| Assassin's Creed | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genres | |
| Developers | |
| Publisher | Ubisoft |
| Creators | |
| First release | Assassin's Creed November 13, 2007 |
| Latest release | Assassin's Creed Shadows March 20, 2025 |
Assassin's Creed is ahistoricalaction-adventure video game series and media franchise published byUbisoft and developed mainly by its studioUbisoft Montreal using the game engineAnvil and its more advanced derivatives. Created byPatrice Désilets,Jade Raymond, andCorey May, theAssassin's Creedvideo game series depicts a fictional millennia-old struggle between theOrder of Assassins, who fight for peace and free will, and theKnights Templar, who desire peace through order and control. The series featureshistorical fiction,science fiction, and fictional characters intertwined with real-worldhistorical events andhistorical figures. In most games, players control a historical Assassin while also playing as an Assassin Initiate or someone caught in the Assassin–Templar conflict in the present-dayframing story. Considered aspiritual successor to thePrince of Persia series,Assassin's Creed took inspiration from the novelAlamut by the Slovenian writerVladimir Bartol, based on the historicalHashashin sect of the medieval Iran (Persia).
The firstAssassin's Creed game was released in 2007, and the series has featured fourteen main installments in total, the most recent beingAssassin's Creed Shadows in 2025. Main games in theAssassin's Creed series are set in an open world and played from thethird-person view. Gameplay revolves around combat, stealth, and exploration, including the use ofparkour to navigate the environment. The games feature both main and side missions, and some titles also include competitive and cooperative multiplayer game modes.
A new story and occasionally new time periods are introduced in each entry, with the gameplay elements also evolving. There are three overarching story arcs in the series. The first five main games followDesmond Miles, a descendant of several important Assassins throughout history, who uses a machine called the Animus to relive his ancestors' memories and find powerful artifacts called Pieces of Eden in an attempt to prevent a catastrophic event, referencing the2012 phenomenon. FromAssassin's Creed IV: Black Flag toAssassin's Creed Syndicate, Assassin initiates and employees of Abstergo Industries (a company used as a front by the modern-day Templars) record genetic memories using the Helix software, helping the Templars and Assassins find new Pieces of Eden in the modern world. The next three games,Assassin's Creed Origins,Odyssey, andValhalla, follow ex-Abstergo employee Layla Hassan on her own quest to save humanity from another disaster.
The main games in theAssassin's Creed franchise have received generally positive reviews for their ambition in visuals, game design, and narratives, with criticism for the yearly release cycle and frequent bugs, as well as the prioritising of role-playing mechanics in later titles. The series has received multiple awards and nominations, including multiple Game of the Year awards. It is commercially successful, selling over 200 million copies as of September 2022[update], becoming Ubisoft's best-selling franchise and one of thebest-selling video game franchises of all time. While main titles are produced for major consoles and desktop platforms, multiple spin-off games have been released for consoles, mobiles, and handheld platforms. A series of art books, encyclopedias, comics, andnovels have also been published. Alive-action film adaptation of the series was released in 2016.
While the games in the series have had several narrative arcs, Ubisoft views the series as currently having three periods of development and design philosophy. Until 2015'sAssassin's Creed Syndicate, the franchise was structured around single-player content, and while centering on open world spaces and incorporating several role-playing elements, were more action-adventure and stealth-oriented. Period two, covering fromAssassin's Creed Origins toAssassin's Creed Mirage, brought in more role-playing elements and live-service features to increase player engagement.
Period three launched withAssassin's Creed Shadows, using lessons from the second period of development to make engrossing single-player games similar to the original titles but with features to allow players to share achievements and content with others through a newAnimus Hub system that will be integrated with all future and some earlier games.[1][2]
The firstAssassin's Creed game originated out of ideas for a sequel for Ubisoft's video gamePrince of Persia: The Sands of Time, aiming for theseventh generation of video game consoles. TheUbisoft Montreal team decided to take the gameplay fromThe Sands of Time into anopen-world approach, taking advantage of the improved processing power to render larger spaces and crowds. Narratively, the team wanted to move away from thePrince being someone next in line for the throne but to have to work for it; combined with research into secret societies led them to focus on theOrder of Assassins, based upon the historicalHashashin sect ofIsmaili, who were followers ofShia Islam, heavily borrowing from the novelAlamut.[3][4] Ubisoft developed a narrative where the player would control an Assassin escorting a non-playable Prince, leading them to call this gamePrince of Persia: Assassin,[5] orPrince of Persia: Assassins.[6] Ubisoft was apprehensive to aPrince of Persia game without the Prince as the playable character, but this led the marketing division to suggest the nameAssassin's Creed, playing off the creed of the Assassins, "nothing is true; everything is permitted". Ubisoft Montreal ran with this in creating a newintellectual property, eliminating the Prince, and basing it around the Assassins and theKnights Templar in theHoly Land during the 12th century. Additionally, in postulating what other assassinations they could account for throughout history, they came onto the idea ofgenetic memory and created the Animus device and modern storyline elements. This further allowed them to explain certain facets of gameplay, such as accounting for when the player character is killed, similar toThe Sands of Time.[6]
AfterAssassin's Creed was released in 2007, Ubisoft Montreal said they looked to "rework the global structure" in developing the sequel,Assassin's Creed II. They felt that parkour was underutilized in the first game and designed the world in the sequel to feature freerun highways to make it easier to enter into parkour moves, for example using rooftops to escape pursuits.[7] The change in setting meant that the game would feature a new cast of characters, including a new protagonist,Ezio Auditore da Firenze.Assassin's Creed II also brought in more use of crowds to hide in plain sight that the developers had seen used inHitman: Blood Money, adding more to the concept of social stealth as a gameplay option.[7] Finally, Ubisoft Montreal completely reworked the repetitive mission structure from the first game through numerous side activities, collectibles, and secrets. These additions became a central part of the series going forward as well as other Ubisoft games likeWatch Dogs,Far Cry, andTom Clancy's Ghost Recon.[7]Assassin's Creed II was followed by two direct sequels,Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood andAssassin's Creed: Revelations, which also featured Ezio as the main protagonist and introduced the ability for players to recruitNPCs as Assassins and manage them in missions.[7]
Assassin's Creed III originated from both Ubisoft Montreal, who wanted to progress the series' narrative forward in time, and to an unattached project that had been developed atUbisoft Singapore and featured naval ship combat. As the main team had settled into theAmerican Revolution period for the game, they found the ship-to-ship combat system fitted with the story and redesigned the setting to incorporate it further. Another major change inAssassin's Creed III was transitioning the parkour and freerun systems to work in the natural woodlands of 18th-centuryMassachusetts andNew York. This further allowed the adding of trees and other vegetation within the city areas themselves, not just as part of the parkour systems, but to add more varied environments, which would continue as part of the series' ongoing design.[7]
ForAssassin's Creed III's sequel,Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, the Ubisoft team built upon the foundation of its predecessor, particularly with regards to the naval gameplay, merging it seamlessly with the land-based gameplay.[7] The team also used the game as a chance to address aspects of the series' storyline. Choosing to focus on an outsider's perspective to the Assassin–Templar conflict, they set the game around theGolden Age of Piracy, with the protagonist,Edward Kenway, starting out as a pirate who initially becomes involved in the conflict with the prospect of wealth. Similarly, after the conclusion ofDesmond Miles' story arc inAssassin's Creed III, the modern-day segments put players in the role of a nameless individual controlled from afirst-person perspective. The team chose this approach because they believed it allowed players to more easily identify themselves in their character.[7] This trend would continue in the series untilAssassin's Creed Syndicate.[7]
Development ofAssassin's Creed Unity began shortly after the completion ofBrotherhood in 2010,[8] with the core development team splitting off during the early stages of development onAssassin's Creed III.[9] As the first game in the series to be released exclusively for theeighth generation of video game consoles,Unity featured a graphical and gameplay overhaul. The setting chosen for the game wasParis during the early years of theFrench Revolution, with players taking control of a new Assassin namedArno Dorian.[8][9] AfterUnity, Ubisoft releasedAssassin's Creed Syndicate in 2015.[7]
FollowingSyndicate's release, Ubisoft decided that the series needed a major reinvention across both gameplay and narrative. It was decided to make the next game,Assassin's Creed Origins, closer to arole-playing video game than astealth-action game, which would also bring a game with many more hours of play than previous titles. Some long-standing features of the series were eliminated for this purpose, such as the social stealth mechanic. This changed how missions were presented—rather than being linearly directed through the Animus, the player character could meet various quest givers in the game's world to receive missions.[7] From the narrative side, Ubisoft placed the game before the formation of the Assassin Brotherhood inAncient Egypt and made the player character,Bayek of Siwa, amedjay that people would respect and seek the help of.[7] The modern-day storyline also shifted back to a single character,Layla Hassan. The developers limited the number of playable sequences for her character compared to previous games but gave them more meaning, such as allowing the player to explore Layla's laptop with background information on the games' universe.[7]
