Ubisoft has now officially revealed the cover art for Assassin's Creed III, confirming long standing rumors that the game will be set during the American Revolution.
The game's cover shots were uploaded to the franchise's official Facebook page without any explanation, but they pretty much speak for themselves.
The covers feature the game's new, as-of-yet unnamed protagonist atop a British soldier, poised to deliver the killing blow with the same the same Assassin emblem-shaped tomahawk from the earlier leak. Behind him, we can see a battle between the British and American forces, complete with a colonial flag waving in the breeze.
Our hero appears to be carrying a period firearm, bow and arrow, and the aforementioned tomahawk, but, interestingly enough, the series' trademark hidden blade isn't visible — at least not clearly — in this shot. There's nothing to say it's not there, tucked away in one or either of his gauntlets, but the blade has featured prominently in every last one of the games' covers so far, so its absence is fairly conspicuous. Perhaps the tomahawk will be taking over as the assassination tool of choice to better match the setting.
Ubisoft says they'll be revealing more info on Assassin's Creed 3 later this evening, so be sure to check back then for the full rundown.
Assassin's Creed III is out October 30 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.
Update: Game Informer has revealed that Assassin's Creed III will be on the cover of their April issue. The artwork's definitely worth a look.
Update 2: The official Assassin's Creed site now features a countdown timer that expires at noon ET on March 5. Looks like we won't get any new details until next Monday.