In 2022, Blind reported about a new photographic trend: video games have become a part of the history of photography thanks to increasingly realistic virtual worlds which have given rise to so-called “in-game photography”. In short, since a few years, gamers can take snapshots within video games via designated photographic tools and test their own creativity in virtual reality.
A visual trend that Ubisoft, one of the leaders of video games production, has embraced rapidly. Photomode Contest 2024 kicked off on February 19, 2024 and runs until March 4, 2024 during which time in-game artists are invited to send in their best and most creative images from Ubisoft games.
This year’s winners will be selected by a jury of four experts from within and without Ubisoft, including Associate Art Director Amélie Sorel of Ubisoft Montreal, who has directed (and contributed to) the visuals for Ubisoft series including Assassin’s Creed, Watch Dogs, and Rainbow Six; Jonas Cuenin, managing director of Blind Magazine, Ubisoft Community Manager Shauna Jones, who frequently shares her own in-game captures and works to highlight the photomode community; and Jack Harrison, aka VirtualTourism, one of the 20 winners of the Ubisoft Photomode 2022 competition.
Twenty winners will be chosen, and this year’s top winner will be invited for a tour of the Ubisoft Montreal studio, while the second- and third-place winners will receive a copy of the following video game: Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. All winners will have their work displayed in an exhibition in Montreal, and will receive a selection of prizes including a fine-art print of their winning entry, a one-year subscription to Ubisoft+ Premium, and other assorted Ubisoft goodies.
Blind asked Justin Levy, Senior Director Brand & Marketing at Ubisoft for his opinion on in-game photography.
Why is in-game photography important to Ubisoft?
In game photography is important to Ubisoft as it provides a new way for players to express their creativity and gain a new perspective from which to interact with our worlds. When we see players creating souvenirs of memorable moments or going further to explore the artistic side of photography, it reflects back to us the dedication of our internal teams to build these living worlds. Further by creating this contest and exhibition, we also create a platform for our players to gain recognition for what they create. Our mission at Ubisoft is to enrich players’ lives through our gaming experiences… at the same time we do not want to define what that means for everyone and Photomode is one of the ways Ubisoft creates multiple ways to enjoy our games.
What operations is Ubisoft putting in place to promote it?
The first thing I would say is that if we look at how many of our games have invested in Photomode we can see that across Ubisoft, it is a form of user generated content and player expression that inspires us. Also bringing these photos back from the game worlds to have them in as part of a gallery exhibition in many of our studios shows that we believe that Photomode has its place among some of the more commonly seen forms of UGC such as cosplay or fan art.
What results do you expect from this year’s contest?
We would of course love to see players decide to participate in creating and sharing their photos. This is the first most important result, especially if we can inspire players who have never tried Photomode or shared their in-game works. We are also looking forward to being blown away by the quality of the works submitted. In the first year of the contest, the results in terms of artistic approach and quality were astounding. After that, we’d love to see the practice of in-game photography more widely recognized both within the photography community as well as the larger gaming community. Giving our players the opportunity to not only express their creativity but for that creativity and talent gain recognition, would be a dream come true.
To enter, players can submit up to four photos in a single Instagram or X (formerly Twitter) post by tagging @Ubisoft and using the hashtag #UbisoftPhotomodeContest. Photos can also be submitted via the Ubisoft Discord community in the official Photomode channel, or via the submission form at Ubisoft.com/Photomode. (Also, make sure to keep a full-resolution copy of the original photomode shot, as it may be requested for the final selection.)
Screenshot submissions must be at least 1920×1080 pixels, and from one of the following eligible Ubisoft games:
- Assassin’s Creed Mirage
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
- Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
- Assassin’s Creed Origins
- Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
- Anno 1800
- The Crew Motorfest
- The Crew 2
- The Division 2
- The Division
- Far Cry 6
- Far Cry New Dawn
- Far Cry 5
- Far Cry 4
- Ghost Recon Breakpoint
- Ghost Recon Wildlands
- Immortals Fenyx Rising
- Rider’s Republic
- Skull and Bones
- Steep
- Trackmania
- Watch Dogs: Legion
- Watch Dogs 2
The Ubisoft Photomode Contest 2024 submission period begins February 19 at 6PM CEST and ends on March 4 at 9PM CEST. For full contest rules, visit Ubisoft.com/Photomode.
