Ubisoft has upgraded an expansion for 2020’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla into a stand-alone game that could release as soon as this fall, Bloomberg reports.
According to the report, this Assassin’s Creed game will be different in scope than recent games in the series. Since Assassin’s Creed Origins in 2017, mainline games in the series have been sprawling open-world RPGs that could potentially last players hundreds of hours. This Assassin’s Creed game will reportedly be more focused on stealth gameplay than a large open world, partially due to being an expansion-turned-game. This change of pace might prove refreshing for fans who feel burnt out by recent Assassin’s Creed titles and are yearning for something closer to the pre-Origins formula.
We also know a few details regarding the story and setting. Bloomberg claims it will star a Valhalla supporting character named Basim. Meanwhile, Eurogamer reports that this new game will take place in Baghdad, which would be a significant shift from the northern European setting of Valhalla.
Previously, Bloomberg detailed Ubisoft’s plans for Assassin’s Creed Infinity, a live service game that Ubisoft could update with new settings and content over several years. According to the February 2022 report, that project is not ready just yet. While work on Infinity has resulted in the cancellation of some titles, this Assassin’s Creed stand-alone game survived and will serve as a stopgap between Valhalla and Infinity.
Ubisoft has not confirmed any of these details. It told Bloomberg that it doesn’t comment on rumors, but has a “solid and exciting lineup of titles in our pipeline, both established brands with new story twists and features, and brand-new IPs that will continue to change the landscape of today’s video games.”
While Ubisoft has yet to officially announce the game or what platforms it will be on, this Assassin’s Creed game is expected to launch sometime in 2022 or 2023.
