Just Dance 2021

Lore & Background

It is the first game in the main series not to be released for the Wii and the first game in the series not to be available on a Nintendo optical disc. The production of Just Dance 2021, which occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, presented several challenges for the development team at Ubisoft Paris owing to social distancing guidelines. Ubisoft Paris used strategies like a comprehensive overhaul of traditional production methodologies to accommodate remote collaboration, while upholding the series' established brand strategy. Ubisoft Paris also embraced a commitment to diversity and inclusivity by introducing a variety of characters, including disabled dancers, into the game's universe.

Reader's Guide

As with the previous installments of the franchise, players must mimic the on-screen dancer's choreography to a chosen song using either motion controllers (excluding the ninth generation consoles and Stadia) or the game's associated smartphone app. The Stadia version also allows the use of a gamepad and a keyboard for menu navigation. Its user interface and features are largely identical to Just Dance 2019 and Just Dance 2020. Changes include the 'World Dance Floor' now being revamped with a three-song competitive tournament in three separate rooms that matches a player's level with other players of a similar level, Chill Panda (Beginner), Fabulous Hippo (Intermediate), and Fierce Deer (Expert), and a new results screen that details the player's accuracy rate in performing the moves, which is only shown when playing solo. The game also features a new mode, known as 'Quick Play' mode, in which the game randomly shuffles a song to make it easy for players to jump right into dancing without the struggle of choosing a song to dance to.

Did You Know?

• Just Dance 2021 is the first game in the series since the initial title not to be announced at E3, due to the event's cancellation in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Nintendo Switch version of Just Dance 2021 received 'mixed or average' reviews from critics, according to Metacritic.