In September, Ubisoft is said to show off the future of the Assassin’s Creed franchise. What this pertains to remains to be seen, but the most likely projects are Assassin’s Creed Rift, Nexus, and Infinity. There are rumors of an Assassin’s Creed 1 Remake, though this less likely than the others. Ubisoft could show one of these at Ubisoft Forward, or it could have a dedicated event. It’s not clear what’s happening quite yet.
If the options are Rift, Nexus, and Infinity, it may be a little easier to narrow down. Assassin’s Creed Infinity is a live-service title, and one that was in early development when it was announced. It appearing soon is unlikely, but not impossible. Less is known about how far the VR title Nexus is in its development, but Rift would seemingly have a higher chance of being there.
Assassin’s Creed Rift is reportedly a smaller scale game, adapted by Ubisoft from a Valhalla DLC. It will reportedly explore Basim’s life, presumably before he joined up with the Raven clan, and it said to take place in Baghdad. All the reported details so far make it sound more like a classic Assassin’s Creed title, and if that is the case, then it should follow Unity’s blueprint closely.
Assassin’s Creed Rift Could Be the Future of the Classics
Ubisoft is a huge company, and several of its studios work together on Assassin’s Creed games. At one point in its history, it would put out a Unity-sized game every year. Just about every pre-Origins game is a smaller scale than Valhalla, and that’s the scope it should aim for. A story about Basim in a setting as a tightly packed city, Baghdad, with tight parkour like Unity’s Paris is perfect.
Indeed, while AC Syndicate may be the last game before the swap to open-world RPGs with AC Origins, Unity has a tighter city design, more traditional elements, and solid parkour. Ubisoft will already sell Rift to Valhalla lovers because of Basim, but it’s going to be the underlying systems of a smaller game that matters. It will need tight, responsive parkour as seen in AC Unity.
Sometimes the best way forward is to look back. Ubisoft can likely handle service titles like Infinity, put out open-world RPGs every few years, and slip a few smaller-scale games in. It’s a lot, but it’s the best way to please the fan base. Rift could be that first step, and the best way to establish that baseline is to make sure Assassin’s Creed Rift is as comparable to AC Unity as can be.
Assassin’s Creed Rift is reportedly in development.