Ubisoft has launched Anno 117: Pax Romana, the eighth title in its city-building and strategy franchise developed by Ubisoft Mainz. Agency, Biborg, has given it the trailer worthy of one of the world’s famous games – a cinematic trailer built on a distinctive idea, that captures the game’s spirit, where every player approaches empire-building differently.
The new game transports the franchise to Ancient Rome for the first time, while aiming to reach a broader audience. Biborg’s challenge was twofold – to capture the diversity of Anno 117’s gameplay, from intricate city-building to economic management and military expansion, while making the world approachable and engaging for newcomers. The film draws inspiration from the visual codes of Roman epic films – timeless symbols of cinematic spectacle. Setting its story in a monumental chamber where four governors – representing different player archetypes – engage in a passionate debate over the future of their empire.
By blending live-action and gameplay footage, the trailer conveys both cinematic emotion and a true feel for what it’s like to playAnno 117. In addition to the full-length, two-minute version, the launch campaign includes a 30-second pre-roll and several 15-second cutdowns, each centred on a distinct governor to engage different audiences.
Thomas Purbeck, creative lead, Biborg, commented, “By diving into a debate between four competing Governor visions within the same player, I think we created something fun and true to the many ways you can build your empire in Anno 117. Due to the lack of identical quintuplet actors on the market, it was a challenge turning one actor into five characters, so a big shout out to hair and makeup for their rapid brushwork, and to the directors for orchestrating authentic disagreements between one actor and himself.”
To produce the films, Biborg partnered with production studio, Mathematic, renowned for its high-quality work (Assassin’s Creed Shadows, The Crew Motorfest), while the gameplay sequences were produced by KWM in Canada. The film was directed by Guillaume Cottet, creative director on Lil Nas X’s Montero, and Julien Lejour, whose cinematic eye lends the piece its distinctive strength.
Cyrian Thomas, lead account director, Biborg, stated, “Anno is a remarkably crafted game, both in design and spirit. Our mission was to condense that richness into a grand, inviting story that reflects the passion of the Ubisoft teams behind it. We’re proud to have shaped this film with them, and to have reached such a high level of execution thanks to the talent of Mathematic and KWM.”
Guillaume Cottet & Julien Lejour, directors (Mathematic / Player Two), added,“There were many technical challenges, and the story and the Governors’ personalities were central to the project. The challenge was to design a world that felt grand and immersive without overpowering the actor or the intent, a setting that allowed each character to shine. We had to balance visual storytelling and performance direction to fully serve the concept. Everything was crafted with that in mind: the storyboard, 3D previsualisations, lighting, music, and choice of lenses and cameras…The result far exceeded our expectations.”
Lionel Hiller, VP, executive publisher Ubisoft, commented,“Anno 117 is the most ambitious entry in the Anno series to date, immersing players in one of its most exciting settings: the Roman Empire. For the game’s launch, we wanted a special film that fully embraces this central theme and, more importantly, the many facets and roles that players can embody as masterminds and strategists. We needed best-in-class partners to deliver on this vision and to capture the distinctive tone of voice Anno 117 brings to the series. We could not be prouder of the work done by our partners: Biborg, Mathematic & KWM who truly succeeded in bringing this vision to life. We hope players are as excited as we are to embark on a new journey into the world of Anno 117: Pax Romana.”
Credits:
Creative Agency: Biborg
CEO: Bruno Luriot
Chief Business Officer: Kais Ali Benali
Lead Account Director: Cyrian Thomas
Creative Lead: Thomas Purbeck
Lead Video Director: Matthieu Chiama
Production Director: Chloé Marchand
Lead Strategic Planning: Lory Martignoles
Client: Ubisoft [Anno 117: Pax Romana]
VP, Executive Publisher: Lionel Hiller
Associate Director, Global Marketing: Leslie Kim
Global Brand Manager: Marie Gomanne
Procurement: Agathe Guilbaud
Music: Ubisoft Music & 2WEI
Production Company: Mathematic
Directors: Guillaume Cottet & Julien Lejour
Production Director : Rémy Solomon
Producer: Guillaume Audibet
Chief Operator: Hugo Baumann
VFX Supervisor: Thomas Dairain
Production Company: KWM
Studio Head: Louis-Étienne Beaupré
Project Manager: Pauline Laurent
Studio Creative Director: Charles Di Gaetano
Artists: Hugo Amyot & Karine Charbonneau