Origins was followed in 2018 byAssassin's Creed Odyssey, which shifted the setting toClassical Greece and followed a similar approach to its predecessor but with more emphasis on the role-playing elements.[7] 2020'sAssassin's Creed Valhalla, set in medieval England and Norway during theViking Age, continued the same style asOrigins andOdyssey. The developers recognized feedback from the previous two games and brought back the social stealth elements, as well as the concept of a customizable home base that was first introduced inAssassin's Creed II.[7]
In 2023, Ubisoft releasedAssassin's Creed Mirage, a smaller title which sought to pay tribute to the franchise's earlier installments by focusing on stealth and assassinations over its predecessors' role-playing elements. The game started development as anexpansion forValhalla before being turned into a standalone release, and was set in 9th-centuryBaghdad during theIslamic Golden Age, a decade before the events ofValhalla, to which it served as a prequel.[10][11]
In 2022, Ubisoft announced several additional games for the series, includingAssassin's Creed Shadows, set inJapan during theSengoku period,[10][12] andAssassin's Creed: Codename Hexe, rumoured to be set inCentral Europe during the16th century.[13]
Alongside the release ofAssassin's Creed Shadows, Ubisoft introduced theAnimus Hub, intended to serve as a centralized hub for theAssassin's Creed games fromShadows onward. Originally teased asAssassin's Creed Infinity, theAnimus Hub was described by its executive producer, Marc-Alexis Côté, as a "new design philosophy" for the series,[1] as well as a hub that would provide the releases of future games.[14] According to Côté in 2024, the modern-day narrative of the series had become haphazard after the death of Desmond Miles inAssassin's Creed III through the introduction of Layla Hassan inAssassin's Creed Origins due to the lack of a main character and the number of studios involved, andInfinity aimed to re-establish the modern-day side of the series.[15] TheAnimus Hub is not alauncher, but instead a feature integrated intoShadows, future games, and select games from period two, which incorporates the modern-day storyline of the series.[2]
As part of Ubisoft's financial troubles in the early 2020s, Ubisoft and Tencent created a separate subsidiary, Vantage Studios, in 2025 for handling ofAssassin's Creed and the other major Ubisoft franchises,Far Cry andRainbow Six. As part of this, Côté left Ubisoft in October 2025, which he claimed was due to the series lead being transferred from him to a new position within Vantage Studios.[16]
TheAssassin's Creed games are centered around one or more fictional members of the Order of the Assassins. Their memories are experienced by an in-game character in the modern-day period through a device called the Animus and its derivations. The Animus allows the user to explore these memories passed down via genetics. Within the context of the game, this provides adiegetic interface to the real-world player of the game, showing them elements like health bars, a mini-map, and target objectives as if presented by the Animus. Additionally, should the player cause the historical character to die or fail a mission, this is rectified as desynchronization of the genetic memory, allowing the player to try the mission again. Through the Animus interface, the player can retry any past mission already completed; for example, inAssassin's Creed: Brotherhood, the player achieves better synchronization results by performing the mission in a specific manner, such as by only killing the mission's target. The Animus also imparts special abilities to the modern-day character that helps them to see their target in a crowd or other unique points of interest.[17][18]
While playing as the Assassin characters, the games are generally presented from athird-person view in anopen world environment, focusing on stealth andparkour. The games use a mission structure to follow the main story, assigning the player to complete an assassination of public figureheads or a covert mission. Alternatively, several side missions are available, such as mapping out the expansive cities from a high perch followed by performing a leap of faith into a haystack below, collecting treasures hidden across the cities, exploring ruins for relics, building a brotherhood of assassins to perform other tasks, or funding the rebuilding of a city through purchasing and upgrading of shops and other features. At times, the player is in direct control of the modern-day character who, by nature of the Animus use, has learned Assassin techniques through the bleeding effect, as well as their genetic ability of Eagle Vision, which separates friend, foe, and assassination targets by illuminating people in different colors.[19][20]
The games use the concept of active versus passive moves, with active moves, such as running, climbing the sides of buildings, or jumping between rooftops, more likely to alert the attention of nearby guards. When the guards become alerted, the player must either fight them or break their line of sight and locate a hiding place, such as a haystack or a well, and wait until the guards' alert is reduced. The combat system allows for a number of unique weapons, armor, and moves, including the use of a hidden blade set in a bracer attached at the Assassin's wrist with a blade ejected via-spring mechanism, which can be used to perform surreptitious assassinations.[21]
TheAssassin's Creed games primarily revolve around the rivalry and conflict between two ancient secret societies: theOrder of Assassins, who represent freedom, and theKnights Templar, who represent order. Versions of these societies have existed for centuries, with the Assassins seeking to stop the Templars from gaining control of the Pieces of Eden, artifacts that can overridefree will to control people's minds.[22]
These artifacts are remnants of anancient species pre-dating humanity called the Isu, or Precursors, which created humanity to live in peace alongside them. The Isu ensured humans could not rise against them by creating the Pieces of Eden to control them. When the first hybrid Isu-human beings emerged, namedAdam andEve, they were immune to the effects of the Pieces of Eden. They stole the Pieces of Eden, which led to a great war that ended when a massivesolar flare devastated the surface of the Earth. The surviving Isu subsequently died out while humanity thrived. All that remained of the Isu were traces of their memories in the world's mythologies and religions, while the Pieces of Eden became lost to time, many of them hidden within underground vaults known as Temples.[22]
Before their demise, three Isu—Minerva,Juno, andJupiter—attempted to prepare humanity for another solar flare they knew would come millennia later. Using a device called the Eye, which allowed them to see into possible futures, Minerva and Jupiter left behind messages to guide humanity to the Grand Temple, which housed the globalaurora borealis device that could activate a protective shield around the Earth. However, Juno saw humanity as a threat and attempted to sabotage Minerva and Jupiter's plan. Minerva and Jupiter were forced to destroy Juno and trapped her consciousness within the Grand Temple, unaware that Juno had modified the global aurora borealis device to release her consciousness upon activation.[22]
The series itself takes place in the modern era, in which the Templars have established themega-corporation Abstergo Industries. Abstergo has developed a device, the Animus, whose users can relive the memories of their ancestors through their genetic material. Abstergo has kidnapped people who are descendants of past Assassins to locate hidden Pieces of Eden via the Animus.[22] A user of the Animus can move about in simulated memories as their ancestor, but performing actions outside the bounds of what their ancestor did can lead to desynchronization of the memory.[17][18] Extended use of the Animus creates a "bleeding effect" that gives users some of the skills and capabilities they experienced with their ancestor, but also affects their mental well-being, as the user begins to confuse their ancestor's memories with their own.[23]
The first five main games in the series focus onDesmond Miles, a bartender and former Assassin who learns he is a descendant of several important Assassins throughout history, includingAltaïr Ibn-LaʼAhad from the Middle East during theThird Crusade;Ezio Auditore da Firenze from theItalian Renaissance; andRatonhnhaké:ton (commonly known as Connor), a half-Mohawk, half-British Assassin during theAmerican Revolution. Desmond is used by Abstergo to find Pieces of Eden but is rescued by Lucy Stillman, an undercover agent for the Assassins. With the help of two other Assassins, Shaun Hastings and Rebecca Crane, and later William Miles, Desmond's father and the leader of the modern-day Assassins, the group continue to explore Desmond's genetic memories in the hopes of locating the Pieces of Eden before Abstergo. In the process, they learn about the Isu and come into contact with Juno, who forces Desmond to kill Lucy, revealed to be adouble agent for the Templars. The group ultimately finds the Grand Temple, and Desmond activates the global aurora borealis device in time to block the solar flare, at the cost of his own life.[22]
Starting withAssassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Abstergo has refined the Animus technology to allow anyone to experience memories from the genetic material of another person, allowing the Templars to continue their search for Pieces of Eden under the guise of creating entertainment products. InBlack Flag, players assume the role of an unnamed Abstergo employee tasked with researching the memories ofEdward Kenway, a pirate-turned-Assassin and Connor's grandfather. During their work, the player is blackmailed by a fellow employee, John Standish, into acquiring and delivering sensitive information on Abstergo's activities to the Assassins. John is later revealed to be a Sage, a human reincarnation of Juno's husbandAita, who is trying to resurrect her, though he is killed by Abstergo before he can succeed.[22]
