The Future of Assassin's Creed: Ubisoft Forward 2022 News Recap

Welcome to our Ubisoft Forward Assassin's Creed Showcase news recap, breaking down all of the key moments from the event.

This article was assembled using The Ones Who Came Before social media coverage and notes from the early access press event which we attended earlier in the week, and will be continuously updated as more information becomes available.

Introduction

The Assassin's Creed showcase kicked off with a beautiful trip down memory lane. Immediately, fans were treated to a nostalgia filled recreation showing all of the Assassins in gold, immortalised as statues. This poignant coming together of the brand is exciting to see, as it technically breaks timelines, but shows that the Creed connects people throughout history.                      

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As suggested by our good friend Dave Woodward, this gold introduction should feature before all upcoming Assassin's Creed projects, just as Marvel have a special introduction before their projects. 

The Leap into History trailer also brings all the characters together, honing in on the idea that history is our playground, and through Assassin's Creed, we can journey to all corners of the earth. It was nice to see the    return of Roger Craig Smith, who voiced an Ezio line for the trailer.

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I really enjoyed the introductions as they celebrate the past and future of the brand, but most importantly, the community. The panel was hosted by Danny Wallace and Alice Terrett from the Assassin's Creed team, who successfully generated excitement about the future of the franchise.

Assassin's Creed Mirage

Experience the story of Basim, a cunning street thief seeking answers and justice as he navigates the bustling streets of ninth–century Baghdad. Discover a narrative-driven action-adventure experience that follows the transformation of a defiant young man into a refined Master Assassin with a conflicted destiny. Meet an inspiring cast of characters who will shape Basim’s destiny and may be more than what they seem…

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Become the most versatile Assassin in franchise history. Parkour seamlessly through the city and leverage the largest assortment of tools to date. Get contracts at the Assassin’s bureaus, collect vital clues, and stealthily take down targets with more visceral assassinations than ever before.

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Ubisoft Forward gave us a healthy dose of the next title in the series, Assassin's Creed Mirage, releasing 2023! 

A shorter, more narrative-driven game than recent entries in the series

We begin with a CGI trailer, chock-full of Assassin's Creed callbacks and easter eggs! Overall it is a very memorable and iconic Assassin's Creed trailer, exploring Basim's journey from a common street thief to a Master Assassin. He begins as a poor orphan wandering the streets, looking for something to eat. Things look bleak after he is caught stealing from a bustling marketplace, running away from the guards. After a failed attempt at parkour, he falls to the ground, surrounded by guards. He is then saved by the Hidden Ones, who go on to train him up.

Basim's Mentor, Roshan is voiced by Emmy award-winning actress Shohreh Aghdashloo. She has an unmistakable voice, and fans were immediately excited to hear of her involvement. Roshan is a 50 year old Persian warrior who fights for justice for The Hidden Ones, so Shohreh was immediately interested when Ubisoft approached her about the role as it resonated with her own background. She is loyal and honest, hiding her past behind a shroud of mystery. In keyart released for the character (below), we can see that Roshan wears white robes featuring a lot of red and brown, with an Assassin insignia taking priority on her belt. She holds a huge sword and dagger, and has a hidden blade on her left wrist. 

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After escaping a life of oppression, Roshan became a master assassin at the Hidden Ones’ stronghold, Alamut. Now, she takes Basim under her wing as her first true apprentice.

Basim is now voiced by Lee Majdoub, (Agent Stone from the Sonic the Hedgehog movie franchise), as the game is set 20 years prior to Assassin's Creed Valhalla in Baghdad, beginning in 861 BCE. One thing that stands our in the trailer is Basim's progression, as his robes change as he progresses through the ranks. 

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Originally born in Samarra, Basim lost his mother at a young age and grew up on his own in the streets of Baghdad. Basim admires the Hidden Ones, and dreams of joining them.

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One standout moment was the inclusion of Alamut castle, which later become the home of the real-life Assassin brotherhood, led by Hassan-i Sabbāh. In AC lore, it becomes a Levantine Assassin fortress that sits above a First Civilization Temple, housing the memory seals that Altair uses in Assassin's Creed Revelations. Another great moment is where Basim is initiated into the Hidden Ones, sacrificing his finger as is tradition.

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Basim returns to the mark where his journey began, this time in the traditional white robes of the Hidden Ones. Once again, he flees the scene, this time after assassinating several targets. His parkour abilities have now improved, and he uses red smoke bombs along with what looks like a poison trap, triggering once stood on. 

Notice that Basim now wears a vambrace very similar to the one worn by Altair in Assassin's Creed I. 

