Not too long ago, Ubisoft confirmed the development of Assassin’s Creed Infinity—a live service game with multiple settings. It’s stated to be in early development, meaning it won’t likely release for a few years. This put a huge gap in Ubisoft’s schedule as far as Assassin’s Creed content goes, which is odd for a series that was originally annual (and still releases more years than not).
Now, however, it seems a new Assassin’s Creed game is in development. It seems Ubisoft is changing a planned Assassin’s Creed Valhalla expansion into a standalone game, according to Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier and his sources, who are familiar with the project.
Assassin’s Creed Rift, as it is codenamed, shifted from an expansion to a standalone release last year. It will reportedly feature Basim from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and be smaller in scope than past games in the series. It will apparently focus on stealth gameplay over open-world RPG, according to Bloomberg’s sources, making it sound more like a classic Assassin’s Creed game than Origins, Odyssey, or Valhalla.
It could be that scope refers more to something like Wrath of the Druids or The Siege of Paris, but the stealth gameplay is hopefully more along the lines of the classic games. Furthermore, Eurogamer also corroborates this report, adding that the setting may be Baghdad (making it likely to explore Basim's origins).
It seems that Assassin’s Creed Rift is planned for either a 2022 or a 2023 release, and if it does release this year, chances are it’ll be confirmed at E3 (assuming it happens). Ubisoft has a pattern of announcing a new AC game at E3 and releasing it that year. Sometimes there are teases beforehand, and there have been exceptions—but it’s worth keeping an eye out for as the general E3 period approaches.
Ultimately, Assassin’s Creed Rift will release before the aforementioned Assassin’s Creed Infinity, though it remains to be seen when either specifically comes out. Bloomberg’s sources also state that Ubisoft has “shaken up” several smaller Assassin’s Creed expansions over the last year, and so it’ll be interesting to see what comes of Rift and these other expansion ideas.
Assassin’s Creed fans should keep an eye on news for Rift, as it could be a true return to form for those missing the older games. It’s still uncertain, but it does appear to be more in line with the original games than recent games, and if it nails parkour like Assassin’s Creed Unity, tells a story about Basim, and hits all those aspects fans are missing, it could be a real game-changer for the franchise.
Assassin’s Creed ‘Rift’ is reportedly in development.