Just Dance 2023 Edition is a 2022 dance rhythm game developed and published by Ubisoft. It was unveiled on September 10, 2022 during the Ubisoft Forward September 2022 web presentation as the fourteenth main installment of the series. It marks a new release form for the series, switching to a live service format with annual downloadable content song packs. The game was released on November 22, 2022, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. It was also planned for release on Stadia, but that port of the game was cancelled due to the service's shutdown on January 18, 2023.

Gameplay

As with the previous installments of the franchise, players must mimic the on-screen coach’s choreography to a chosen song using the game's associated smartphone app (Nintendo Switch players have the option to use the console's Joy-Con controllers). 2023 Edition was not released for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, thereby dropping support for Kinect, PlayStation Camera, and PlayStation Move.

Features

The game features an updated and redesigned user interface, which emulates those seen on streaming services, such as Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+ and Peacock, all within a single Just Dance hub, serving as the home for the game and future installments of the series. It is also the first Just Dance title to be developed using the Unity engine, as opposed to Ubisoft's in-house UbiArt Framework which had been in use since Just Dance 2014. A new online multiplayer feature is added, where up to six players can join a private group with cross-play support at launch, with the Xbox Series X/S version later being supported. Dancer cards, an in-game tool to express what the player was doing in-game, received a major overhaul, with avatars now being pictures of the coaches instead of their heads, and emotes are added to show how the player feels after each song. Score feedback animations can now be customized and are a toggleable option. Victory celebrations are a new addition, used for when the player finishes the song in single player or wins the song in multiplayer. Cross-progression is a new feature to the Just Dance series, allowing players to progress through multiple consoles. Furthermore, the "Beat Vibrations" function, which has been exclusive to the Nintendo Switch version of previous installments, has been added to the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 versions.

On October 9, "Workout Mode", a mode designed for exercise, and "Challenge Mode", an online mode where a player attempts to beat a pre-set higher score from another player, are added as part of the 2024 Edition Celebration Event.

Story mode 2023 Edition includes a story mode-based playlist, a first in the series, titled "Enter the Danceverses". It tells the story of a woman named Sara, who is transported from the real world to a series of worlds collectively known as the "Danceverses" by a man named Wanderlust. The two must stop the evil witch Night Swan from conquering the Danceverses. They recruit a team of expert dancers—Brezziana, Mihaly and Jack Rose (Night Swan's son)—and defeat Night Swan and her mind-controlled soldiers in a dance battle. The soldiers are freed, but Night Swan escapes. The group celebrates before Wanderlust sends Sara back to the real world.

A follow-up to this story, titled "Dance with the Swan", is part of 2024 Edition.

Soundtrack The following songs appear on Just Dance 2023 Edition:

Song Artist Year "Anything I Do" CLiQ featuring Ms Banks and Alika 2018 "As It Was" Harry Styles 2022 "Boy with Luv" BTS featuring Halsey 2019 "Bring Me to Life" Evanescence 2003 "Can't Stop the Feeling!" Justin Timberlake 2016 "Danger! High Voltage" Electric Six 2002 "Disco Inferno" The Trammps 1976 "Drivers License" Olivia Rodrigo 2021 "Dynamite" BTS 2020 "Good Ones" Charli XCX 2021 "Heat Waves" Glass Animals 2020 "I Knew You Were Trouble (Taylor's Version)" Taylor Swift 2021 "If You Wanna Party" The Just Dancers 2022 "Jamais Lâcher" Michou 2022 "Locked Out of Heaven" Bruno Mars 2012 "Love Me Land" Zara Larsson 2020 "Magic" Kylie Minogue 2020 "Majesty" Apashe featuring Wasiu 2018 "Million Dollar Baby" Ava Max 2022 "More" K/DA featuring Madison Beer, (G)I-dle, Lexie Liu, Jaira Burns and Seraphine 2020 "Numb" Linkin Park 2003 "Physical" Dua Lipa 2020 "Playground" Bea Miller 2021 "Psycho" Red Velvet 2019 "Radioactive" Imagine Dragons 2012 "Rather Be" Clean Bandit featuring Jess Glynne 2014 "Sissy That Walk" RuPaul 2014 "Stay" The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber 2021 "Sweet but Psycho" Ava Max 2018 "Telephone" Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé 2010 "Therefore I Am" Billie Eilish 2020 "Top of the World" Shawn Mendes 2022 "Toxic" Britney Spears 2004 "Walking on Sunshine" Top Culture (as made famous by Katrina and the Waves) 1985 "Wannabe" Itzy 2020 "Watch Out for This (Bumaye)" Major Lazer featuring Busy Signal, The Flexican and FS Green 2013 "We Don't Talk About Bruno" Cast of Disney's Encanto 2021 "Witch" Apashe featuring Alina Pash 2021 "Woman" Doja Cat 2021 "Wouldn't It Be Nice" The Sunlight Shakers (as made famous by The Beach Boys) 1966 "Zooby Doo" Tigermonkey 2016

