Ubisoft today confirmed a new Assassins’ Creed project shortly after it was leaked by a Bloomberg report. The new “game” is codenamed Assassin’s Creed Infinity, and it’s supposed to be an online platform that evolves over time, something comparable to Fortnite and GTA V. To do this, it’s unifying two of its main studios, Montreal and Quebec.
Infinity wouldn’t be bound to a single historical time period, according to Bloomberg: “Infinity will contain multiple settings with room to expand to others in the months and years following its debut.” As for why it’s taking this franchise in that direction, the Bloomberg report makes it fairly clear that money is the root of the issue: “Service games generate huge revenue over time by hooking players and pushing them to spend money on special content within the game.”
To accomplish this project, Ubisoft is essentially combining its Montreal and Quebec studios, into “a collaborative, cross-studio structure.” The two have separately developed mainstream AC titles, and Ubisoft’s press announcement is mostly about how the franchise will benefit from pooling both studios’ talents: “Rather than continuing to pass the baton from game to game, we profoundly believe this is an opportunity for one of Ubisoft’s most beloved franchises to evolve in a more integrated and collaborative manner that’s less centered on studios and more focused on talent and leadership, no matter where they are within Ubisoft.”
Out of all the fictional, virtual universes I would think could easily transition to a live-service, evolving world platform, Assassin’s Creed is not high on the list. That said, previous games in the series did have a unique and fun multiplayer component, and if the game brought a return of that I’d be interested. All Ubisoft would officially say about Infinity implies it’s partially inspired by fan feedback, and it will “to exceed the expectations of fans who have been asking for a more cohesive approach to its development over the past several years.”