With the sheer number of Assassin's Creed Ragnarok rumors and high-profile corroborations of its existence, it would be incredibly surprising if it were not the next entry in the long-running franchise. Some details could be wrong, the subtitle is still just guesswork, but at the end of the day, everyone's expecting Viking Assassins. Therein lies the curious detail, however, not only of the seemingly contradictory nature but of the possibility of their existence in Assassin's Creed Ragnarok.
The greater Assassin-Templar conflict has always been at the core, and as evident by The Fate of Atlantis' final DLC, this is still true in the modern-day storyline. In fact, this DLC likely sets up to escalate the relationship between Layla and the Black Cross Otso Berg in the next game, the Assassins and the Templars, but that cannot truly be said for the past portions of Assassin's Creed Ragnarok. Looking at the history of the franchise and the brotherhood would suggest that players cannot simply expect the same story continued.
Altair's Brotherhood (1191)
Altair's name carries a lot of weight in the Assassin's Creed universe, as well it should. His teachings, creations, and use of the Piece of Eden without being corrupted are all commendable and in direct contrast of his former mentor Al Mualim. He introduced the use of poisons, the concept of the dual blade, and even outlawed public assassination - a method wherein the Assassin would be an open blade in a crowd, taking out the target while often losing their own life in the progress.
Altair reinvented the brotherhood, with far-reaching consequences. Although Altair's works were done within the Levantine Brotherhood in 1191, they were carried on by Ezio, one of the greatest combatants, tacticians, and livers of the Creed to exist in the universe. So many expectations set upon the Assassins and ergo subsequent games were a direct result of Altair's influence on the Assassin's Creed universe.
Bayek's Hidden Ones (49-43 BC)
Prior to Assassin's Creed Origins, the original Assassin's Creed was the earliest dated game in the franchise (Origins would later lose this honor to Odyssey). Origins tells how the Hidden Ones—the predecessors to the Brotherhood—were formed in opposition to the Order of Ancients—predecessors to the Templar Order. The game itself doesn't have traditional uses of Assassins and Templars, but it goes a long way in setting up the modern storyline.
The events of the game end with Bayek forging the Creed and establishing the Hidden Ones in Egypt. His wife, Aya (rechristened as Amunet) goes on to establish the Hidden Ones in Rome, leading to the first two official branches of the brotherhood. The Hidden Ones actually existed near as long as the modern idea of the Assassin brotherhood, as it wasn't until 1050 that Hassan-I Sabbah reorganized these loose branches into a more modern structure, renaming the Hidden Ones as the Assassins.
At some point between the rebirth in 1050 to the events of 1191, the Assassin brotherhood became corrupt. In many ways, Altair's re-invention of the brotherhood took the group back to the original ideals of the Hidden Ones, while also offering progress and ideas for the path forward. In short, 1050 and 1191 are important to keep in mind when looking at Assassin's Creed Ragnarok.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey - The First Civilization
As aforementioned, Assassin's Creed Odyssey took the series even further back, taking place in 431-404 BC. When this was revealed, many asked how Assassins would play a role in the past, and the simple answer is they do not. The modern-day storyline trudges on, but the past tells a new story of a family of Tainted Ones. These were the direct offspring of the Hybrid humans who rebelled against the Isu, eventually diluting the bloodline and leading to humans such as Desmond who still contained a portion of that First Civilization blood.
The Cult of Kosmos eventually cooperates with the Order of the Ancients, so the Templars are there—sort of. The Assassins simply are not, however. This focus on the First Civilization, the Isu, and the genealogy of Assassins has always been a vital role, though, and if Origins was the origins of the Brotherhood, Odyssey is the journey of generations where the blood of the Isu would travel throughout time. It really sets the expectations for Assassin's Creed Ragnarok.
Assassin's Creed Ragnarok - Viking Assassins?
Assassin's Creed Ragnarok brings the franchise back into the common era, so Assassins can technically exist in this game unlike Odyssey. However, there's a chance they will not be what many expect (if they do indeed play a role in the story). Ragnarok's exact timeline hasn't been fully established yet, but the Viking era in which it is reportedly set ran from roughly 800 AD to 1066. Rumors suggest it would be in the earlier years, and this makes sense. Dating it later would likely make the 1050 reformation by Hassan (the move from Hidden Ones to the Brotherhood) relatively moot in the grand scheme of things.
In other words, if Assassins play a role in AC: Ragnarok, they won't be "Assassins." They'd be Hidden Ones. This also allows for Viking Assassins to be more brutal, as this was a time where public assassination was more common, and in groups, the seeming contradictions between Viking and Assassin disappear in this context. On the other hand, Ubisoft could choose to sway away from this idea and focus on the Tainted Ones again instead of Assassins (in the past, at least). Much like Greece, Norse mythology has a ton of Gods that could be shown as Isu, with the game rife with fights similar to that of the Minotaur, Medusa, and more.
In short, the Assassins that could appear in the game would show the tail end of Bayek's Hidden Ones and not be part of the post-Altair Assassins that many have come to know. This could set them up to be more violent, more open, and less organized than current brotherhoods. This is all assuming that Assassin's Creed Ragnarok doesn't follow Odyssey in organization either, which is still a possibility. Either way, fans will just need to wait and see what Ubisoft offers fans in its latest installment in this long-running franchise.
Assassin's Creed Ragnarok is rumored to be in development.