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Ubisoft details Assassin’s Creed Mirage and outlines future destinations, including Feudal Japan

Celebrating 15 years of Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft has outlined the future of the franchise

During its Ubisoft Forward event, the publisher celebrated the 15th anniversary of Assassin’s Creed. Marking this milestone for the franchise, Ubisoft revealed what comes next for the Brotherhood of Assassins.

Assassin’s Creed, of course, first began in 2007 and introduced us to beloved characters Ezio, the Frye siblings, Kassandra, and more. The stealth-oriented series has evolved over the years, escalating into wider, more open games such as the recent Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. The franchise has become one of Ubisoft’s flagship titles, many of which were developed in Canada. Now, in 2022, Ubisoft is unveiling Assassin’s Creed Mirage, the latest game, in full.

Developed by Ubisoft Bourdeaux, Mirage is based around a young Basim Ibn Ishaq. The character was first introduced in Valhalla as a veteran member of the Hidden Ones. Mirage takes place on the dense streets of Baghdad during the Golden Age (861 A.D.,) 20 years prior to Valhalla. The game shares a similar global location to the first Assassin’s Creed. Players will be able to explore four distinct districts across Baghdad. Additionally, players will have the chance to visit Alamut, a key fortress of the Hidden Ones, as it’s under construction.

Ubisoft Bourdeaux confirmed that Mirage acts as a “tribute to early Assassin’s Creed games” and is going “back to the roots” of the franchise. Players can expect to leverage stealth and fluid parkour to take down targets. Throughout the game, Basim will climb the ranks of the Hidden Ones, becoming the master assassin we see in Valhalla. Mirage introduces a new stealth-based mechanic where Basim can slow down time, mark multiple targets and launch a shift assassination. The game is also said to have improved level design, catered to providing assassination opportunities for faster, seamless parkour and modernized assassinations.

In Mirage, we see Basim train and take the first steps in the Brotherhood. He is mentored by a fellow assassin and former Persian slave, Roshan. The studio announced that Shohreh Aghdashloo, known for her work on The Expanse, provides the voice for Roshan.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage will be available in 2023. Players can now preorder the title on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Amazon Luna.

The future of the series

While there was a lot of focus on Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Ubisoft is developing additional titles within the franchise.

One of which is bound to pique the interest of a lot of fans. At long last, Ubisoft is moving forward on a mainline Assassin’s Creed title based in Feudal Japan, developed under the guise of Assassin’s Creed Project Red. Not much has been revealed as of yet, though early concept art shows a female protagonist. This character is shown to be donning era-specific Assassin attire and a katana-like sword. Assassin’s Creed Project Red is tentatively scheduled to launch after Mirage.

Additionally, Ubisoft Montreal is well on its way to developing Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe. Ubisoft kept much of the game’s concepts under wraps. However, the publisher notes the game is set in 16th-century Europe. The brief conceptual trailer shows a much darker tone, alluding to witch hunts and the like.

Ubisoft also disclosed its work on the long-rumoured and tentatively titled “Assassin’s Creed Infinity.” Ubisoft says it “is not a game per se.” Instead, it sounds more like a social platform and a “hub” between Codename Red and Codename Hexe. Ubisoft states that it is “the single entry point for fans into the Assassin’s Creed franchise in the future.” Codename Infinity unites all games and players while integrating standalone multiplayer experiences, though the extent of all of this is incredibly vague.

The future of Assassin’s Creed isn’t only destined for console, PC, and the cloud. Ubisoft is developing Codename Jade, a new mobile game. Codename Jade is set in Ancient China and aims to offer a traditional Assassin’s Creed experience optimized for mobile devices.

Ubisoft is also releasing a documentary to highlight the impact Assassin’s Creed has had. Beyond the Creed features interviews from developers, community members, and fans. Additionally, the documentary offers a look at conceptual pieces of early games and in-development assets.

Even more content is launching for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Off the heels of the Dawn of Ragnarok DLC, the team is launching The Last Chapter, a new piece of content for the game. “It’s time to say goodbye,” Eivor says in the opening of a small cinematic, setting the tone. The Last Chapter is a free DLC launching later this year.

The future of Assassin’s Creed seems bright and Ubisoft does not appear to be slowing down. Projects both big and small are being developed by a number of core teams. These projects will likely fill out Ubisoft’s release calendar for the next couple of years.

Image credit: Ubisoft

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