Just Dance+ Just Dance+ is a new subscription service launched alongside 2023 Edition. Similar to Just Dance Unlimited from the previous seven games, it offers subscription-based access to a streaming library of songs (150 songs at launch) from previous Just Dance games alongside new exclusive tracks. Songs ported from previous Just Dance games, as well as songs exclusive to the service, are added through frequent updates.

Songs exclusive to the service include:

Song Artist Year Release date "Farfalle" Sangiovanni 2022 January 6, 2023 "Ubu Love" Naniwa Danshi 2021 January 6, 2023 "Woman" ("VIP" alternate routine) Doja Cat 2021 January 12, 2023 "Vleugels" K3 2022 January 12, 2023 "Stay" ("VIP" alternate routine) The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber 2021 January 19, 2023 "ABC (Nicer)" Gayle 2021 February 27, 2023 "Thank U, Next" Ariana Grande 2018 March 9, 2023 "Wet Tennis" Sofi Tukker 2022 March 16, 2023 "Provenza" Karol G 2022 March 30, 2023 "About Damn Time" Lizzo 2022 April 6, 2023 "SloMo" Chanel 2022 May 9, 2023 "Give That Wolf a Banana" Subwoolfer 2022 May 17, 2023 "Euphoria" Loreen 2012 May 25, 2023 "Beggin'" Måneskin 2017 June 15, 2023 "Trenulețul" Zdob și Zdub and Advahov Brothers 2021 June 22, 2023"Dare to Live"Trady2021June 29, 2023 "Sunroof" Nicky Youre and Dazy 2021 July 20, 2023 "Bloody Mary" Lady Gaga 2011 July 27, 2023"Miraculous"Lou and Lenni-Kim2017August 10, 2023 "Sacrifice" The Weeknd 2022 August 17, 2023"DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" Usher 2010 August 24, 2023

Controversy On March 20, 2023, a union claimed that ten percent of Ubisoft's employees experienced burnouts and work stoppages every four weeks during the production of Just Dance 2023 Edition.

Reception

Just Dance 2023 Edition received "generally favorable reviews", according to Metacritic.

Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryNominated workResultRef.2023The Game Accessibility ConferenceBest Representation"Radioactive" routineKids' Choice AwardsFavorite Video GameJust Dance 2023

Future In an interview with JB Hi-Fi in November 2022, Just Dance brand director Amelie Louvet confirmed that 2023 Edition would be the final annual installment in the main series, with all further content, including new songs, game modes and features, being added to the game through online updates "throughout the months and years following launch". In a later interview with creative director Matthew Tomkinson, he further confirmed that the series will still release yearly installments through annual song packs instead of new games, and players owning 2023 Edition and future Editions can play with each other online. Subsequent song packs include 2024 Edition, released in October 2023; 2025 Edition, released in October 2024; and 2026 Edition, released in October 2025.

References

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