TOWCB Website - One Month Since Launch News Share 10 Sept 2019 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database It has been exactly a month since we launched the new website, and we're pleased to say that it has been well received! Here's what we've been up to since launch: 1) Adding content from the old website. Every day the website grows, as we are slowly adding all of our old articles and projects. As you can imagine, this is an extremely time consuming process, as we first created our community in 2014. This means that 5 years worth of content will soon be available on the website. You can track our progress here 2) Navigation As we are continually adding new pages, navigation of the site becomes a priority. In order to improve this, we have added a grid to the bottom of every page, so that our fans can find the current top stories on the site. This will be updated regularly using google analytics. We are also improving navigation on the site by frequently testing hyperlinks, and changing their colour to green when they are working. You may stumble upon a few red links when browsing the site. This is most likely because the page does not yet exist. We are hoping to have all our old articles and projects on the site very soon! 3) SEO We are also frequently updating our SEO (Search engine optimization), so that we can increase traffic on the site. The website can now be found on Google, but eventually we would like our pages to be ranked higher. This is done by updating the SEO, which allows search engines to show relevant content that users are searching for. Keywords, snappy page descriptions and more content will surely help us to improve traffic, and help the website become the #1 location for fans searching for Assassin's Creed Community content. 4) Launch of Mobile Version Shortly after the launch of our new website (10/8/19), we launched the mobile version! Using the same URL, the site should now work on mobile devices! We have tested it many times on mobile phones and iPad, and it seems that many hours editing the site were well spent! We currently have a majority of users viewing the site on mobile devices, so it's a good thing we managed to launch the mobile version so quickly! Let us know if you have any tips on how we can make the site even better on mobile devices! We have a ton of new content planned for the site, so make sure to add it to your bookmarks and check back regularly to see what we've been working on! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

Interview with Jesper Kyd Interview Share 22 Aug 2024 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) TOWCB Team Back To Database Gargudon from our team recently had the opportunity to sit down with Jesper Kyd ( AC1, Ezio Trilogy & Valhalla composer), talking his Assassin's Creed scores, writing process, advice for composers and more. Check it out now! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdLezhsRrBo comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Gustav / Gargudon is an active and versatile content creator, who started out in podcast hosting in 2016 - hosting the discussion based show “The Memory Corridor” - but today mostly specialises in video creation, interviews, writing and composing. He joined The Ones Who Came Before in 2019 for a merger, publishing new episodes - and reviving the show following nearly a year of inactivity - on our platforms, until phased out in 2023. Today, his landmark projects include the Sounds Of History project - an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental music project, featuring five tracks inspired by as many different games - other original fan themes plus covers of iconic AC tracks, as well as video interviews with a number of high profile names in the world of AC, from Roger Craig Smith, Jesper Kyd and more. Fun fact, among his growing colourful tattoo collection, Gustav is the only member of our team to have the TOWCB logo inked. Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon)

PureArts unveil Assassin's Creed Mirage: Basim Ibn Ishaq 1/4 Scale Statue Merchandise Share 18 Aug 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database PureArts, a manufacturing company known for creating premium quality collectible figurines has once again excelled for it's work on the Assassin's Creed franchise, today revealing an incredibly detailed recreation of Basim Ibn Ishaq, lead character in the upcoming title Assassin's Creed Mirage. This hyperdetailed sculpt honors the past by channelling a stance once honed by Altaïr, taking the series back to its roots. Two editions of the statue are available for pre-order: 250 Exclusive Editions, which also includes a wearable metal replica of Basim's ring, and 2250 Non-Exclusive Editions. Basim joins the Animus Collection, which also includes high-quality statues of Altaïr, Ezio, Edward, Basim, Kassandra, Eivor and Connor. We are fully expecting both editions to sell out, so act fast Assassins! Release date: Q3 2024 Avaiilable for pre-order now Product Description He is ready to sacrifice everything he held close and walk the path of shadows. Direct from 9th century Baghdad, Assassin’s Creed® Mirage protagonist Basim is one of the deadliest assassins in the franchise! Street thief, Isu reincarnate, Hidden One, and now Animus Statue: Basim has survived millennia to join the PureArts Animus ¼ Scale Statue line. In the most dynamic pose yet in this series, Basim appears as agile as an eagle, touching down upon an ancient Islamic architecture base and ready to fight. Make room in your collection because the Assassin’s Creed®: Animus Basim ¼ Scale Statue is a key player in your Order of Assassins. Limited to only 250 units, the PureArts.com Exclusive Edition includes a wearable metal replica of Basim's ring. