ubisoft to release Animal Crossing/Minecraft-style game codenamed 'Alterra'

A new report from Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson has claimed Ubisoft is working on an Animal Crossing-style game that will also have building similar to Minecraft.

The report states Ubisoft has been developing the title codenamed "Alterra" for approximately 18 months, and that it was born out of a cancellation of another that uses voxel creation, the process of building 3D models using 3D pixels or cubes. The rumored title is described as a social simulator that allows players to live on an island on which they can build structures, gather materials, and interact with NPCs called Matterlings.

Additionally, the publication states sources have informed it that players can leave their island and visit other worlds, each of which will have different enemies, Matterlings, biomes, materials, etc. Insider Gaming writes it was able to see images of the Matterlings and said the NPCs resemble Funko Pop characters by their physical design, as they have large heads and smaller bodies.

Moreover, these Matterlings are inspired by both fictional and real animals, as some resemble dragons and swamp monsters, while others are closer to what a normal bird, polar bear, etc looks like. Ubisoft is reportedly planning on adding different variations of Matterlings throughout the lifespan of the game.

Alterra is currently in development at Ubisoft Montreal, and is being headed by Creative Director Patrick Redding, who was the previous creative director of Gotham Knights at Warner Bros. According to Insider Gaming this new Ubisoft title is still a few years away from being released.