By the time ofAssassin's Creed Unity, Abstergo has begun distributing the Animus technology via a video game console called the Helix, tapping into an extensive, unaware player base to help them locate the remains of various Sages as part of the Phoenix Project, an attempt to recreate the genetic structure of the Isu. The player character is recruited into the Assassins and tasked with exploring the memories ofArno Dorian, an Assassin during theFrench Revolution, so that the modern-day Assassins can retrieve the body of a Sage and hide it from Abstergo.[22] Despite the Assassins' efforts, by the start ofAssassin's Creed Syndicate, Abstergo has collected enough DNA samples from other Sages to move forward with the Phoenix Project. The player character is again contacted by the Assassins and relives the memories ofJacob and Evie Frye, twin Assassins fromVictorian England, to find a Piece of Eden that Abstergo requires for the next phase of the Phoenix Project. Although the Assassins beat the Templars to it, the latter manage to steal the Piece of Eden and escape with it, whereupon it is revealed that Juno is manipulating various Abstergo employees to further her plans of being resurrected.[22][N 1]
A new storyline is introduced inAssassin's Creed Origins focusing on Abstergo researcher Layla Hassan. While on an assignment to recover an artifact fromEgypt, Layla stumbles upon the remains of theMedjayBayek and his wife Aya, co-founders of the Hidden Ones, the Assassins' precursors. Against Abstergo's orders, Layla uses her personal Animus to relive Bayek's and Aya's memories, causing the Templars to mark her for death. She is rescued by William Miles, who then invites her to join the Assassins for her own protection.[22] InAssassin's Creed Odyssey, Layla recovers the Spear ofLeonidas, an Isu artifact from which she extracts the DNA of Leonidas' grandchildren,Alexios and Kassandra. Through their memories, Layla locates the Staff ofHermes Trismegistus, another Piece of Eden, which is guarded by one of the siblings (canonically Kassandra), still alive due to being sustained by the Staff. Kassandra relinquishes the Staff to Layla, who is prophesied to one day restore balance to the world, and passes away.[22]
InAssassin's Creed Valhalla, Earth is facing yet another disaster, as its magnetic field has been continually strengthening since Desmond's activation of the global aurora borealis device eight years prior. Layla exhumes the remains of Eivor Varinsdottir, a 9th-centuryViking, and from her memories, she learns of an Isu temple inNorway. Layla travels to the temple and enters the Grey, a virtual world created by the Isu, where she meets both the Reader (implied to be Desmond's preserved consciousness) andBasim Ibn Ishaq, a Hidden One and the reincarnation of the IsuLoki, who was trapped in the Grey by Eivor. Basim helps Layla stop the disaster but then abandons her in the Grey and escapes back to the real world, where he joins the modern-day Assassins.[24] InAssassin's Creed Mirage, the Assassins use a sample of Basim's DNA to relive his memories of his time as a Hidden One during theIslamic Golden Age, in order to learn more about his nature as a reborn Isu.
The following table lists the main and spin-off games of the franchise, along with their release years and the respective platform(s) they released on:
| Main series | ||
|---|---|---|
| Title | Released | Platform |
| Assassin's Creed | 2007 | Microsoft Windows,Xbox 360,PlayStation 3 |
| Assassin's Creed II | 2009 | Windows, Xbox 360,Xbox One, PlayStation 3,PlayStation 4,OS X,Nintendo Switch |
| Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood | 2010 | Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, OS X, Nintendo Switch |
| Assassin's Creed Revelations | 2011 | Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch |
| Assassin's Creed III | 2012 | Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4,Wii U, Nintendo Switch,Stadia |
| Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag | 2013 | Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, Stadia |
| Assassin's Creed Rogue | 2014 | Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Stadia |
| Assassin's Creed Unity | Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Stadia | |
| Assassin's Creed Syndicate | 2015 | Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Stadia |
| Assassin's Creed Origins | 2017 | Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Stadia |
| Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 2018 | Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Stadia |
| Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 2020 | Windows,Xbox One,Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4,PlayStation 5, Stadia |
| Assassin's Creed Mirage | 2023 | Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, iOS |
| Assassin's Creed Shadows | 2025 | Windows, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5,macOS |
| Spin-offs | ||
| Title | Released | Platform |
| Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles | 2008 | Android,Symbian,iOS,webOS,Windows Phone,Nintendo DS |
| Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines | 2009 | PlayStation Portable |
| Assassin's Creed II: Discovery | iOS, Nintendo DS | |
| Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy | 2010 | Browser |
| Assassin's Creed: Multiplayer Rearmed | 2011 | iPad,iPhone,iPod Touch |
| Assassin's Creed: Recollection | iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch | |
| Assassin's Creed III: Liberationa | 2012 | Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4,PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, Stadia |
| Assassin's Creed: Pirates | 2013 | Android, iOS |
| Assassin's Creed Freedom Cryb | 2014 | Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch |
| Assassin's Creed: Memories | iOS | |
| Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Chinac | 2015 | Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vitad |
| Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India | 2016 | Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vitad |
| Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia | Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vitad | |
| Assassin's Creed Identity | Android, iOS | |
| Assassin's Creed Unity: Arno's Chronicles | 2017 | Androide |
| Assassin's Creed Rebellion | 2018 | Android, iOS |
| Assassin's Creed Nexus VR | 2023 | Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest Pro[25] |
^a Released under the titleAssassin's Creed: Liberation HD for Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2014.
^b Originally released as DLC for all versions ofAssassin's Creed IV: Black Flag in 2013.
^c Originally announced as part of the season pass forAssassin's Creed Unity.
^d Released as a compilation titledAssassin's Creed Chronicles Trilogy Pack.
^e Released exclusively for theHonor 9 smartphone.[26]
The first game in the series was released in November 2007 for thePlayStation 3 andXbox 360, and in April 2008 forMicrosoft Windows. It features a historical recreation of theHoly Land (primarily the cities ofMasyaf,Jerusalem,Acre, andDamascus) in the late 12th century. Its narrative includes real historical figures and events from that time period. The storyline consists of two portions: one set during the modern-day, which followsDesmond Miles; and one set in 1191, which follows Desmond's ancestor,Altaïr Ibn-LaʼAhad, a member of theAssassin Order during the time of theThird Crusade. Desmond's story begins with his abduction by pharmaceutical company Abstergo Industries, whose lead scientist, Dr. Warren Vidic, forces him to explore Altaïr's memories through a machine called the Animus that allows him to connect with his ancestors' DNA. In doing so, Abstergo hopes to find powerful artifacts called Pieces of Eden, which the Assassins and their rivals, theKnights Templar, have fought over for centuries. Altaïr's story begins with his demotion to the rank of Novice Assassin after he botches an attempt by the Assassins to recover a Piece of Eden, the Apple of Eden, from the Templars. To redeem himself, Altaïr is tasked with assassinating nine Templar targets across the Holy Land.
Assassin's Creed introduced core elements that remained in the rest of the series. Players can freely explore the game'sopen world, making use of Altaïr'sparkour and climbing skills to navigate the environment. The game also features refinedhack-and-slash combat, with players able to block and counter-attacks, andstealth mechanics, such as hiding in crowds of people, which allow players to avoid detection by enemies or lose pursuing foes. Although players can choose the order in which they kill their main targets, the mission design was seen as linear and repetitive because players had to complete several side quests before each assassination. The side quest prerequisite was one of the most criticized aspects of the game, so it was abandoned in future games.
Assassin's Creed II is a direct sequel to the first game and was released in November 2009 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, in March 2010 for Windows, and in October 2010 forOS X. The modern-day narrative again follows Desmond, who escapes from Abstergo (revealed at the end of the previous game as a front for the modern-day Templars) with the aid of Assassin moleLucy Stillman and is taken to her team's hideout. Hoping to train Desmond as an Assassin, they put him in the Animus 2.0, where he begins to suffer from the bleeding effect; this allows Desmond to gain his ancestors' skills, but it also damages his mind, as he begins to involuntarily experience flashes of his ancestors' memories outside of the Animus. Meanwhile, the main narrative takes place at the height of theItalian Renaissance in the late 15th century and follows Desmond's Italian ancestorEzio Auditore da Firenze, a young nobleman fromFlorence who is forced to become an Assassin after his father and brothers are killed by the Templars. During his journey to avenge their deaths, Ezio makes allies such asLeonardo da Vinci andCaterina Sforza and combats enemies such as thePazzi andBarbarigo families andRodrigo Borgia. Ezio also comes into contact with technology left behind by the First Civilization, a race that created humanity and the Pieces of Eden and who were wiped out by a catastrophic event.
Similar to the first game,Assassin's Creed II incorporates historical events into its narrative and features recreations of several cities from the time period it is set in (in this case, Florence,Venice,Forlì,San Gimignano, andMonteriggioni). Missions are divided into main story missions, themselves into memory sequences reflecting points in Ezio's life, and side missions that can be accomplished at any time; this approach to mission structure remains consistent in the other games in the series. TheVilla Auditore in Monteriggioni, which acts as the Assassins' headquarters for most of the game, provides several functions that can be expanded on by paying for upgrades of surrounding buildings, or by purchasing artwork, weapons, and armor for the villa; in turn, the villa will generate wealth for the player at a rate influenced by the upgrades and acquisition of these items.