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/06e6c8_5d1908588bce480eb06491fe8c2173c3/1080p/mp4/file.mp4 comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Merchandise Guide 10/3/18 Share To celebrate Edward Kenway's birthday, why not check out the huge range of Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Merchandise available! (Amazon + Ubisoft Store links used due to international shipping) We hope that you find this merchandise guide useful! Edward Kenway: Master of the Seas Figurine Amazon UK (Currently unavailable) Ubisoft Store (Out of stock) Assassin's Creed IV: Pistol Holder: Amazon UK Assassin's Creed IV: The Official Guide Amazon UK Assassins Creed IV Hoodie Amazon UK Edward Kenway Legacy Bust: by UbCollectibles. Amazon UK Ubisoft Store Edward Kenway: The Pirate Assassin Figurine Amazon UK Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed IV: Pistol Replica Amazon UK Assassin's Creed IV: Pistol Replica Ape Collection Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag: Blackbeard: The Captain's Log Amazon UK Edward Kenway Legacy Hoodie: Ubisoft Store Edward Kenway Vest Ubisoft Store Merchandise Amazon UK (Currently unavailable) Black Flag T-shirt Amazon UK Link Assassin's Creed IV Mug Amazon UK Assassin's Creed IV Wall Scroll: Amazon UK Assassin's Creed IV Baseball Cap: Amazon UK Assassins Creed IV Black Flag Official Mens Grey t-shirt Kenway Stencil Amazon UK : Currently unavailable Assassin's Creed IV Wall Scroll: Amazon UK Loot Gaming Crate Assassins Creed IV Black Flag Edward Kenway Figure Amazon UK Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag Play Arts Kai Edward Kenway Reduced on Amazon to £125 Amazon UK Ah Tabai Figure by McFarlane Toys Amazon UK AC IV Keychain Amazon UK Black Flag Mug by ABYStyle Amazon UK (Currently unavailable) AC IV Poster Amazon UK Ubisoft Assassins Creed Black Flag Multicoloured Coin & Card Bi-Fold Wallet Amazon UK

Article by Mieke Dix - What we want from the Assassin's Creed Franchise in 2020. Community The Assassin's Creed Community are raising money for Ocean Conservancy. Donate today Articles What we want to see from the Assassin's Creed Franchise in 2020 Save 10% on officially licensed Assassin's Creed Origins merchandise with the code "TOWCB" Top Stories 29/12/19 By Mieke Dix Edited by Ashlea Buckley Share 5. Assassin’s Creed 1, Version 2.0 This is effectively a repeat from last year’s list which is why it’s first on this one, but it’s just as relevant. The game that started it all has yet to receive a remaster on current-gen platforms, unlike every other previous-gen title. Sure, there are plenty who dislike it due to its gameplay being simplistic and repetitive, particularly in comparison to the later games, but that doesn’t make Altaïr’s story any less compelling. It’s definitely a game that would benefit from a significant technical overhaul instead of merely an aesthetic one, which may well explain why they haven’t remastered it yet - or just won’t bother. However, whether we’ll be seeing this anytime soon or not is unclear, so all we can do is once again cross our fingers that it’ll feature in the upcoming UbiE3 lineup. 4. Next Instalment Announced With all the leaks and rumors that have been abounding on the internet this year, it’s somewhat inevitable that Ubisoft’s E3 press conference in June will feature a teaser trailer for the next game, at the very least. What’s less certain is whether Ubisoft will announce the game for release this year on current-gen only, or wait until 2021 when they can release it on the new Xbox and PS5, whether that’s a dual-release or next-gen only. This is where we can only hope that, if they are planning a dual-release, Ubisoft thoroughly learned their lesson following the disaster that was Rogue/Unity’s release. Whatever the case, we fully expect there to be a new main series title announced at some point in the coming year. 3. The Symphony on CD The Assassin’s Creed Symphony was a wonderful celebration of the many composers who have been a part of the franchise since its inception and their beautiful, emotive music. I personally attended the performance in London (and probably cried 90% of the time). Each game’s soundtrack was arranged into an excellently-composed suite which showcased the music at its best. What would be greatly appreciated, doubly