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The trailer ends with Basim assassinating a target, who drops a mask very familiar to fans of the series. It is a mask of the the Order of Ancients, calling back to Assassin's Creed Origins. The new eagle companion spends the trailer circling Basim, showing the deep connection once again between a bird and Assassin. At the end of the trailer, we see Basim entering the memory corridor with his target, but a creature lurks in the shadows. It has been speculated that the creature could in fact be a djin, a demon from pre-Islamic Arabian religions. It could even be the bitter memories of Loki emerging from his subconscious. From the early access press event, we learned that Basim suffers traumatic nightmares throughout the game connected to Loki trying to take control of his mind. There really is a lot to be excited about from this trailer, and for some, it will be a blessing, as the game seems to take the series back to its roots. 

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After the trailer we return to the panel, who are joined by Narrative Director Sarah Beaulieu from Ubisoft Bordeaux. She confirms that Mirage will take Assassin's Creed back to the action-adventure game genre that focusses on narrative. Three key focusses for this game are stealth, parkour and assassinations, something which is extremely reassuring for fans. She reveals that Baghdad is a beautiful, dense city full of interesting people, including historical figures such as political leaders

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Uncover the secrets of four unique districts, from the industrial Karkh to the lush gardens of the Round City. Discover surprising world events and interact with historical figures that shaped the Golden Age of Baghdad.

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x3 editions of Assassin's Creed Mirage are now available for pre-order: (Photos below)

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• Standard Edition

• Deluxe Edition

• Collectors Case

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Built as an homage to the first Assassin's Creed games, Mirage pays tribute to the series' roots, as players join the proto-Assassin order known as the Hidden Ones and grow to become a master assassin. Baghdad in the ninth century was a bustling metropolis, and it serves as the perfect dense, urban hunting ground as Basim stalks his prey using the series' largest assortment of tools to date. While they haven't quite adopted the name "Assassins" at this point in history, make no mistake: The Hidden Ones are a powerful and established order, with resources and the all-important creed to guide them. As Basim explores Baghdad, he'll be able to get contracts and upgrades from a network of Hidden One bureaus throughout the city, collect clues on his targets, and take them down with swift assassinations.

Assassin's Creed Documentary: Beyond the Creed

We were thrilled to see the release of a beautiful yet short documentary that covers the Assassin's Creed community and its members! As the documentary explores, the Creed unifies us globally, and explores some of the highlights of the last 15 years, and how fans can connect with the series.

It was nice to see recognisable community members like Claudio, Marco and JorRaptor participating in interviews, along with veteran Assassin's Creed developers Jean Guesdon and Darby McDevitt. We also noticed a brief cameo from Assassin's Creed United Kingdom admin Dave Woodward. If you use your eagle vision just before the seven minute mark, you might be able to spot him briefly. Congrats to all the community members who featured!

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You can watch Beyond the Creed now on Youtube!

Assassin's Creed Valhalla: The Last Chapter

The showcases moves on to the future of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, with the final expansion coming later in the year. Gareth Glover, Game Director for Post-Launch content on the game introduces Assassin's Creed Valhalla: The Last Chapter, which will conclude Eivor's journey and tie up loose ends. In the trailer (below) Eivor feels close to Odin once more, but realises that the time has come to say goodbye, and set forth for distant shores. 

It's clear that this expansion is made possible by Basim using an Animus to explore Eivor's memories, as the unmistakable voice of Carlo Rota returns as the now-Modern Day Assassin. 

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''Where will this new conflict take you I wonder'' Basim ponders thoughtfully. He is fascinated by the connection between Eivor and Odin, as it differs greatly from his own connection to Loki. The teaser also shows Eivor's memories desynchronising, suggesting that her story is coming to an end.

Although no release date is given for The Last Chapter, it is likely to launch at the end of 2022.

Assassin's Creed: Codename Jade

Next up the panel brings on Marc-Alexis Côté, Former Creative Director on Assassin's Creed Syndicate and more recently Producer on Assassin's Creed Odyssey. His new role is Vice-Executive Producer for Assassin's Creed. 

When asked about the future of the series, he responds by saying the company are going to take Assassin's Creed to new territories. Their mission as a company is to enrich the lives of players, and make history  everybody's playground. Going forward, the company are going to 'double down' on their passion for history, and explore the past with courage. For Côté and the rest of team, history is a great source of entertainment that can help players understand the world around them today.

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The reveal shows off an upcoming open world mobile game, titled 'Codename Jade', an Assassin's Creed mobile game set in Ancient China (215 BCE). It will feature all of the iconic Assassin's Creed gameplay, but is optimised for an experience that can be played using touch controls. 

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The teaser features in-game footage, and shows an Assassin synchronising the Great Wall of China, whilst an oriental version of Ezio's family plays in the background. For the first time ever, you can create your own character in an Assassin's Creed game! An eagle flies above the Chinese architectural structures

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He wears white robes with a grey matted hood, but if you look carefully, you can see the red sash beneath his belt, the recognisable sign of a Master Assassin. This Assassin wear a traditional white outfit mixed with a grey hood and golden shoulder pad. It could that outfits are fully customisable in this game, as you can create your own character. 

