It seems that Ubisoft is working on a new Assassin’s Creed game after all. Unlike its single-player predecessors, it will likely have live service components.
Shortly after information leaked, developer and publisher Ubisoft forced to reveal details about the game in question.
The New Game
Nathalie Bouchard, managing director at Ubisoft Quebec, and Christophe Derennes, managing director at Ubisoft Montreal, confirmed the rumors of a new game with a new title, codenamed Assassin’s Creed Infinity.
What’s interesting is that it will be quite different from its predecessors. Instead of a single-player game set in some historical event, Infinity will consist of many Assassin’s Creed games with various interconnected storylines. This suggests that the new entry in the franchise will be similar to other live service games like GTA Online and Fortnite, among many others.
Bouchard and Derennes wanted both Ubisoft Montreal and Ubisoft Quebec to make a collaborative effort on this project. This new structure will be led by Marc-Alexis Côté, the new executive producer of the Assassin’s Creed franchise.
Overseeing the production between the two studios will be Julien Laferrière, the senior producer at Ubisoft Montreal.
Jonathan Dumont, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’s former world director at Ubisoft Quebec, and Clint Hocking, former level and game designer at Ubisoft Montreal, will serve as the creative directors.
The change in the publisher’s development direction is because of two reasons. First is the ever-evolving video game industry and second, the pandemic.
According to Bouchard and Derennes: “The pandemic and working from home have fundamentally changed the way we produce games, giving us a moment to reflect on our organization.”
That said, the reason Ubisoft's Montreal and Quebec studios were highlighted was that the Assassin’s Creed franchise was developed by the former and was then improved by the latter.
Instead of utilizing only one studio to develop the game, it is much better to have a more integrated and collaborative approach.
In closing, both managing directors are excited to reveal more information about Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Infinity in the future.
What do you think about this change in development direction by Ubisoft? Do you think that this move will make Assassin’s Creed Infinity the best game in the franchise?