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is the sequel toAssassin's Creed II, and was released in November 2010 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, in March 2011 for Windows, and in May 2011 for OS X. The game begins immediately after the events of its predecessor, at the end of which Desmond was warned by Minerva, a member of the First Civilization, about asolar flare that will hit the Earth and kill most of humanity in a few months. Desmond and his team travel to Monteriggioni, where they set up a new base and use the Animus to find the Temple of Juno, another First Civilization member, which houses Ezio's own Apple of Eden and the key to stopping the solar flare. The main narrative continues the story of Ezio, who travels toRome, the center of Templar power in Italy, to re-establish the Assassin Brotherhood there and defeat theBorgias, who have attacked Monteriggioni and stolen the Apple of Eden.
Brotherhood shares many of the same features as the previous game though it takes place primarily in one city: Rome. Like the Villa Auditore, the player can spend money to buy and upgrade shops and other facilities throughout the city to increase the revenue they can collect from it; however, the player will be required to destroy Borgia towers that control various sections of the city before they can do so. The Brotherhood of Assassins is introduced, by which, after saving citizens from certain events, the player can recruit these citizens as Assassins; they can then be dispatched to remote locations across Europe to gain experience and money or can be called in to help the player directly in a mission. For the first time in the series, the game featuresonline multiplayer, in which players assume the role of Abstergo employees who, through the use of the Animus, relive the genetic memories of Renaissance Templars in various game modes.[27] It was the last game to featureAssassin's Creed creatorPatrice Désilets, as the creative director of the series.[28][29]
Assassin's Creed Revelations is the final installment of the Ezio Trilogy and was released in November 2011 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows. Following the events ofBrotherhood, where he was possessed by Juno and forced to kill Lucy (who, unbeknownst to him, was a Templardouble agent), Desmond has fallen into acoma and was put back into the Animus to save his mind. Within the computerized core of the Animus, Desmond meets the preserved consciousness of Abstergo's previous Animus test subject,Clay Kaczmarek, who explains that Desmond's mind must achieve full synchronization with Altaïr and Ezio, or else he will fall intodementia. Desmond continues exploring the memories of Ezio, who, a few years after the events ofBrotherhood, travels toConstantinople to find five keys needed to open a library built by Altaïr, which is said to contain the power to end the Assassin–Templar conflict. In Constantinople, Ezio becomes caught in awar of succession between SultanBayezid II's sons,Selim andAhmet, and must confront a conspiracy masterminded by theByzantine Templars, who are taking advantage of the chaos to try and reclaim the city, as well as open Altaïr's library themselves.
OriginallyRevelations was announced asAssassin's Creed: Lost Legacy, and conceptualized as aNintendo 3DS title focusing on Ezio traveling to Masyaf to explore Altaïr's legacy and uncover the origins of the Assassin Brotherhood.[30][31]Lost Legacy was later announced as cancelled on July 15, 2011, after Ubisoft decided to expand the idea further, cancel the 3DS development and shift all development duties towards PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC to release the game as a full-fledged main installment of the franchise. The original premise remained and evolved into the plot seen in the final game.[32] Included were many new systems and additional weapons such as bomb-crafting and an expanded Assassin recruitment system. The multiplayer mode returns inRevelations, with more characters, modes, and maps; players once again assume the role of Templars in training and as they level up and rise in the ranks, they are told more about Abstergo's history.
Assassin's Creed III was released in October 2012 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and in November 2012 forWii U and Windows. A remastered version of the game with enhanced visuals was released for Windows,PlayStation 4, andXbox One in March 2019 and forNintendo Switch in May 2019. This is the final game in the series to follow Desmond, who travels to the First Civilization's Grand Temple inNew York with his friends and father to use the technology inside to prevent the solar flare set to hit the Earth in several weeks' time. To access this technology, Desmond must undertake missions across the globe to retrieve 'batteries' to power the Temple, as well as an ancient key to the Temple's inner chambers. To find the latter, Desmond uses the Animus to relive the memories of two of his ancestors who were in possession of the key at various points in time:Haytham Kenway, aBritish Templar from the 18th century who travels to theAmerican colonies to establish a strong Templar presence on the continent and find the Grand Temple; andRatonhnhaké:ton (later known as Connor), Haytham's half-Mohawk son, who becomes an Assassin to exact revenge on the Templars, whom he blames for the destruction of his village and the death of his mother in his youth. To this end, Connor later becomes involved in theAmerican Revolution, helping thePatriot cause in exchange for their help in hunting down Haytham's faction of Templars, who hope to use the Revolution to further their own goals.
Assassin's Creed III is structured similarly to the previous games, with missions taking place in an open-world map based on ColonialBoston andNew York. The game offers a large wilderness area in the form of the Frontier and the Davenport Homestead, where the player can hunt animals for materials, which subsequently can be used to construct goods to be traded and sold throughout the colonies. Naval battles also debut in the series, wherein the player must steer a warship named theAquila in dangerous waters and perform ship-to-ship combat with cannons and mounted guns. The multiplayer mode from the previous two games returns inAssassin's Creed III with new game modes, characters, and maps inspired by Colonial America, but this time no major narrative elements are included.
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag was released in October 2013 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii U and in November 2013 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows. Following the events ofAssassin's Creed III, at the end of which Desmond sacrificed himself to save the Earth, Abstergo retrieved samples from his body to continue exploring the memories of his ancestors. The player character is an unnamed Abstergo employee tasked with analyzing the memories ofEdward Kenway, an 18th-century pirate and Connor's grandfather, ostensibly to gather material for an Animus-powered interactive feature film; in reality, Abstergo are searching for the Observatory, a First Civilization structure that allows the user to see through the eyes of a subject to find them anywhere on the planet. As Edward, the player must unravel a conspiracy between high-ranking Templars to manipulate theBritish andSpanish empires into locating the Sage—later identified asBartholomew Roberts—who is the only man that can lead them to the Observatory.
Black Flag retains many gameplay mechanics fromAssassin's Creed III, including the ship-based exploration and combat. For the first time in the series, naval exploration is a major part of the game; players can captain Edward's ship, theJackdaw, and battle rival ships or huntsea animals. The game includes a large open world spanning theWest Indies, with players able to explore the cities ofHavana,Nassau, andKingston, as well as numerous islands, forts, and sunken ships. A multiplayer mode is once again included, although it is entirely land-based.
Assassin's Creed Rogue is the final game in the series to be developed for theseventh generation of consoles, being released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in November 2014,[33] and for Windows in March 2015.[34] A remastered version of the game was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in March 2018. In the present day, players again take on the role of an unnamed Abstergo employee, tasked with researching the memories ofShay Patrick Cormac, an 18th-century Assassin who, for reasons unknown to Abstergo, defected to the Templars. During their investigation, the player accidentally trips a hidden memory file that infects the Animus servers. They must complete Shay's memories to clean the servers while Abstergo is put under lockdown. The main narrative takes place during theSeven Years' War,[33] and follows Shay, who starts out as a talented, but insubordinate Assassin trainee. After witnessing the Assassins' hypocrisy and willingness to sacrifice civilians in their blind pursuit of the Pieces of Eden, Shay betrays them and joins the Templars, helping his newfound allies hunt down members of his former Brotherhood to prevent them from endangering more innocent lives. Shay's story is set between the events ofAssassin's Creed IV: Black Flag andAssassin's Creed III, and is meant to fill the gaps between their respective narratives, while also having "a crucial link to the Kenway saga" according to Ubisoft, as well as toAssassin's Creed Unity.[35] Several major characters fromAssassin's Creed III andBlack Flag make appearances in the game, such as Haytham Kenway, Achilles Davenport, andAdéwalé.[36]
In March 2014, a newAssassin's Creed game code-namedComet was revealed to be in development for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, set to release later that year alongsideUnity.[37] By the end of the month, additional reports indicated thatComet would be set around 1758New York City, and would feature sailing on theAtlantic Ocean. The game would be a direct sequel toBlack Flag, and would be the first to feature a Templar as the main protagonist. In May 2014, Guillemot stated that, "for the foreseeable future",Assassin's Creed games would continue releasing on the last generation PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, despite the franchise moving to the current generation PlayStation 4 and Xbox One withUnity.[38] On August 5, Ubisoft officially announced the game asAssassin's Creed Rogue. While the game reuses many assets fromBlack Flag, a number of new systems and weapons were included, such as anair rifle and refined naval combat, and the multiplayer aspect has been removed.