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The trailer ends with the Assassin performing the leap of faith, an eagle screech, and a look at the Assassin's Creed Jade logo, which of course, features an emerald green insignia and text.

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Codename Jade is shaping up to be a very interesting project, but some fans may be upset to see Ancient China  being used for an open world mobile game rather than a main game. Either way, we're excited to learn more about this ambitious upcoming Assassin's Creed project! 

Assassin's Creed Netflix Series & Mobile Game

Unfortunately the event provided very little new information about the upcoming Assassin's Creed Netflix TV Show, but did confirm that the project is still in development, along with a new mobile game.

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Press Release via Ubisoft News

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''Assassin’s Creed is coming to streaming devices and no, we’re not talking about xCloud or Luna. A brand-new, live-action Assassin’s Creed series is coming to Netflix. The deal includes multiple different series, the first of which will be a genre-bending live-action epic, while the others will be animated and anime adaptations. The live action series is currently searching for a showrunner. Ubisoft Film & Television’s Jason Altman and Danielle Kreinik will serve as executive producers.

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“For more than 10 years, millions of fans around the world have helped shape the Assassin’s Creed brand into an iconic franchise,” said Jason Altman, Head of Ubisoft Film & Television - Los Angeles. “We’re thrilled to create an Assassin’s Creed series with Netflix, and we look forward to developing the next saga in the Assassin’s Creed universe.''

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It's good to hear that the Netflix TV series is still in development, as it was first announced back in October 2022, leading some to wonder if it had been scrapped. We still don't really know anything about the show, but the additional announcement of a new mobile game in development will only make the partnership between Netflix and Ubisoft even stronger.

Assassin's Creed: Codename Red

The next main game will be Feudal Japan!

At long last, Assassin's Creed will cover one of the most highly requested settings!

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Codename Red is the next premium flagship title, and the future of the open world RPG Assassin's Creed games. It is being developed by Ubisoft Quebec, under the creative direction of Jonathan Dumont. 

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Players will take charge of a very powerful Shinobi fantasy. The teaser is short, but shows an agile Assassin jumping onto a rooftop and activating a hidden blade.

No release date was given for this project, but we can assume it will probably be 2024 or after if Mirage is set to launch in 2023.

Assassin's Creed: Codename Hexe

The tease for Assassin's Creed Hexe is extremely ominous, panning down through the treeline and towards an Assassin insignia made of twigs, reminding viewers of The Blair Witch project. T       

Immediately you think of the occult, something which may not traditionally be expected when thinking about the future of Assassin's Creed. It seems that Hexe will be a smaller title, perhaps similar in length to Mirage, and can be played through the Assassin's Creed Infinity game hub.

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Here is an extract from our Assassin's Creed Hexe breakdown by Preston Carbonaro, which will launch later today!

“Codename Hexe” (pronounced hex-uh). ‘Hexe’ is the German word for ‘witch’. In English we use very similar words like ‘hex’ or ‘hexed’, which mean: to cast a spell on; to bewitch.

So, taking into consideration all of these ideas and how closely related they are to each other, I am assuming that Codename Hexe will revolve around the witch trials which took place in 17th century Germany. Namely the Würzburg witch trials of 1625-1631.''

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We can't wait to learn more about this darker Assassin's Creed title!

Assassin's Creed: Project Infinity

The final reveal of the show was Assassin's Creed Infinity, which was first announced back in 2021. ​

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As we expected, Infinity is a not actually a game, but a hub for all things Assassin's Creed. It is to become the single entry point for players to access Assassin's Creed going forward. In the tease, you can see Hexe and Codename Red being accessible through the Infinity

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Infinity will connect players, and the teams at Ubisoft are now looking at ways to bring back standalone multiplayer experiences, all connected to the Infinity Hub.

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According to Axios, a new multiplayer Assassin’s Creed game called Invictus is also in development, being produced by Ubisoft developers who worked on multiplayer franchises Rainbow 6 Siege and For Honor.

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We hope that it becomes home to not only games and new content, but audiobooks like AC Gold, and transmedia too! A digital home to house your Assassin's Creed content!

Just no NFTs please Ubisoft.

The Future of Assassin's Creed:

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• Valhalla: The Last Chapter (Late 2022)

• AC Mirage (2023)

• Project Red (Feudal Japan: 2023+)

• • Project Hexe (Witch hunt era Europe: 2023+)

•  Project Jade (Open world mobile set in China 2023+)

• Live action Netflix series & mobile game (2023+)

AC games not in development, despite rumors, Côté confirmed to Axios:

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• A remake of the first Assassin’s Creed

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• Series “crossover” set in Egypt.