Ubisoft Released Just Dance: Decades of Hits
The new game installment features character costumes designed entirely through human labor instead of artificial intelligence.
Updated on Oct. 13, 2026 in Dance
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Ubisoft launched its latest game, Just Dance: Decades of Hits, on October 13, 2026. The production team intentionally eschewed artificial intelligence in favor of handmade costumes, wigs, and makeup.
Why it matters
The development team chose to avoid AI to prioritize human creativity and artistic ownership of their work during the design process. This production choice emphasizes the craftsmanship behind the game's character aesthetics.
The production team creates approximately 100 handmade costumes for every game installment. The design workflow requires four weeks of production for these costumes at studios in Paris and Shanghai.
The players
Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a multinational video game publisher and developer headquartered in France that is responsible for producing the Just Dance series.
Lyra
Lyra is a featured character within the new game who is currently depicted as searching for her father.
The details
Development teams in Paris and Shanghai spend roughly four weeks crafting costumes for each release, following a design phase of two to three weeks. The Paris studio maintains a physical archive containing hundreds of these handmade character designs collected over the franchise's 17-year history.
Timeline
The game franchise has a 17-year history spanning from 2009 to 2026.
Just Dance: Decades of Hits was released on October 13, 2026.
Industry Dynamics
The game studio's commitment to manual costume production highlights a tension in the gaming industry between traditional artisan workflows and emerging automated design tools. This creative strategy positions the developer as a champion of human artistic ownership in a sector increasingly reliant on AI generation.
Players can access the new game immediately on current platforms to experience the character designs in motion. The production process concludes with a one-day filming session featuring dancers who wear the handmade costumes.
The takeaway
The game highlights the immense manual effort required to maintain a consistent artistic identity over a multi-decade franchise. Readers interested in game design can observe how traditional costume craftsmanship remains a central component of character-driven gaming experiences.
Further reading
For more on the latest developments in artistic performance, visit the Dance section.
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