Assassin's Creed Unity was released concurrently withRogue in November 2014 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows,[39] and in December 2020 forGoogle Stadia. In the present-day, the player character is a player of Helix, an Animus-powered gaming device produced by Abstergo, who hope to use their unaware player base to locate more Pieces of Eden. While playing, the player is contacted by the modern-day Assassins and invited to join them as an Initiate and help them locate the body of an 18th-century Sage. The main story is set inParis during theFrench Revolution, and follows AssassinArno Dorian as he embarks on a quest for redemption after his foster father's death, which leads him to discover an internal conflict between the Templars as a result of the Revolution.[40]
On March 19, 2014, images leaked for the nextAssassin's Creed game, titled or code-namedUnity, showing a new assassin in Paris.[37] On March 21, Ubisoft confirmed the game's existence, having been in development for more than three years, by releasing pre-alpha game footage.[41] The game features enhanced visuals compared to its predecessors, and several new gameplay mechanics, including a four player co-op mode, a first for the series.[42]
Assassin's Creed Syndicate was released in October 2015 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, in November 2015 for Windows,[43] and in December 2020 for the Stadia. In the present-day, players control the same unnamed Assassin Initiate fromAssassin's Creed Unity, who this time must help the Assassins find a powerful artifact, the Shroud of Eden, hidden inLondon. The main story is set inVictorian era London and follows twin AssassinsJacob and Evie Frye, as they navigate the corridors of organized crime to take back the city from Templar control and prevent them from finding the Shroud. The narrative also includes segments set in war-torn London duringWorld War I, which follow Jacob's granddaughter, Lydia Frye, as she battles German soldiers and Templar spies and searches for a Sage.
In December 2014, images and information leaked for a newAssassin's Creed game, titled or code-namedVictory, which was later confirmed by Ubisoft.[44] In May 2015, Kotaku leaked thatVictory had been renamedSyndicate.[45] On May 12, 2015, the game was officially announced by Ubisoft.[46] The game retains most gameplay elements fromUnity, while introducing new travelling systems, such ascarriages and agrappling hook, and refined combat mechanics. It is the first game in the series to feature multiple playable protagonists, whom the player can switch between both during and outside missions.
Assassin's Creed Origins is a softreboot of the franchise, and was released in October 2017 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows,[47] and in December 2020 for the Stadia. The game introduces a new protagonist in the modern-day, Layla Hassan, and explores the origins of the Assassin Brotherhood and their conflict with the Templar Order. The story is set inAncient Egypt, near the end of thePtolemaic period, and follows aMedjay namedBayek and his wife Aya, whose fight to protect their people from the Order of the Ancients—forerunners to the Templar Order—leads them to create the Hidden Ones—forerunners to the Assassin Brotherhood. Unlike previous installments in the series, which were structured likeaction-adventure games,Origins is anaction role-playing game and introduces many new features to the series, including an overhauled hitbox-based combat system.
In February 2016, Ubisoft announced they would not be releasing a new game in 2016 in order to step "back and [re-examine] theAssassin's Creed franchise ... [and take the] year to evolve the game mechanics and to make sure we're delivering on the promise ofAssassin's Creed offering unique and memorable gameplay experiences."[48] On the decision, Guillemot said that "Ubisoft started to question the annualized franchise with the release ofAssassin's Creed Unity, and the fact thatAssassin's Creed Syndicate had "a slower launch than expected". Guillemot added that "by moving away from the annual iterations of the franchise, it will give theAssassin's Creed teams more time to take advantage of new engines and technology."[49]Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag's director Ashraf Ismail, commented on an interview that he and the team would be interested in doing anAssassin's Creed game in an Ancient Egyptian setting, along with reiterating an earlier statement that a female leading character was not an impossibility for the series.[50] In May 2017, Ubisoft confirmed the development ofAssassin's Creed Origins; one month later, the setting was confirmed to be Ptolemaic Egypt.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey was released in October 2018 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, andNintendo Switch,[51][52] and in November 2019 for the Stadia. The modern-day narrative continues from the events ofOrigins, as Layla, after being recruited to the Assassins, searches forAtlantis, which is rumored to house a powerful artifact: the Staff ofHermes Trismegistus. The main story is set during thePeloponnesian War betweenAthens andSparta, at the height ofClassical Greece. Players choose between two playable protagonists,Alexios and Kassandra, and embark on a quest to discover mysteries surrounding their family, as well as undermine a proto-Templar organization: the Cult of Kosmos, which is responsible for orchestrating the war.
Odyssey was leaked in May 2018 by a picture posted by the French website Jeuxvideo; it was officially announced at E3 2018, with a release date of October 2018. Similarly toOrigins, the game places more emphasis on role-playing elements than previous entries in the series and introduces dialogue options and branching quests, which can result in different endings.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla was released in November 2020 for the PlayStation 4,PlayStation 5, Xbox One,Xbox Series X/S, Windows and Stadia. The game concludes the modern-day story arc focusing on Layla, who must find a First Civilization temple inNorway to restore theEarth's magnetic field to its proper strength since Desmond's sacrifice inAssassin's Creed III only delayed the apocalypse. The main narrative takes place in the late 9th century, during theViking expansions into the British Isles. Players control a customizable Viking raider,Eivor Varinsdottir, who becomes embroiled in the conflict between the Hidden Ones and the Order of the Ancients while attempting to establish a new Viking clan in England.
Valhalla was officially announced in April 2020. Ubisoft Montreal led its development along with fourteen other Ubisoft studios.[53] The title had been leaked earlier in April 2019 under the nameAssassin's Creed Kingdom.[54][55][56] Like its predecessors,Valhalla is an action role-playing game focused on combat and exploration, although it brings back several elements that were absent inOrigins andOdyssey, such as social stealth and a customizable settlement.
Assassin's Creed Mirage was released in October 2023 for Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Set inBaghdad during theIslamic Golden Age—primarily during theAnarchy at Samarra—it followsBasim Ibn Ishaq, a character introduced inAssassin's Creed Valhalla, and his transition from street thief to Hidden One, a decade before the events ofValhalla. The design philosophy behind the game intended it to be a return to the series' roots by focusing on stealth, parkour, and assassinations over the role-playing elements featured heavily in recent installments.
In early 2022, it was reported that a newAssassin's Creed game, titled or code-namedRift, was in development and expected to release in late 2022 or early 2023. According to various leaks and reports, the game started out as an expansion forValhalla and was intended to be more akin to older games in the series, featuring a smaller setting and a bigger focus on stealth gameplay.[57][58] The game was officially confirmed by Ubisoft asAssassin's Creed Mirage on September 1, 2022,[59] followed by a full announcement during the Ubisoft Forward online event on September 10.[11] At the PlayStation Showcase event in May 2023, a new trailer for the game was shown, which revealed the release date to be October 12;[60] however, it was later changed to October 5.[61]
Assassin's Creed Shadows was released in March 2025 for the PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S, andmacOS. Set inJapan towards the end of theSengoku period, the game follows two distinct protagonists: Fujibayashi Naoe, akunoichi, andYasuke, an Africansamurai based on thehistorical figure of the same name. Developed by Ubisoft Quebec,[10] the game is an action role-playing title similar toOdyssey, with an emphasis on each of its two playable characters' set of unique skills.[62] It is also the first installment in the series to include theAnimus Hub, formerly known asAssassin's Creed Infinity.[10][2]
Shadows was first announced at Ubisoft Forward in September 2022 under the working titleAssassin's Creed: Codename Red,[12][63][64] as the next majorAssassin's Creed game, to take place during theFeudal Japan period. Few details were revealed initially, although Marc-Alexis Côté, the Vice President Executive Producer for theAssassin's Creed franchise, said that the game would let players live out a "very powerfulshinobi fantasy".[10] On May 15, 2024, the first trailer for the game was released, which revealed its official title and a release date of November 15, 2024.[12][63][64] In September, Ubisoft announced thatShadows had been delayed to February 14, 2025,[65] and in January, the game was again delayed to March 20, 2025.[66]
Assassin's Creed III: Liberation is a spin-off toAssassin's Creed III, originally released for thePlayStation Vita in October 2012. The story takes place alongside the events ofAssassin's Creed III and followsAveline de Grandpré, aLouisiana Creole woman fromNew Orleans, the daughter of a French merchant father and an African mother.[67] Aveline is recruited into the Assassin Brotherhood by a former slave and fights against slavery as well as the Templars, who plot to take overLouisiana after the end of theSeven Years' War. Aveline uses a variety of new weapons in combat, including a machete and a blowpipe for ranged attacks, and can disguise herself to deceive enemies, although certain disguises limit her movement and abilities. The entire game is presented as a product developed by the in-universe company Abstergo Entertainment, who have done a heavy amount of censoring in regards to the Assassin–Templar conflict. At various points during their playthrough, the player is contacted by the hacking collective Erudito, who helps them uncensor the game to learn the true nature of the events depicted.
