There have been several developments going on in the world ofAssassin’s Creed. Several leaks and rumors have suggested that Ubisoft is working on a stealth-based game titledAssassin’s Creed Rift, although recent reports claim that the project may have been delayed. There have also been reports that the next mainline game in the series, codenamedAssassin’s Creed Red, will be set in Japan and will launch onAssassin’s Creed Infinity, which is Ubisoft’s upcoming online platform.
Assassin’s Creed Infinityhas drawn a lot of attention to itself, as it has the potential to revolutionize how Ubisoft releases futureAssassin’s Creedtitles, turning the series into a live service. This could be quite successful, as it offers an opportunity for Ubisoft to unify theAssassin’s Creeduniverse. However, live service games come with their own set of problems that Ubisoft will have to carefully navigate.
RELATED:Assassin’s Creed Valhalla - The Differences Between Eivor and ‘Male Eivor’
Assassin’s Creed Infinity Explained
Ubisoft announcedAssassin’s Creed Infinityin 2021, revealing that it plans to do away with the usual strategy of passing “the baton from game to game.” It represents a radical change for Ubisoft in many ways, and to deal with the new project, it has formed a collaborative cross-studio structure to draw from all the talent within Ubisoft. Jason Schreier, writing for Bloomberg, reported that the game will be a massive online platform.
In later reports, Schreier has revealed thatInfinitywill feature many “worlds,” and that it will launch afterAssassin’s Creed Rift. It is meant to compete with titles likeFortniteandGTA: Online, which have been financially lucrative over the long term. Ubisoft has not revealed too much about the project, although it has confirmed that it will not be free-to-play. The game is still in early development, according to Ubisoft, and Schreier claims that it will release in 2024 earliest.
Ubisoft Must Balance Launch Content and Continuous Support
With live services, attractive launch content is necessary to draw the maximum amount of players from day one. Promises of future content are nice, but without sufficient launch content, a game could be dead on arrival. Fortunately, it appears as thoughAssassin’s Creed Infinitywill be starting on a good note. When addressing a rumor that thenextAssassin’s Creedgamewill be set in the Aztecs, Schreier revealed that he had seen two of theInfinity’s “worlds” and that none of them were set in the Aztecs. It could be that one of these worlds will beAssassin’s Creed Red, which is rumored to be set in Japan. If this is the case, it could be a big boost forInfinity, especially if it is available at launch, as anAssassin’s Creedgame set in Japan has been long requested by fans.
Assassin’s Creed Redwill not be enough to sustainInfinityindefinitely, and new content will have to be continuously fed to keep the platform alive. The live service structure may work to Ubisoft’s advantage forAssassin’s Creed’s future, however. Rather than release newAssassin’s Creedtitles on a nearly annual basis, Ubisoft could instead release newAssassin’s Creedentries infrequently onInfinitybut spend more resources supporting each entry for longer periods, resulting in a better quality experience for players in the long term.
Speed of Support Is Going to Be Important for Assassin’s Creed Infinity
Assassin’s Creedis a massive franchise. Since launching in 2007, it has managed to sell over 155 million copies and has launched on multiple platforms. Though the series has had its highs and lows, its reputation as a cornerstone of open-world gaming endures, and Ezio remains one of the most iconic characters in gaming. Ubisoft recognizes the value of the franchise, as a recent report from Kotaku claimed that there are multipleAssassin’s Creedprojects in development. In addition toAssassin’s Creed InfinityandAssassin’s Creed Red, there have also been reports ofAssassin’s Creed Nexus, which is a VR game, andAssassin’s Creed Rift, which will be based on Basim fromAssassin’s Creed Valhalla.
RELATED:Assassin’s Creed Rift: Things You Need To Know About Basim
WithAssassin’s Creedhaving as far a reach as it has,Infinityhas the potential to have a very big launch. With this, however, comes many dangers, as with a game as large asInfinity, there are plenty of opportunities for things to go wrong. A buggy launch has the potential to ruinInfinity’s future, especially if issues are not tended to as quickly as possible. The gaming world saw this withNew World, an MMO from Amazon which lets players explore new lands. There was plenty of hype leading up to the game’s release, especially when all the features were released. However, at launch, the game was riddled with many bugs, some of which took months before they were addressed. AlthoughNew Worldis by no means a bad game, the reputation it garnered for itself due to its controversial launch sullied its reputation and hindered its growth.
Ubisoft is a large companywith global studios, and it has confirmed that the game will be a cross-studio project. Hopefully, with a large team working on the game, Ubisoft will be able to address any technical issues and bugs that may pop up. WithInfinity’s launch still years away, there is plenty of time for the developers to polish it to ensure that players have the best experience at launch.
Ubisoft has a lot on its plate, including an upcomingAvatargame, but it has not abandonedAssassin’s Creed. It appears to be treading new ground withAssassin’s Creed Infinity, and it remains to be seen whether the ambitious idea will succeed. For the project to be a hit, it needs to hit the ground running with a perfect launch, which may be difficult, though it is doable. By ensuring the game has speedy support at launch, and that there is a good balance of launch content and long-term support, Ubisoft could start a successful new chapter inAssassin’s Creedstory.
