In recent weeks, Ubisoft has been rocked with rampart allegations of sexism across the board, resulting in several high-profile members of the company stepping down. Ubisoft seems dedicated to real change now, but the mistakes of the past are still clear. Every female character of the franchise, from Assassin's Creed Unity's Elise and Assassin's Creed Origins' Aya/Amunet, has been forced into diminished roles, while the writers of them have been bullied and the women behind them have experienced the sexism first hand.
It's a long road for Ubisoft, hopefully meaning the company will see real change moving forward. In the meantime, the Assassin's Creed community is coming together to celebrate these characters, pitch ideas, and spread a positive message. Born from this is the Assassin's Creed Sisterhood symbol, styled with a strong Egyptian vibe and snake after the Assassin's Creed Origins deuteragonist.
Coming from The Mentor's Guild, a strong community of Assassin's Creed fans, the expressed purpose of this sisterhood declaration is to represent, acknowledge, and stand with the "incredible women in the Assassin's Creed universe" as well as the devs and community members behind it. The symbol is a unique take on its original, with an Egyptian-esque gold filling and wings. A snake loops around the Assassin's Creed insignia as its connection to Amunet, but also as a symbol itself of rebirth, transformation, and healing.
The snake is a nice touch and quiet appropriate, given the current state of affairs. Aya alone, for example, went from being the main character of Assassin's Creed Origins to having very few gameplay segments due to the former CCO (who could greenlight or cancel anything) believing that "women don't sell." The insignia is a cross between the classic and the one she carries on her belt, and it evokes a proper sense of power.
Some fans have taken this to float the idea of a new Assassin's Creed game, a direct sequel to Assassin's Creed Origins. This could, in theory, further explore Amunet's establishment of the Hidden Ones in Rome, given her the attention she originally was supposed to receive and deserves, and follow up on her statue found there in Assassin's Creed 2. Titles like "Assassin's Creed Rebirth" which would refer to Aya, Ubisoft, and the time period have popped up, while others like "Assassin's Creed Sisterhood" to mirror Ezio's adventures there in Assassin's Creed Brotherhood also fit nicely.
There's a solid chance a new Assassin's Creed game comes out in 2021, with recent leaks indicating it may actually be a full-fledged Chinese Assassin's Creed game. A return to Aya would be years away regardless, but it would show how Ubisoft is dedicated to overcoming its past mistakes.
Assassin's Creed Origins is out now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