An originalAssassin's Creed title for the PlayStation Vita was announced to be in development during Gamescom 2011 and would feature a new story with new characters; on June 4, 2012, at E3,Liberation was officially announced.[68] On September 10, 2013, it was announced that the game would be re-released asAssassin's Creed: Liberation HD for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows via thePlayStation Network,Xbox Live Arcade, andSteam, respectively.[69] In March 2019, it was announced that a remastered version ofLiberation would be bundled withAssassin's Creed III Remastered for Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and, later, for the Nintendo Switch. Ubisoft officially decommissionedAssassin's Creed: Liberation HD on October 1, 2022, with no additional copies being sold outside of the bundledAssassin's Creed III Remastered version.[70]
Assassin's Creed Freedom Cry was originally released asdownloadable content (DLC) for most versions ofAssassin's Creed IV: Black Flag in December 2013. A standalone version was released in February 2014 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4.[71] Set thirteen years after the ending ofBlack Flag, the game followsAdéwalé, a major supporting character fromBlack Flag, who served as thequartermaster to protagonistEdward Kenway before joining the Assassin Brotherhood towards the end of the main story. During the events ofFreedom Cry, Adéwalé finds himself shipwrecked in theFrench colony ofSaint-Domingue (present-dayHaiti), where he encounters some of the most brutal slavery practices in theWest Indies. Being a former slave, Adéwalé temporarily abandons his fight against the Templars and joins aMaroon rebellion to help them rescue oppressed slaves.
Being originally released as DLC forBlack Flag,Freedom Cry's gameplay is virtually identical, though it does feature several new additions. Most notably, Adéwalé has the option to rescue slaves by raiding plantations, attacking slave ships, or simply killing their masters, with each freed slave serving as a resource for the player to accumulate to unlock upgrades for Adéwalé. Furthermore, some freed slaves join the Maroon rebellion and can become crew members aboard Adéwalé's ship, theExperto Crede, or help the player fight enemies.
Assassin's Creed Chronicles is sub-series of three2.5D action and stealth games released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Xbox One.[72]
Assassin's Creed Nexus VR is avirtual reality game developed by Ubisoft's subsidiary studio,Red Storm Entertainment, and released for theMeta Quest 2 on November 16, 2023. In the game, players take on the role of an Assassin hacker who infiltrates Abstergo and relives the memories of three of the series' protagonists—Ezio Auditore,Kassandra, andRatonhnhaké:ton / Connor—to sabotage the Templars' latest project, called "Nexus Eye".[76]
In September 2020, at the digital event ofFacebook Connect, Red Storm Entertainment's VP of Product Development, Elizabeth Loverso, revealed severalAAA game franchises coming to virtual reality format to the public. Two of the projects announced were an untitledAssassin's Creed game and an untitled installment from theTom Clancy's Splinter Cell series (also developed by Ubisoft), with both titles set to release exclusively for Oculus platforms.[77] This would not be the firstAssassin's Creed title to come to VR, but would be the first to be publicly available; theSplinter Cell VR game was cancelled on July 21, 2022.[78] In June 2023, at aMeta Quest Gaming Showcase event, the updated title for the game,Assassin's Creed Nexus VR, was announced along with a release window of late 2023.[79]
Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles is a spin-off for theNintendo DS,Windows Phone,Android,iOS,webOS,Symbian, andJava ME, originally released in February 2008. The game is a prequel to the firstAssassin's Creed, taking place in the year 1190, and follows Altaïr as he attempts to retrieve an artifact called the Chalice from the Templars.
Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines is the second spin-off title following Altaïr. It was released as aPlayStation Portable exclusive in November 2009 (concurrently withAssassin's Creed II) and acts as a direct sequel to the original game. Following the events ofAssassin's Creed, Altaïr travels to the island nation ofCyprus to eliminate the last remnants of the Templar Order.[80] Here, he again runs into Maria Thorpe, a Templar agent whose life he spared in the first game, and they team up to eliminate the Templar presence on the island and learn more about the Apple of Eden and the mysterious Templar Archive, where more Pieces of Eden are believed to be hidden.[81] Despite the technical limitations of the PlayStation Portable, the game features most gameplay mechanics of the console and PC titles, and even a few exclusive elements.[82]
Assassin's Creed II: Discovery is a spin-off toAssassin's Creed II and was released alongside it in November 2009 for the Nintendo DS; it was later re-released for iOS in January 2010. The game is a 2.5Dside-scroller, and takes place during the events ofAssassin's Creed II, between Sequences 12 and 13 when Ezio is searching for the Apple of Eden after losing it toGirolamo Savonarola. During his search, Ezio travels toSpain to rescue members of the Spanish Assassin Brotherhood who have been arrested on the orders ofTomás de Torquemada, theGrand Inquisitor of theSpanish Inquisition, and allies with several historical figures, such asLuis de Santángel andChristopher Columbus.
Assassin's Creed: Multiplayer Rearmed is a multiplayer video game designed foriOS,[83] and released for theiPad,iPhone, andiPod Touch in October 2011.[84] It is the onlyAssassin's Creed multiplayer game driven by an in-game economy.[85] The aim of the game is to assassinate the assigned targets while avoiding being killed by a hunter.[86] The player can purchase additional items, characters and abilities as well as compete with friends and foes from around the globe in a four player real-time online multiplayer mode.[87] Players can connect viaGame Center.[88] It is also possible to play against someone in the immediate area viaBluetooth.[89] Available map locations includeJerusalem,San Donato,Venice andAlhambra.[90]
Assassin's Creed: Recollection is a real-time board game designed for iOS. It was initially released for the iPad in December 2011, and later for the iPhone and iPod Touch in March 2012. In the game, players go head-to-head in real-time political battles with different characters from the main games of the series across over 280 memories. The single-player campaign is estimated to provide over ten hours of gameplay, with 20 missions fromBarcelona toConstantinople and 10 bonus challenge missions. The game also features a Versus Mode, in which players can challenge their friends and other people worldwide, as well as a collection of various artwork from the franchise.[91][better source needed]
Assassin's Creed: Pirates is a mobile game released on iOS and Android devices on December 5, 2013.[92] Developed byUbisoft Paris,[93] the game follows Captain Alonzo Batilla, who is neither Assassin nor Templar, as he commands a ship and crew, while crossing paths with the Assassins and Templars.[94] Gameplay focuses on real-time battles between ships. The title is rendered in 3D and features both wind and weather that will affect how players proceed.[95]
Assassin's Creed: Memories is a mobile game that was released on iOS devices on August 20, 2014.[96] Developed along with PlayNext and Gree, the game combines card collection and battling, target chasing, and strategy elements, along with the option of competitive multiplayer.[97] Additional multiplayer options include allowing players to join a guild and engage in 20 vs. 20 guild combat scenarios.Memories features different historical eras, including the Third Crusade, the Golden Age of Piracy, feudal Japan and the Mongolian Empire.[98]
Assassin's Creed Unity: Arno's Chronicles is a side-scrolling mobile game released for theHuawei Honor smartphone series in June 2017. It features a similar gameplay style to theAssassin's Creed Chronicles games, and roughly adapts the events ofAssassin's Creed Unity's main storyline.[99]
Assassin's Creed Rebellion is afree-to-play,strategy role-playing game for iOS and Android devices that was released worldwide on November 21, 2018.[100][better source needed] Set during theSpanish Inquisition in the late 15th century, it follows the Spanish Assassins under Aguilar de Nerha as they attempt to build their own Brotherhood to overthrow the Spanish Templars.[101] The game features a large cast of characters from the entireAssassin's Creed franchise, as well as thirty new characters created exclusively forRebellion.[102][better source needed]
Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy was a single-playerbrowser-based,role-playing video gameFacebook application designed as a promotion and tie-in forAssassin's Creed: Brotherhood. The game is mostlytext-based but includes graphics and sound as well as some video. The game was put on indefinite hold in 2011 and was later removed by Facebook on 15 May 2013.[103][104]
Assassin's Creed: Utopia is a cancelled mobile game that was planned to be available onAndroid andiOS devices.[105][106] The game's story would have led intoAssassin's Creed III, though there would have been no links in terms of gameplay.[107]Utopia would have taken place in the 17th century, at the beginning of thecolonization of North America.[108] Gameplay would have spanned 150 years of history to help players, in the words of Tom Phillips fromEurogamer, "discover how the Assassins influenced history and helped shape the nation's original thirteen colonies".[109] The gameplay involved building a colonial city, and was planned to have more of a social slant than any of the earlier games.[110] The Assassins of each colony would have taken on their enemies in limited-time epic battles, and players would have been able to pit their strength against friends in asynchronous 3D brawls.[111]
Assassin's Creed: Initiates was a community-oriented project launched on 1 September 2012 which concerned the universe of the franchise, its database, plot elements and dossiers of the characters. It was shut down on 24 December 2014.[112] Offline maintenance continued until February 2015,[113] and the platform was retired on 4 December 2015.[114]
Assassin's Creed Identity was a third-personrole-playing video game for iOS and Android devices that was released worldwide on February 25, 2016,[115] following a soft-launch in Australia and New Zealand in 2014.[116] It was the first mobile game in the series to feature a fully explorable 3D environment, and took place alongside the events ofAssassin's Creed: Brotherhood. InIdentity, players created their own custom Assassin and completed missions for the Brotherhood in Italy, while interacting with various characters from the mainline games, likeEzio Auditore andNiccolò Machiavelli.[117] The game's servers were shut down in October 2021, and it is no longer playable.
