Highlights Ubisoft’s decision to go all-in on Assassin’s Creed

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Ubisoft is having a bit of an identity crisis right now. After a number of delays and cancelations earlier this year, Ubisoft decided to get ahead of speculation and announced that it would be rethinking its release strategy. Soon after, Ubisoft confirmed that this new approach would be the company shifting the vast majority of its assets to well-established video game franchises, and Assassin’s Creed would reportedly get the lion’s share.

Back in May, Ubisoft released its 2023 financial year earnings report, and in it, the company stated that it would be refocusing its resources on its “big brands,” with Assassin’s Creed being the primary franchise mentioned. In the same report, Ubisoft said that it would be increasing its Assassin’s Creed development team by around 40% over the next few years. It seems as though Ubisoft is really going all-in on Assassin’s Creed, and that’s a pretty precarious double-edged sword to lean on.

The Upsides of Ubisoft Going All-In On Assassin’s Creed

The biggest upside to Ubisoft going all-in on Assassin’s Creed is also the most obvious one: fans will get to play more Assassin’s Creed games. Assassin’s Creed is one of the most popular, most beloved franchises in gaming history, and for long-time fans who eagerly anticipate every new entry, the notion of more Assassin’s Creed is certainly exciting. This also means that there’ll be a greater chance that fans will be able to find an Assassin’s Creed game that really appeals to them, with presumably each new game coming with its own unique setting and cast of characters, each of which is sure to hook a different section of the fan-base.

On a similar note, an increased number of Assassin’s Creed games could also mean a greater variety of Assassin’s Creed experiences. While Assassin’s Creed’s recent RPGs have all been good games, their gameplay style just doesn’t appeal to many fans, but with a greater number of games on the horizon, there’ll hopefully be a greater variation of gameplay styles. Fans are already seeing this, with Assassin’s Creed Mirage being a smaller-scale throwback to the series’ roots, Assassin’s Creed Red being another sprawling multi-hour RPG, Assassin’s Creed Jade being a mobile-exclusive title, and Assassin’s Creed Nexus being made specifically for VR.

The Downsides of Ubisoft Going All-In On Assassin’s Creed

But where there are more games, there’s also a greater risk of franchise fatigue, and that’s something the Assassin’s Creed series has already had to struggle with. Back in the early 2010s, Assassin’s Creed games were releasing annually, and with a similar gameplay formula used for each one, fans were starting to get a little tired of the series. This lead to Assassin’s Creed Origins’ big formula switch-up, and thankfully the notion of franchise fatigue has gradually died down over the last few years. But with Ubisoft wanting to increase the Assassin’s Creed development team by 40%, it would suggest that it plans on releasing Assassin’s Creed games much more regularly, and there’s a very real possibility of that burnout returning in full force, even more so than ever before.

Another big downside of Ubisoft focusing on Assassin’s Creed is that the publisher is much less likely to be creating any exciting new IPs anytime soon. Admittedly, Ubisoft hasn’t really released a new IP in quite some time, and the upcoming Skull and Bones is trapped in an infinite state of limbo, but its recent track record shouldn’t limit the potential for any new Ubisoft IPs in the near future.

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