so by those who couldn’t get a ticket for whatever reason, is an album of the arrangements for us to enjoy at our leisure. Of course, what would also be appreciated is an announcement that the Symphony will become an annual event visiting more locations worldwide, or even a series of concerts that would allow for even more arrangements of each soundtrack….! Wait, where was I? 2. Creed-Con 2020? Something that was evident by the response to the Symphony - mainly the rapidity at which it sold tickets - is that there really is a market for official Assassin’s Creed events and experiences. That’s not to say that we demand an official Assassin’s Creed convention or anything, but there is plenty of scope for other events. (I mean, a convention also sounds freaking awesome). The community already organises a fair amount of events of their own accord, but to be able to pull all that passion under one, officially-endorsed roof would be grand. For example: the Symphony becoming a regular event could be a good start. It could be the perfect headline act of a convention, or even a one/two-day festival of celebration for the franchise, especially if it was then streamed live for all to enjoy. 1. A Return to its Roots I plan on getting a bit more in depth about this at some point, but let’s face facts: the series is nothing like it was in the beginning. This isn’t actually a bad thing, and Origins and Odyssey are both fantastic games. However, the criticism that neither game feels like Assassin’s Creed is entirely fair, and there is a good deal of worry that the series will just continue to stray further and further from where it began, until it’s purely Assassin’s Creed by name only. Hopefully we can see a return of the rooftop-skulking, shadow-lurking assassins that we all came to love, and less of the colossal maps half-full of empty space. We love naval combat because it’s fun, fast-paced and exhilarating, but we also love balancing precariously on window ledges four storeys up as we stalk a Templar far below, ready to dive gracefully into the nearest hay bale and wait for the perfect moment to strike. Now that is Assassin’s Creed at its heart, and we desperately want that back. By using our Amazon Links About the Author Mieke is a huge fan of the Assassin's Creed franchise, and is looking forward to creating regular content for the AC community as an online article writer. She has previously written articles for Cultured Vultures and currently runs an online gaming blog. By joining the program, Mieke will be able to write articles on a wide variety of topics for the community. Her work will soon be available in the Community Hub . You can find her on Twitter Mieke Dix Save 15% with the code 'TOWCB' Interview with Magnus Bruun - Eivor Assassins' Creed Valhalla Merchandise Guide Q&A with Abubakar Salim - Bayek of Siwa TOWCB Plans for 2021 Netflix announce upcoming live-action Assassin's Creed series Female Vikings: The Real History Building an Assassin's Creed Community: Getting Started Mentors Guild Announcement Interview with Benoit Richer: Valhalla Co-Dev Game Director Interview with Eric Baptizat: AC Valhalla Game Director Interview with Jordan Van Andel (JorRaptor) Colours in Assassin's Creed: A Short Review 6 ways to stay entertained in the Assassin's Creed Community during isolation Interview with Carlos Ferro - Da Vinci 5 ways you can support TOWCB Interview with Jesper Kyd

Ben is a Digital Analyst working alongside TOWCB Core Team to assist with SEO, branding, and social media to increase our overall digital presence. By joining the AC Partnership Program, Ben hopes to gain experience he can use in his future marketing career. He is a driven behind-the-scenes Assassin doing great work helping the admin team grow our online community. Previous Next Digital Analyst Ben Weal Previous Partner Ben is a Digital Analyst working alongside TOWCB Core Team to assist with SEO, branding, and social media to increase our overall digital presence. By joining the AC Partnership Program, Ben hopes to gain experience he can use in his future marketing career. He is a driven behind-the-scenes Assassin doing great work helping the admin team grow our online community. Instagram Work

Starter Guide focussing on Norway for new players looking to begin their Assassin's Creed Valhalla adventure. Community Guides Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Huntsman Gear Guide By Aaron Young 26/3/21 Share Top Stories The Assassin's Creed Community are raising money for Ocean Conservancy. Donate today After the relatively long intro in Norway, you will no doubt be eager to find a new armour set when you arrive in England. One of the easier sets to claim is the Huntsman, which can be found in the opening areas of England. All items can be found in-game without the need for DLC or micro-transactions. All gear sets in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will not only provide the player with an aesthetic look, but also stats and bonuses that increase Eivor’s strength. Further to this, your gear