Assassin’s Creed Infinity developer and publisher Ubisoft recently confirmed that the upcoming live-service game wouldn’t be free-to-play, and many have taken this as a good thing. Indeed, not being free-to-play could mean Assassin’s Creed Infinity is more traditional than it is not, and that it would be mostly content complete on release. However, as painful as it may be to say, that’s not really likely the case.
In terms of it not being free-to-play, that likely means it won’t have a huge multiplayer component at its core. With what little is known so far of it, it stands to reason that it’ll feature multiplayer modes and potential co-op runs, but it’s not like the game was ever going to be something like a battle royale. Even if Ghost Recon Frontline is a look into Assassin’s Creed Infinity, it’s not from the core content perspective. Infinity’s core content is more historical runs and story-focused worldbuilding, and it likely always has been, not multiplayer. And, in turn, that makes the free-to-play component all the more concerning.
Assassin’s Creed Infinity – Not Being Free to Play Implications and Speculation
If Assassin’s Creed Infinity’s core content was multiplayer, then free-to-play would make sense. Big, huge multiplayer games look at engagement as a metric differently, and if microtransactions, battle passes, and other live service elements were present, those would more than makeup for the cost of entry. But, just because it’s not a free-to-play live service multiplayer game doesn’t mean it won’t be a live-service game with microtransactions aplenty.
Perhaps the best launch comparison would be Marvel’s Avengers. Although its popularity has only increased since it began expanding with new content, it launched with its single-player campaign and some endgame content, yet many were displeased with the latter at the very least. Avengers has expanded quite a bit since launch, and the same would likely be true of Assassin’s Creed Infinity, moreso than a traditional game with DLC. The difference is where Avengers has pushed a lot of free content, Infinity is not likely to do so. Furthermore, it’s likely to launch with a serviceable campaign, maybe up to three given the presumed nature of its multiple settings, and then its multiplayer components, none of which are guaranteed to be more fleshed out just because it’s not free-to-play.
Not being free-to-play means that Assassin’s Creed Infinity will launch at full retail value and then still likely have live-service elements. This likely means ways to purchase in-game currency with real cash, and one likely example is that several, if not all, historical costumes in the game would be microtransactions. Ubisoft is aware of how much AC fans love seeing past costumes, evident by Altair’s costume/microtransaction in Far Cy 6, and it’s not likely to stop there. Expansions such as new settings and a new character(s) in Assassin's Creed Infinity will likely cost real money, and in lieu of a Battle Pass, there will likely be some sort of reward track for content.
Assassin's Creed Infinity: Live-Service Game With Microtransactions At Full Cost, Not Free-to-Play
A lot of this is speculation—after all, there are a ton of suggestions that Assassin’s Creed Infinity is in early development (supporting the idea that it may not launch completely “content complete” given Ubisoft’s release schedule)—but it serves its point. A free-to-play Assassin’s Creed Infinity may have pushed multiplayer more, but it would have had traditional live-service elements to make up for that revenue source. A full retail value Assassin’s Creed Infinity is not guaranteed to have sustainable content at launch, instead growing alongside a non-traditional track afterward, and it seems it may ultimately weigh heavier on the pocket than a free-to-play version would.
At the end of the day, it remains to be seen what exactly Assassin’s Creed Infinity looks like. Recent rumors suggest it will multiple short stories in the vein of Hitman games, including “remakes” of classic Assassin’s Creed games in this style, and a ton of community support and opportunities to work together. But, when looking at Assassin’s Creed Infinity rumors and potential live-service elements, it’s best to embrace the creed: “Nothing is true, everything is permitted.”
Assassin’s Creed Infinity is in development.