Sources say that Ubisoft will pass 2016 by without a majorAssassin’s Creedrelease, followed by the franchise’s return in 2017 with an adventure in ancient Egypt.
Long have core game players proclaimed that theAssassin’s Creedfranchise needs to take a year off, a break that would allow Ubisoft to reinvigorate itself and give users a chance to remember what makes the franchise exciting. According to new reports coming from numerousKotakusources, Ubisoft may indeed giveAssassin’s Creedthe year 2016 off. That’s not to say those developers aren’t hard at work, however. The same reports now say that the nextAssassin’s Creedwill arrive in 2017, taking players to Egypt.
Code named “Empire,” 2017’sEgyptianAssassin’s Creedwas originally scheduled to be Ubisoft’s 2016 iteration of the franchise. However, after the poor reception ofAssassin’s Creed Unityin 2014, Empire was bumped. 2015’sAssassin’s Creed Syndicate, on the other hand, was reportedly too far into development to be pushed further back, but it will apparently be the lastAssassin’s Creedreleased under the annual schedule.
While Kotaku has been able to corroborate some details regarding the EgyptianAssassin’s Creed, a number of unconfirmed and uncorroborated details initially came from a series of posts on 4chan. Be warned, these details could be considered lightspoilers:
Considering4chan is the sourceof the anonymous info, it should be clear that the details beyond the Egyptian setting should be considered as unreliable rumors in the extreme.
That being said, Kotaku’s Jason Schreier is reporting that he’s talked to as many as five sources with regard to this information. Through them, the information that the game is set in Egypt, that its code name is Empire, and that the game will launch in 2017, is corroborated. Rome was apparently also mentioned by a source last year, but is not part of the latest rumors. Considering the 4chan posts were made prior to Kotaku going live with this information, it gives credence to the information the anonymous source provided - at least to a degree.
There’s much regarding Ubisoft’s actions in recent memory that is in line with a two-year release schedule for futureAssassin’s Creedgames. The large push in 2015 and going into 2016 forAssassin’s Creed Chronicles, the trio of side-scrolling games set inChina, India and Russia, now makes a lot more sense considering the absence of a major release for 2016. Ubisoft alsoregistered a URL for assassinscreedcollection.com, perhaps implying a remastered collection will release during the holidays. If Ubisoft was going to skip 2016, they’d be wise fill it with otherAssassin’s Creedcontent in order to maintain brand recognition.
And don’t forget about thatMichael FassbenderAssassin’s Creedmovie, either.
All that aside, an extra year of development offers Ubisoft the opportunity to rebuild positivity aroundAssassin’s Creed. Even when asolid installment in the franchise likeSyndicategets released, the consumer frustration and weariness from previous years still lingers. Game players so often will say, “I’m interested inAssassin’s Creed: Syndicate,” and then follow it with, “butUnity…” Maybe a year off will give Ubisoft the opportunity to surprise us again.
More information regardingAssassin’s Creed"Empire" is likely months, if not more than a year off. Is this or is this not exactly whatAssassin’s Creedneeds?