will also be aligned to one of the three branches of the skill tree. The Huntsman set follows the wolf skill line and therefore will benefit from any skill points you have placed here. It is also good to consider the set bonus perks that are different for each armour set. The Huntsman gear provides you with a nice Viking look and leans heavily into an archer playstyle. The two bonuses for equipping the Huntsman set are in the image below. It is good to remember that the more pieces of the set you wear, the bigger the bonus. It is not essential though, and you can mix gear for interesting perks. Edited by Ashlea Buckley The Huntsman Set Interview with Magnus Bruun - Eivor Assassins' Creed Valhalla Merchandise Guide Q&A with Abubakar Salim - Bayek of Siwa TOWCB Plans for 2021 Netflix announce upcoming live-action Assassin's Creed series Female Vikings: The Real History Building an Assassin's Creed Community: Getting Started Mentors Guild Announcement Interview with Benoit Richer: Valhalla Co-Dev Game Director Interview with Eric Baptizat: AC Valhalla Game Director Interview with Jordan Van Andel (JorRaptor) Colours in Assassin's Creed: A Short Review 6 ways to stay entertained in the Assassin's Creed Community during isolation Interview with Carlos Ferro - Da Vinci 5 ways you can support TOWCB Interview with Jesper Kyd Top Stories How to Get the Huntsman Gear Set The Huntsman Cape This seems like it could be more difficult than it actually is. Your best route is to take your Longship up river to Templebrough Fort in Ledecestrescire. The Huntsman Helm This one can be a little trickier. The helm can be found at Tonnastadir fort in Ledecestrescire. It is a heavily guarded area, which can be difficult early in the game. You will come here as part of the Ledecestrescire story arc, and I would suggest waiting until then to collect the helm. Hopefully these tips will help you get started on your Viking adventure. Valhalla is a wonderful game full of intrigue and mystery with a story that sucks you in slowly. Be patient and take your time, you will not regret it. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who recently joined TOWCB AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer. Throughout 2021, Aaron and other writers will be joining the admin team in a collaborative effort to create an Assassin's Creed Valhalla Guide Database, which you can find here . Twitter Aaron Young Save 10% on officially licensed Assassin's Creed Origins merchandise with the code "TOWCB" Unfortunately you cannot obtain all of the set pieces in the same region. There are five gear items to collect, with three in Grantebridgescire and the other two in Ledecestrescire. The Power Levels of these regions should not pose too much of a problem, as when you arrive in England both Grantebridgescire and Ledecestrescire are early story destinations. That being said, all of the Huntsman armour is well guarded so you will need to either fight your way to it or use stealth. Grantebridgescire and Ledecestrescire are both Power Level 20, so following the story would be the best way of attaining this set. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has four tiers for gear pieces: Grey (Fine) Red (Superior) Blue (Flawless) Gold (Mythical) When you fine each piece of the Huntsman set it will already be Superior. It is wise to use what resources you have to bring the gear to its highest level, and save your nickel ingots to upgrade the armour to flawless when you return to Gunnar at the Settlement. It is important to note that Ubisoft recently patched Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, implementing the transmogrification feature. This means you can upgrade your gear to the highest level but not have to worry about not liking the look. You can pay fifty coins to Gunnar and he will amend the aesthetic to one of the previous iterations but with the highest stats. The helm is locked behind a gate, so you will first need to head to the longhouse. The key can be found on a table, but be careful as sometimes there will be guards in the room. Once you have the key, head to the metal gate where three guards will be waiting. There is some debris you can drop on them. Either way you will need to dispatch the guards before entering. The helm can be found at the end of the hallway in a chest. The Huntsman Armour The chest piece is probably the most difficult to obtain. It can be found in Ravensburg outpost, Grantebridgescire. This outpost is part of the story arc so waiting until then is a good option. The cloak can be found in a tower situated in the middle of the river. Just climb the tower and shoot the wood hanging to break the floor below. From here jump down and open the chest. There are a few guards so be careful not to been seen, but it is possible to avoid them altogether. You will find the chest containing the armour in the main hut at the centre of the enemy camp. Despite the camp being well guarded it is possible to get all the way to the hut unnoticed. You may wish to tactically remove some of the