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'Assassin's Creed' Heads East To Baghdad, Japan & China As It Celebrates Franchise's 15th Anniversary

‘Assassin’s Creed’ Heads East To Baghdad, Japan & China As It Celebrates Franchise’s 15th Anniversary

With the latest Ubisoft Forward presentation giving players a clearer idea of what is to come from the major publisher, the spotlight never strays too far from one of its biggest franchises, that of Assassin’s Creed. With 2022 being the 15th year since the war between assassins and templars erupted, naturally, big things are in the pipeline, and that includes the newly revealed projects of Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Codename Red, Codename Jade, and Codename Hexe.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage

Assassin's Creed Mirage

The next mainline chapter in the franchise comes in the form of Assassin’s Creed Mirage, which will bring players to the colourful city of Baghdad in the 9th century, as we join Basim Ibn Is’haq, the very same from Valhalla, in his journey to become a master assassin. With the help of his mentor, Roshan (voiced by Shohreh Aghdashloo), the adventure will arrive in 2023.

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Longtime fans will be happy to learn that Assassin’s Creed Mirage promises a throwback experience of sorts, with a focus on narrative-driven gameplay instead of an open world of sorts, much like the earlier titles of the franchise. The use of Baghdad in the Middle East echoes the origins of the series, as are the key gameplay pillars of stealth, parkour, and assassinations.

Identifying your target, hunting them down, and disappearing without a trace is a gameplay loop that many have missed, and the system of detection is being reworked and improved; players can expect more challenge and more help in terms of tools like the blowdart or the mine. Parkour will feel faster and smoother, while the new pole vault will make large gaps easier to overcome.

The assassinations will come in the form of what Ubisoft has called black box missions, where your approach and methodology are entirely up to you. Most of the assassination animations are also brand new, and together with new Assassin Tools and interactions, will make every kill an exciting one.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage takes place in 861, a few decades before Valhalla; players will enter a bustling Baghdad where its populace reacts to your every move, with four unique districts providing a variety of opportunities. A tightly crafted experience will likely mean less of the bloated side quests, more significant characters both historical and fictional, and the introduction of the Alamut, the legendary home of the Assassins and the fortress of the Hidden Ones.

As for Basim, he is touted as one of the most resourceful and agile Assassins around, with his ability to focus allowing for multiple stealth assassinations at once in Assassin’s Creed Mirage. The trusty eagle known as Enkidu will serve as his eyes in the skies, perfect for scoping out the best approaches for a stealthy kill. However, there is also more danger in the form of special archers that can counter the eagle, so you have been warned.

Check out our interview with Creative Director, Stephane Boudon, and learn more about Assassin’s Creed Mirage.

Assassin’s Creed Codename Red, Codename Hexe, Codename Jade

Doubling down on Ubisoft’s passion for history and the rich playground it can provide, the company also revealed that it has three more Assassin’s Creed games in the works, including one which many fans have been crying out for.

Codename Red

The confirmation of a brand new Assassin’s Creed game set in feudal Japan will be a dream come true for many fans, and Codename Red is exactly that. The next premium flagship title following Mirage and the future of the franchise, this is being developed by Ubisoft Quebec, the folks behind the excellent Odyssey.

Assassin's Creed Codename Red Japan

A powerful shinobi fantasy will await, but with no more other details, it is likely we will see Assassin’s Creed Codename Red in 2024 or beyond.

Codename Hexe

Positioned as a different type of Assassin’s Creed game, Codename Hexe is being developed by the Montreal team and will follow after Codename Red, and while the only footage we saw gave away very little, the use of runes and signs suggest a magical slant to things.

Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe

That would certainly be a departure from what we have come to expect from the franchise, and is exciting in concept, to say the least.

Codename Jade

The very first open-world AAA Assassin’s Creed game for mobile, Codename Jade will feature all the iconic gameplay optimised for touch controls, transporting players to ancient China where they have the freedom to create their own assassin.

Assassin's Creed Codename Jade

If you always wanted to parkour on top of the Great Wall of China, this will be your best chance.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

After two years of prolonged support for the game, the end is in sight for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Likely one of the last content additions for Year 2, The Last Chapter will be a free quest arc that ties up more of the storylines in the main game that will arrive in a few months’ time.

Eivor will reunite with key characters throughout his or her reign, probably get into more fights, and hopefully end things off with a bang as we look forward to Assassin’s Creed Mirage.

Codename Infinity

Other than the four games shared by Ubisoft, we also got an update on Assassin’s Creed Infinity, which was confirmed to be a live service, but not so much a game per se. Instead, it will serve as a single entry point for fans to enjoy all the content, functioning as a hub that unites all the different experiences in one convenient spot.

The team also alluded to potential standalone multiplayer experiences through Infinity, and if they can pull it off for both single-player and multiplayer gameplay, it is going to be groundbreaking.

More Anniversary Celebrations

In addition to all the gaming goodness, Ubisoft is upping the ante for celebrations in many other ways.

A new Netflix show is being co-developed with showrunner Jeb Stuart leading the way in a live-action adaptation. In addition, Ubisoft will be creating a new mobile game for the streaming giant as well.

There will also be a live concert in the form of the Assassin’s Creed Symphonic Adventure, a 15th Anniversary Artbook, a new Amunet figurine, a new podcast charting the course of the series in Echoes of History, the new book The Magus Conspiracy, a webtoon sequel for Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, and the definitive Assassin’s Creed 15th Anniversary documentary, Beyond The Creed, which will debut on the Ubisoft YouTube channel following Ubisoft Forward.


Needless to say, fans of the Assassin’s Creed franchise have much to be excited about, from the upcoming Mirage to the future with Codename Red, Hexe, and Jade, bringing a host of new playgrounds in Baghdad, Japan, China, and more.

Appealing to fans both old and new, Ubisoft is certainly banking hard on this pillar, and we cannot wait to see what comes next, especially following the investment put in by Tencent to help the company remain independent.