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2016 may be the first time in six years that Ubisoft does not release an Assassin’s Creed title.
Kotaku, which has a fantastic track-record of breaking Assassin’s Creed news super early, says both it and others have been informed by a number of sources that there will be no AC title this Q4.
Furthermore, it understands that the next game, currently pencilled in for 2017, is currently called Assassin’s Creed: Empire and is set in ancient Egypt. Previous rumours had pointed to Rome, although there is also the suggestion that the next lead protagonist will feature in a three-part series spanning Egypt, Rome and possibly Greece.
A 2016 release was at one stage on the cards, but the decision to postpone the game was made following the disappointing critical and commercial performance of the recent Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate.
Furthermore, the series may continue along a non-annualised release path in the future. There have been nine major AC games since its debut in 2007.
If the rumours are true, it seems a little strange that the decision to finally give the series a rest arrives as the movie, starring Michael Fassbender, debuts in December. Two spin-off Assassin’s Creed titles are due for release in the coming weeks.
There are also rumours of an Assassin’s Creed compilation being in the works.
It is also speculated that the gap in Ubisoft’s release schedule will be filled by Watch Dogs 2, which is rumoured to be due out this year. It will be set in San Francisco.