guards just so if you are caught you will not be overwhelmed. The Huntsman Vambraces The vambraces are hidden behind a waterfall in Grantebridgescire. The location is not too far from your settlement. Just head south of Ravensthorpe and you will see an area with two sections of water. The vambraces can be found in the first section of water, behind a waterfall. Once you enter the cave you will find another section of water. You will need to dive in and swim underwater until you reach the end. Straight after exiting the water you will see the chest in front of you. The Huntsman Breeches Your final piece to collect will be the breeches. They are situated in Soham hideout, which is on a patch of land not too far from Isle of Ely Monastery, Grantebridgescire. You will want to sneak into the camp and head towards the large stone building in the centre. Inside you will find a chest containing the breeches. You may also need to dispatch some of the guards. There are two sat at a table in the main building, making it difficult to sneak up on them, so be careful. Once you have all the gear items, you can return to Gunnar to upgrade them. Don’t forget to take a look at the transmogrification feature. It is also worth mentioning that you can pay travellers for information regarding the location of gear items (represented on the map by a question mark)

Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 1st to 12th April Community Share 24 Apr 2024 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Colum Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the biweekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from the AC Partnership Program. Every two weeks we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. This theme has been run by the TOWCB VP team. We have been monitoring the hashtag and the community hub to see all your wonderful shots. Keep an eye on the site as more shots are added, we are looking for captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to #ACFirstCivVP for a chance to be featured. Theme: Assassin’s Creed The Mask Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ Jaco8ee The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Judge: Jack (@ _Virtualtourism ) This headset happens to be one of my favourites from the game, so I was happy to see it this week. It’s such a great piece and very menacing in the right light. Jacobee nailed the lighting in the image as it plays the crucial role of highlighting the vibrant colours and bringing out the details of the headpiece. Couple that with the contrast between the vibrancy and the cold, metallic surface it creates a striking visual. The subtle expression in the eye adds some sort of humanity giving the otherwise lifeless exterior a sense of emotion. Aaron (@ FalconSwift87 ) “The cult is nothing without me, even the gods cower in my wake.”. Dramatic outfits and concealing masks have always featured prominently in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Most notably the order, who often conceal themselves in a manner fitting of the deeds they carry out. Here we have such an awesome shot of Alexios hidden behind the mask. The portrait is perfect with that striking black background. The details are insane, with both mask and fabric looking so good. Despite this being the hero, it feels like a menacing shot and instantly reminds me of the Origins cinematics. A glorious portrait that fully deserves photo of the week. Lookout Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ visionevp “Baghdad and its surroundings call to me”. Stunning scenery has always been one of the huge pulls for the Assassin’s Creed franchise. We get to experience so many beautiful worlds that many of us will never see in real life. Mirage and its colour palette are simply gorgeous, and when roaming the wild you cannot help but stop and stare. For me this shot is so peaceful and reflective. I often find myself doing this when riding my horse in the desert. Visione has captured the moment the flamingos have taken off which is always a delight. I love the blue and sandy tones with Basim looking on over the water. A very captivating picture that brings a little calm. Hidden Blade Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ playpausephoto “The world is changing, and we must change with it”. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla features for me one of the coolest looking hidden blades. It’s a shame that it often gets overlooked due to Eivor not actually becoming an Assassin. Either way it is still awesome, and I am curious why Basim does not use the same one. Here we can see Eivor thrusting the blade in what looks like a training session. I really like the use of fog as it reduces the noise in the background. The purple flowers add a softer touch to the capture in contrast to the hidden blade and Norse tattoos on Eivor’s body. An elegant shot which is quite unique for a Viking simulator. Lone Warrior Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ redmaiden_vp “We are all lonely and all seek a hand to hold in the darkness.” Assassin’s Creed Valhalla struck a perfect balance between solo and team play. I really enjoyed that you could just ride your horse around the breath-taking landscapes, and take it all in. Equally you could travel by longboat with your crew and raid as part of a war band. The capture we have here is one of those beautiful solo moments within the game. I think the shot is elevated by using black and white, it adds both mystery and grace. I love how the photo has been split by the land and the sky, and how Eivor is riding up the incline. The sunrays bursting through from the left look magical and having the stone structure and Sýnin in the distance adds further context to this exceptional capture. Vengeance Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ UnfazedVP “You would fight me?” The range of outfits in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is quite something. You can be a nimble Assassin or full-blown gladiator. Either way you will look like a badass as you traverse the Greek landscapes. The moment I saw this capture I could not think of anything else but the arena scenes from Gladiator. This is absolutely a movie poster shot. The details on the helmet are incredible, especially the dents and scratches. But for me that background is ferocious and gives the heat of the battle vibes. It is all consuming and sums up this warrior’s tale. And that sums it up for this Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out the photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next time keep those shots coming in! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

Assassin's Creed Shadows Stealth Article Breakdown Breakdown Share 21 Nov 2024 Written By: Edited By: UbiCypher (Joe) Colum Blackett Back To Database The first Assassin's Creed Shadows article has been released giving us insights on the game's stealth system and how it will apply to the world's environment, enemies and traversal, let's recap the article's highlights! It is abundantly clear that Assassin's Creed Shadows is focusing on stealth making it the prime element to play with in the world Ubisoft will make us explore on February 14th 2025, to the point of borrowing certain elements inspired by other IP's in their roster of games. 👁️ Observe 👁️ This new feature will allow Naoe and Yasuke to display additional information about their targets and environment on-screen as well as loot & collectible locations and quest objectives. It will be possible to pair it with a Synchronization Point to further analyse the area. 🦅Eagle Vision🦅 We know how it works, however, only Naoe will be able to access it hence why the Observe mechanic was developed in order to not undermine Yasuke's involvement in infiltration and exploration since these two mechanics work independently revealing different information for us. The Shinobi Art In the likes of Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon, for the first time in the Assassin's Creed Franchise we will see the addition of a feature that will allow us to hide in the shadows as well as create hiding spots by taking out light sources in order to covertly move around. ⛩️Crouching⛩️ They have cranked up the stealth penalties by having the guards extremely sensitive to your movement in order to force you to be thoughtful of your actions pushing you to the limit making the most of the overhauled stealth system allowing you to go prone outdoors and indoors. ⚔️Their Arsenal⚔️ Smoke bombs are making their return -although properly this time- as consumables rather than passive or active perks. We will be able to use throwable Shinobi Bells to distract enemies, Kunais to one-shot enemies with precision and Shurikens to create environmental distractions. ⛩️Hiding Spots⛩️ Given her size, Naoe can squeeze through tiny wall cracks, and she can hide inside small storage spaces and boxes to avoid detection as well as perform assassinations. Now, if you want to take down an enemy from a bush you'll have to manually grab them and drag them in with you. ⚠️Detection System⚠️ When spotted and breaking the enemies line of sight, they will remain in a constant state of alert and "suspicion" that will make them hard to lure into traps and hiding spots, actually, attempting to do so will result in a logical and straightforward reaction from them: spot you. ⛩️Enemy Archetype Reactions⛩️ Samurais won't be able to be One-shotted and will evade the area of effect produced by a smoke bomb, they can also deny your assassination attempt, this will be distinguishable when you'll see a red prompt over their heads meaning they can't be killed via the Hidden Blade. Ashigaru soldiers (weak enemies) are however, easily dispatched, the same goes for the Servants (Alarm Ringers). (It is important to note that Smoke Bombs can be used to disperse Samurai groups ought to engage in combat with you, allowing for a swift escape for Naoe). All in all, the Assassination system will be classified as follows: 🔴 Red for Assassination Denial. (Samurais & Elites). 