An untitled game had started development around 2024. It was set during theAmerican Civil War and featured a black slave that had escaped, was recruited by the Assassins, and then proceeded to combat racist groups like theKu Klux Klan. Ubisoft cancelled the title after the backlash over Yasuke inShadows and the unease in the political climate in the U.S. during 2024.[118]
Asked about the future of the series in 2009, Sébastien Puel from Ubisoft said that "we could do 35 of these [Assassin's Creed games]",[128] while Laurent Detoc later said "we hope to reachAssassin's Creed 10."[129]
In November 2011, a Ubisoft survey was sent out, asking participants which locations and time periods they would like to see in the "nextAssassin's Creed games". These settings wereMedieval China,Victorian England,Ancient Egypt, thePortuguese andSpanish colonizations of theAmericas, theAmerican Revolution, theRussian Revolution,Feudal Japan, andAncient Rome.[130] Alex Hutchinson, creative director ofAssassin's Creed III, suggested the most requestedAssassin's Creed settings,World War II, Feudal Japan and Ancient Egypt, are "the three worst settings for anAssassin's Creed game".[131] Hutchinson also stated both he andCorey May were open to the idea of a future entry set during the time of theBritish Raj,[132] which now consists of the modern states ofBangladesh,Pakistan,Myanmar, andIndia. Victorian England, the American Revolution, Medieval China, parts of the British Raj, the Russian Revolution, Ancient Egypt, and Feudal Japan were eventually used forAssassin's Creed Syndicate,Assassin's Creed III,Assassin's Creed Chronicles,Assassin's Creed Origins, andAssassin's Creed Shadows, respectively. World War I appeared briefly as a section ofSyndicate, while World War II was used for a single mission inAssassin's Creed Unity.
On June 28, 2024, Ubisoft CEOYves Guillemot confirmed the future development ofremakes of some of the olderAssassin's Creed titles, which would reportedly "allow [Ubisoft] to revisit some of the games we've created in the past and modernize them". Guillemot stated that this decision stemmed from the fact that "There are worlds in some of our older Assassin's Creed games that are still extremely rich".[133]
Assassin's Creed Jade is an upcoming title for Android and iOS devices. Set inAncient China during theQin dynasty in the 3rd century BC, the game will allow players to create their own custom character and will feature the same style of gameplay as the main console and PC releases.[134]
The game was first leaked asProject Jade on September 6, 2022, and reported byTry Hard Guides.[135] A teaser trailer was showcased at Ubisoft Forward on September 10, which revealed the game's working title ofAssassin's Creed: Codename Jade. In July 2023, a closed beta test for the game was announced, which required players to sign up between August 3 and 11 to participate.[136] AtGamescom 2023, a gameplay trailer was shown and the game's official title was revealed to beAssassin's Creed Jade.[137]
Assassin's Creed: Codename Hexe was announced at Ubisoft Forward in September 2022 as the next flagship title in the series, followingShadows. Development is being led by Clint Hocking at Ubisoft Montreal. Marc-Alexis Côté described the title as "a very different type of Assassin's Creed game".[13] While little on its setting was shown in its initial trailer,Bloomberg News reported that the game is set inCentral Europe during the 16th century, at the height of theHoly Roman Empire, and will focus onwitch hunts and other paranormal fears.[138]
TheAnimus Hub is a feature which made its debut inAssassin's Creed Shadows, intended to connect multiple installments of theAssassin's Creed franchise. Initially announced as a standalone launcher under the nameAssassin's Creed Infinity,[139] Ubisoft revealed more details about theAnimus Hub in January 2025, ahead ofShadows' release, including the fact that it would be a component present in all upcomingAssassin's Creed titles, meant to help immerse players in the games' fictional universe. From theAnimus Hub, players can launch allAssassin's Creed games installed on their system, complete "Projects" to earn in-game rewards, and access an extensive database called "the Vault", which also contains elements related to the overarching modern-day narrative.
At launch, the only games to be included in theAnimus Hub wereOrigins,Odyssey,Valhalla,Mirage, andShadows, with more titles set to be added over time.[2] TheAnimus Hub was first announced as a new live-service title codenamedAssassin's Creed Infinity in April 2021.
Following another round of sexual misconduct allegations and internal investigations across Ubisoft in 2020 and 2021, which saw the departure of many top-level executives as well as attrition from its studios, Ubisoft opted to merge operations of the Montreal and Quebec studios under one administrative body, with Quebec taking the lead on theAssassin's Creed series. This led to a collaboration to develop the "most ambitious game" in the series to date:Assassin's Creed Infinity.[139]Infinity was initially envisioned to be similar toFortnite andGrand Theft Auto Online, in that it would be more of aservice, rather than a game, intended to be an entry point for futureAssassin's Creed titles for players as well as to simplify the development of these games across Ubisoft's studios.[140][139][141]
Marc-Alexis Côté, from Ubisoft Quebec, was announced to serve asInfinity's executive producer.[142] According to Côté,Infinity would be used to present the modern-day setting of theAssassin's Creed games involving the Animus, while each game would be focused on the historical setting.[143]Clint Hocking and Jonathan Dumont serve as the creative directors, leading the Montreal and Quebec divisions, respectively.[142] Étienne Allonier and Julien Laferrière, both from Montreal, serve as brand director and senior producer, respectively.[142] In September 2022, more details aboutAssassin's Creed Infinity were revealed, including the fact that the first two games to be included inInfinity would be the then-upcomingAssassin's Creed: Codename Red (later renamed toAssassin's Creed Shadows)[10] andAssassin's Creed: Codename Hexe.[13] In January 2025, Ubisoft officially announcedInfinity's rebranding to theAnimus Hub and that it would no longer be a standalone title, but rather a feature present in all upcomingAssassin's Creed games.[2]
In November 2016, it was announced that Ubisoft andNetflix started talks regarding how to develop anAssassin's Creed series.[144] In July 2017,Adi Shankar revealed he would be creating the series, which would be in theanime format.[145] The series, which will feature an original story from Shankar, will share the same universe as the other media of the franchise.[146]
A live-action series, an animated series, and an anime series were announced in October 2020 for Netflix. The live-action series would be produced byUbisoft Film & Television for the streaming service, with Jason Altman and Danielle Kreinik as executive producers andJeb Stuart as the writer.[147][148] In January 2023,Collider reported that Stuart was no longer involved with the series.[149] By July 2025, Netflix and Ubisoft announced thatRoberto Patino and David Wiener will produce the series.[150] In November 2025,Toby Wallace was cast as a series regular.[151]
Elements fromAssassin's Creed appear as part of the 2023 animated seriesCaptain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix. One of the primary protagonists, the anthropomorphic frog Bullfrog, is depicted as a member of the Order of Assassins, while the antagonistic megacorporation Eden is said to be descended from the Templar Order.[152]
A live-action film,Assassin's Creed, set in the same universe as the video games and other media,[153] was released on December 21, 2016.[154] Development for the film began in October 2011, whenSony Pictures entered final negotiations withUbisoft Motion Pictures to make the film.[155] In July 2012,Michael Fassbender was announced to star in the film, as well as co-produce the film.[156] His role was revealed in August 2015 as Callum Lynch, whose ancestor Aguilar, is an Assassin from 15th-century Spain.[157] In October 2012, Ubisoft revealed the film would no longer be produced by Sony Pictures, instead co-produced withNew Regency and distributed by20th Century Fox.[158] In January 2013, Michael Lesslie was hired to write the film,[159] withScott Frank, Adam Cooper and Bill Collage performing rewrites to the script.[160][161] By the end of April 2014,Justin Kurzel was in talks to direct.[162]Principal photography began on August 31, 2015,[157][163][164] and ended on January 15, 2016.[165] The film was poorly received by critics and performed poorly at the box office, losing an estimated $75 to $100 million and becoming one of the biggest box office bombs of 2016.[166][167][168]
Assassin's Creed: Lineage is a 36-minute film made to promoteAssassin's Creed II.[169] The film, released in three parts on YouTube across 2009, was the first step by Ubisoft into the film industry.[170]Lineage serves as a prequel toAssassin's Creed II, exploring the life of Ezio's father Giovanni Auditore and his career as an Assassin in 15th-century Italy. Following the mysterious assassination ofDuke of Milan,Galeazzo Maria Sforza, in 1476, Giovanni sets out to find those responsible, leading him to uncover a larger conspiracy masterminded by the Templars and their Grand Master,Rodrigo Borgia.[171]
Originally namedSecret Project Number Three,[172]Assassin's Creed: Ascendance is an animated short byUbiWorkshop and Ubisoft Montreal, which bridges the gap betweenAssassin's Creed II andAssassin's Creed: Brotherhood.[173] It revolves aroundCesare Borgia's backstory and rise to power in Italy.
