Many video game companies have slowly been making the transition over the years into live service games. With companies like EA, Activision, and Bungie setting this standard with games of their own, it seems that Ubisoft is now going all in. This time though, it’s with one of their flagship IPs.
In an article by Bloomberg which was later confirmed by Ubisoft in blog post, it was confirmed that the game studio juggernaut is working on a new project, codenamed Assassin’s Creed Infinity. This project will reportedly be an online platform that would include multiple historical settings that will evolve over time, similar to the same approach seen in Fortnite and Grand Theft Auto: Online.
Sources tell Bloomberg that Assassin’s Creed Infinity is designed to be supported for years and would multiple historical settings, as opposed to the single historical location the series is accustomed to in its releases. The platform would consist of different Assassin’s Creed games, say that the game worlds, “might look and feel different, but they will all be connected.” Bloomberg’s sources also confirmed that the project is years from release.
In Ubisoft’s official blog post, we were offered even more details about how development will be handled for Assassin’s Creed Infinity. In the blog post, Nathalie Bouchard And Christophe Derennes tell us that the game will be made in a collaborative cross studio effort, developed by Ubisoft Montreal and Ubisoft Quebec, with Marc-Alexis Côté serving as executive producer. The creative leads at each studio will be Ubisoft Quebec’s Jonathan Dumont, who has worked on Assassin’s Creed Syndicate & Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, and Ubisoft Montreal’s Clint Hocking, who has worked on Far Cry 2, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, & Watch Dogs: Legion.
In the post, Bouchard and Derennes continue talking about this evolution of the franchise, saying “This change means we’re also evolving along with the video game industry. The pandemic and working from home have fundamentally changed the way we produce games, giving us a moment to reflect on our organization. Assassin’s Creed was born within the walls of Ubisoft Montreal and the studio built an incredible foundation for the franchise with the immense skill and creativity of its teams before Ubisoft Quebec then took the lead with Assassin’s Creed Syndicate and Odyssey, demonstrating its ability to drive the franchise even further.
Bouchard and Derennes close out the post, saying “Rather than continuing to pass the baton from game to game, we profoundly believe this is an opportunity for one of Ubisoft’s most beloved franchises to evolve in a more integrated and collaborative manner that’s less centered on studios and more focused on talent and leadership, no matter where they are within Ubisoft.”
While the last few Assassin’s Creed installments have slowly introduced more and more live-service offerings with Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla, it sounds as though the gaming juggernaut is going all-in now with this latest project. While this is uncharted territory for Ubisoft, one thing is for certain. The team behind this project is one of many talents. With a pedigree such as theirs, the anticipation will only continue to grow until we get to see more on Assassin’s Creed Infinity.