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As Valhalla nears its second anniversary and the extended life cycle of post-launch content, fans are holding their breath, wondering where Assassin’s Creed is headed next.
While previous rumors have already confirmed Valhalla’s fourth expansion turned standalone title, codenamed Rift, recent reveals about the title sound not only enticing but promising for a true return to form.
Ubisoft’s flagship stealth action turned RPG franchise Assassin’s Creed has had a roller-coaster relationship with its fan base over the last decade. From the universally acclaimed Ezio trilogy and Black Flag to the grind-filled Odyssey and Valhalla, which turned lots of fans away from their beloved series, the series has had a memorable journey.
Ubisoft evolved the formula with Origins to take an RPG route and successfully balance it to present an exciting experience, though it lost trust from the next game onwards.
While Odyssey isn’t essentially a bad game, a few gameplay choices, like the exhausting amount of grind for barely any story progression or the implementation of choices that don’t always reflect the character of the protagonist, ruin the experience.
This was not only carried over but expanded upon in Valhalla, where each arc felt disjointed from the main storyline.
However, based on recent leaks, the future of the series seems to be getting rid of everything the players disliked, as well as a true return to form.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage will scale back RPG elements with Basim as protagonist in Bagdad; set for release next year
As per previous leaks and rumors, the next mainline Assassin’s Creed title was planned as the fourth expansion of Valhalla, following Dawn of Ragnarok. However, it was turned into a new title early in development.
Set in Bagdad, it will reportedly feature Basim as the protagonist before he meets Sigurd and the events of Valhalla.
According to fresh new reports by french YouTuber j0nathan, the next mainline game, developed under the code name Rift, will be released as Assassin’s Creed Mirage. Furthermore, it is drastically scaling back its RPG elements, removing the choices.
The title will be set during 860-870 AD, before the events of Valhalla, and feature Basim as a young thief in Bagdad and his journey to becoming a Hidden One. It will reportedly have multiple cities connected via the deserts and rivers.
The game will bring back the traditional eagle vision and the bird’s eye view of the recent titles. There will also be “Loki Visions,” which elaborates on how Loki manifested in Basim, leading to the events of Valhalla.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage is set for a March 2023 release date, with a reveal planned for September 10’s Ubisoft Forward.
All in all, the title sounds like a new leaf for the decade-and-a-half-old franchise, bringing what fans have been asking for. Aside from the main game, j0nathan also mentioned its potential Season Pass content and a remake of a beloved classic.
Season Pass expansion featuring Sigurd and Assassin’s Creed 1 Remake
The first introduction of Basim was through Sigurd in the opening hours of Valhalla. The duo met in Constantinople and hit it off quickly.
According to j0nathan, the events of the Sigurd and Basim meeting are being developed for the Season Pass expansions, which will also include the remake of the first game.
The first Assassin’s Creed game is often considered one of the most beloved titles in gaming history. However, while it narratively offers a fantastic experience, gameplay-wise, it felt short.
Ubisoft has already remastered the Ezio Trilogy and Assassin’s Creed 3 for the modern generation, while the first game was left to dust. Fans have been asking for a remake, bringing the title to a new generation of fans, tying in the events of Chronicles and Bloodlines, and retelling Altair’s journey as a whole. Finally, that seems to be happening.
The future of Assassin’s Creed sounds exciting and a perfect return to basics. However, with Ubisoft’s checkered history with beloved franchises, it is sufficient to say, fans are skeptically optimistic.