Assassin's Creed: Embers is a 21-minute animated film included in the Signature and Collector's Editions ofAssassin's Creed Revelations; it was later re-released on thePlayStation Store in April 2015. The film serves as an epilogue to Ezio's story, depicting the final days of his life after he retired from the Assassin Brotherhood and started a family. When a mysterious Chinese Assassin namedShao Jun arrives to seek his help and guidance, Ezio must fight to protect his loved ones one last time.
TheAssassin's Creed series has acollection of print publications by various authors, includingChristie Golden,Oliver Bowden,Gordon Doherty andMatthew J. Kirby. Set within the fictional universe of the video game franchise, it includes collections such asnovels,comic books, andencyclopedias. British publishing housePenguin Books was responsible for most of the publications until 2020.[174][175]
Assassin's Creed Gold is anAudible audio drama by Anthony del Col, released on February 27, 2020. The four-hour drama follows a card shark and hustler called Ailyah Khan (Tamara Lawrence), who is enlisted by Gavin Banks (John Chancer) to relive the memories of 17th century Assassin Omar Khaled (Riz Ahmed). The production also features the voices ofAnthony Head, asIsaac Newton, and Danny Wallace, who reprises his series role as Shaun Hastings.[176]
Aboard game,Assassin's Creed: Arena, was launched on February 26, 2014.[177] Inspired byAssassin's Creed: Revelations, it features many characters from the game, includingShahkulu, Anacletos, Odai Dunqas and Oksana Razin, as well as original characters.[178]
On September 17, 2018, Triton Noir announced a new board game calledAssassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice.[179] Set in 1509, between the events ofAssassin's Creed: Brotherhood andRevelations, it includes characters from the video games likeEzio Auditore da Firenze,Leonardo da Vinci, andLucrezia Borgia, as well as new characters like Alessandra d'Avanzago.[180] It was developed by Thibaud de la Touanne,[181] and was estimated to provide more than 20 hours of play.[182] The game was set to release in November 2018,[183] but was delayed and eventually released in August 2021.[184] In March 2023, an expansion, titledAssassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice – Apocalypse and set in the jungles of theKhmer Empire (modern-dayCambodia) during the 16th century, was announced.[185]
Assassin's Creed Symphony is a tour across North America and Europe featuring composers who worked on the soundtracks of each game in the series, includingJesper Kyd,Lorne Balfe,Brian Tyler,Austin Wintory,Sarah Schachner,Winifred Phillips, Elitsa Alexandrova,Chris Tilton, Ryan Amon, andThe Flight.[186] It was scheduled to begin in the summer of 2019,[187] and expected to feature holographic characters from the series.[188] The 2019–2020 tour was canceled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[189][190][191]
The concert Assassin's Creed Symphonic Adventure, developed byOverlook Events, was presented in a world premiere in Paris on October 29, 2022, at theLe Grand Rex. The world premiere celebrated the 15th anniversary of the video game series. An international world tour is scheduled to begin in 2023. The concert is a two-hour performance with a full symphonic orchestra, also featuring achoir andsoloists.[192]
TheAssassin's Creed series has received mainly positive reviews from critics, withBlast Magazine calling it "the standout series on [the seventh generation] of consoles".[252] It has been praised for its ambitious game design, visuals, and narratives but criticized for its technical issues and annual releases of almost every installment;[253][254][255] the series' shift, which started inOrigins,[256] towards prioritising role-playing mechanics over stealth in several games has been considered polarizing.[257][258][259]
As of September 2019[update], the series had sold over 140 million copies with over 95 million players, becoming Ubisoft's best selling franchise and one of the highest selling video game franchises of all time.[260][261][262] By September 2022, total sales of the series had reached 200 million.[263] The franchise reportedly generated around €4 billion in the decade leading up to 2024.[264]
Elements ofAssassin's Creed have been introduced as content into other Ubisoft games and those from third parties. ThemacOS andMicrosoft Windows versions ofTeam Fortress 2 (2007) features two cosmetic items for the Spy class that were added to promoteAssassin's Creed: Revelations; the first is the series' signature Hidden Blade, while the second is a hood based on the one Ezio wears in the game.[265]Sackboy, the player character fromLittleBigPlanet andLittleBigPlanet 2, can be equipped with askin resembling Ezio's outfit.[266] InPrince of Persia (2008), Altaïr's costume can be unlocked with a code obtained by pre-ordering the game.[267] In 2010'sPrince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, there is an outfit resembling Ezio's robes inAssassin's Creed II, which is unlockable throughUplay.[268]Final Fantasy XIII-2 (2011) includes a costume based on Ezio's outfit fromAssassin's Creed: Revelations as an optional costume option as downloadable content.[269]
InMetal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008), Altaïr's outfit is an unlockable cosmetic option forSolid Snake; it was originally announced as anApril Fools joke by game directorHideo Kojima.[270] Kojima later returned the favor by allowing Ubisoft to include aRaiden outfit inAssassin's Creed: Brotherhood.[271] InMetal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (2010), the player can jump into a bale of hay from a rooftop, which includes the Eagle sound effect used in theAssassin's Creed games, and use it to attract and subdue enemies. The Assassin Order is referenced by a character.[272] In the 2009Wii gameAcademy of Champions: Soccer, Altaïr appears as a playable character along with other Ubisoft characters.[273] In the 2012 gameSoulcalibur V, Ezio appears as a playable fighter and is featured on the box art.[274] In July 2022, both Ezio and Eivor were added as playable fighters inBrawlhalla (2017).[275]
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (2013) introduces the character of Olivier Garneau, the CEO of video game company Abstergo Entertainment, who helps Ubisoft to develop theAssassin's Creed video games within the franchise's fictional universe. During the events of the game, Garneau goes toChicago, the setting of Ubisoft's 2014 video gameWatch Dogs. In the latter game, Garneau is the subject of a side mission that sees the playable protagonist Aiden Pearce saving him from being kidnapped; it is implied this was done by the Assassin Brotherhood. Additionally, two characters in the game are seen playingAssassin's Creed II. Ubisoft has described those appearances as small Easter eggs, and has neither confirmed nor denied a shared continuity between both franchises.[276]Assassin's Creed Origins (2017) mentions the news about Garneau's incident in Chicago, along with a picture of Aiden Pearce killing Garneau.[277]
Indownloadable contents (DLC), Ubisoft collaborated withSquare Enix to hold a limited-timeAssassin's Creed-themed festival event crossover inFinal Fantasy XV (2016) on consoles under the titleAssassin's Festival, which lasted from August 31, 2017, to January 31, 2018. The DLC featured gameplay elements from theAssassin's Creed game series, new additional quests, mini-games, and exclusiveAssassin's Creed-themed items.[278] In January 2020,Nintendo released a Mii Fighter costume based on Altaïr as downloadable content in the crossover fighting gameSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018).[279]
In August 2021, Ubisoft released a free update for their 2020 gameWatch Dogs: Legion that featured a non-canonical crossover with theAssassin's Creed series. The update introduced optional story content, which sees DedSec crossing paths with and subsequently helping Darcy Clarkson, a member of the modern-day Assassin Brotherhood and a descendant ofJacob and Evie Frye. Darcy is also included as a playable character and features a unique Assassin-themed playstyle.[280]
Theopening ceremony of the2024 Summer Olympics featured a masked torchbearer wearing a hooded outfit and performing parkour acrossParis' rooftops. This drew many comparisons to the main characters of theAssassin's Creed series, especiallyArno Dorian, the protagonist ofAssassin's Creed Unity (2014), which is also set in Paris.[281] This similarity was acknowledged, and implied to be intentional, by Ubisoft in a response to a tweet by the official Olympics Twitter account posted during the opening ceremonies.[282]
In an update forAstro Bot, a cameo bot was added in who is based onEzio Auditore da Firenze and the prop is of a tower with a pile of haystack at the bottom, interpreted as a reference to the "leap of faith" and landing in haystack, the franchise's well-known recurring elements.
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