Quick answer: March of Giants is an in-development, free-to-play 4v4 multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), published by Ubisoft. Its distinctive idea is that a player controls not just a powerful Giant but a marching force of Soldiers and deployable battlefield structures called Battleworks. The active October 2026 Pioneer Playtest is not the game's final release; an Early Access window is currently planned for summer 2027.
A MOBA where the lanes are front lines
A familiar MOBA asks teams to control characters, win fights and take objectives. March of Giants adds a military-command layer. Ubisoft says its team drew inspiration from the First World War and industrial-era trenches and artillery, then combined those ideas with dark fantasy. This influences more than the art: waves of Soldiers move across the map, Giants can rally them, and teams can spend Supplies on temporary tactical structures. The objective for the current test is to take out two out of three enemy Bastions. The game is online PvP on PC via Steam during the current test, not a confirmed full console release.
Three systems to understand
| System | What the official documentation says | Why it changes the player's decisions |
|---|---|---|
| Giants | Each Giant has distinct abilities and can upgrade during a match | Your role and timing matter, but your Giant is only part of the army |
| Soldiers | Nearby Soldiers rally to a Giant; they can charge, redirect, return, scout and collect resources | Moving troops creates pressure beyond the position of your character |
| Battleworks | Supplies purchase deployable defences, armour and reinforcements | The physical battlefield changes as teams place and counter structures |
The October 9 Soldier Mechanics guide specifies that Soldiers can automatically rally, charge on command, redirect and return. The October 10 Battleworks guide describes Trenches, Giantslayer Bunkers, Ironclads, reinforcements, Cavalry and a late-game Sovereign Gun obtained from the A.M.S. Abomination objective. The tactical possibilities are therefore more specific than the usual generic claim that this is a 'MOBA with armies'.
Why the 2026 playtest is a notable moment
The game was first presented under Amazon Games Montreal. In December 2025, Amazon announced that Ubisoft was acquiring the project's rights and the Montreal development team was joining Ubisoft. The current Steam listing names Ubisoft as publisher. This matters when checking old videos and guides: an Alpha tutorial mentioning Amazon account systems, previous roster counts or older battle rules may not match the 2026 Pioneer build.
Ubisoft's current official notices describe changes to Soldiers, Battleworks, itemization, neutral objectives and match pacing, with more Giants added. That doesn't prove every design change is an improvement; it shows the scope of the development team’s current iteration.
What is scheduled next?
The October 7–18 Pioneer Playtest is time limited and available only in supported North American and European locations. Ubisoft's roadmap identifies future playtests during late winter and spring 2027, with Early Access targeted for summer 2027. It does not provide a final release date. The announced October 12 Pandemos availability is an event inside the current test, not the full game's launch.
For participation details, supported languages and reward carryover, open our Pioneer Playtest news guide. Our March of Giants topic page will track confirmed changes to the schedule and the official source links.
What to watch rather than assume
The official site promotes a fresh blend of hero play and army command, but real balance, long-term retention, monetization and esports potential can't be concluded from a trailer or a single playtest. We don't publish unverified player counts or market-share comparisons here. As more sessions take place, the evidence to watch is actual published patch notes, accessibility, account requirements, supported languages, and publicly confirmed release milestones.
Army Camps and neutral objectives
Army Camps make the space between lanes useful: the publisher says they provide Supplies, Merits, vision and access to the shop without recalling. Destroying an enemy Army Camp denies those resources and grants your team an Augment Point. The late-game A.M.S. Abomination appears at the 12-minute mark and follows a visible path. Defeating it and retrieving its salvage grants the Sovereign Gun Battlework, giving coordinated teams a structure-pressure option.
Augments and build specialization
Augments change abilities during a match, including range, area of effect, duration or projectile count. Expanded items allow Kinetic Power for physical/basic-attack choices, Alchemic Power for ability-focused choices, or Soldier-focused investment. This explains what specialization means; it does not establish an optimal build or tier ranking without gameplay evidence.
Seventeen Giants, different access rules
The Pioneer roster reaches 17, including Elaris and Pandemos. Players begin with Victoria, Solace, Kragg and Elaris plus four randomly selected Giants, according to the publisher. Other Giants can be unlocked with Giant Tokens from challenges. Pandemos is separate: announced for October 12 at 10 AM EDT, through the 1,000-point Pioneer Program. A temporary Giant unlock is different from a qualifying Pioneer reward that carries forward.
The current test uses PC Steam, supported North American/European regions, English/French/German/Spanish and Ubisoft Connect. Chinese is not listed. Participation details explain invitations and rewards.
Historical footage in context
The Amazon Games 2025 gameplay reveal is useful background for the earlier vision. It is not footage of the October 2026 Ubisoft Pioneer build. Current features should be checked against the publisher's written test details and mechanics guides.