🟡 Yellow for Assassinations that deal some damage. ⚪️White for Insta-kill Assassinations. ⛩️Stealth for Yasuke⛩️ While the whole article seemed to have centered around Naoe and her Shinobi mastery of assassination and traversal, Yasuke will also have some balanced attributes to level the playing field between the two, of course, keeping in mind that he will be mainly combat-oriented. When he uses his bow for example, Yasuke can deliver stealthy blows without ever needing to draw his katana if precise. He can even sneak behind enemies and assassinate them silently with an aggressive yet swift kill with his devastating arsenal blending close combat with stealth. This is it for now! Ubisoft will be releasing more information soon. Next up, they will drop yet another detailed article about Yasuke's role and gameplay. Stay tuned Assassins!🦅 Did you enjoy our breakdown? Check out the original thread on the Isu_Network X account! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author UbiCypher (Joe) is an Assassin's Creed Transmedia expert who worked as the Lead Admin for the Isu_Network social media team, providing consistent social media content in the form of Assassin's Creed lore trivia, puzzles and news coverage, spending countless hours researching the series and real history. In 2025, he stepped back from his social media duties to pursue other opportunities. UbiCypher (Joe)

The Time-Defying Assassin's Creed II Analysis Share 3 Nov 2025 Written By: Edited By: Hayden Bird Colum Blackett Back To Database Assassin’s Creed II was released by Ubisoft in November of 2009 and became an instant classic that redefined the standards of video game sequels. The original Assassin’s Creed game was already a fan-favorite and a huge success when it launched in 2007, but many can point to its sequel as being the major turning point of the early days of the franchise. When a usual sequel to a game comes out, fans expect much of the same with minor improvements and story changes, but Assassin’s Creed II showed the industry that a sequel can take the series a step further on its own in such a short period of time. The game released two years after the original, and the bar that the sequel set is still a tactic that is often used as inspiration for video games hoping to cash in on a solid continuation. Promotional image for Assassin's Creed II via Ubisoft The reason why Assassin’s Creed II changed the industry forever, and the way we still look at sequels, is that Ubisoft did not try and simply build off the first game and create something expectedly familiar, but they evaluated the game as so much more. The amount of improvements we saw in Assassin’s Creed II is unheard of in a typical sequel you’d see today. It took everything fans loved about the first game and multiplied it to the point where it felt like a whole new experience. The truth is that a direct sequel, especially one released in the late 2000’s, is usually not so well rounded and simply a whole new league of improvements. It’s unheard of for a sequel to do what Assassin’s Creed II followed after the first game. A typical sequel is generally not supposed to be so vastly improved so quickly, it used to and still usually does take several years and several sequels to reach a level where people consider it a massive upgrade to its predecessor. Assassin’s Creed II was basically a game that defied the normal reality and showed the gaming industry that a direct sequel could indeed be an instant significant upgrade over the original. Before the game came out in late 2009, there had never been a true example of a sequel being such a fast improvement in such a short period of time. The industry norm was to take a few years and a few games to reach its potential. Assassin’s Creed II ended that narrative and became very likely the first direct sequel to show that a game could have such a vast improvement in just one single game later, something the gaming world had deemed impossible for decades. Assassin’s Creed II is still widely regarded by many as the best game in the entire series, and that is seriously impressive for a game from so many years ago and from a franchise that is so popular and still an industry giant to this day. Most games from the mid to late 2000’s are regarded as retro classics, but usually considered very dated. As of late in the gaming world, remakes and remasters have taken control and become a new staple of the modern industry. The fact that Assassin’s Creed II is still without a full on remake with modern graphics and the use of technology we did not have all those years ago, shows the world what an incredible game it was that was far ahead of its time. Many fans and gamers alike often admit that the game holds up so well even today. Video games from even less than a decade ago are currently receiving full on remakes, and those were games developed years past the limited technology we had years ago. Assassin’s Creed II set a standard and proved to many that a sequel could become an instant classic so quickly, and the belief that it took several years at the minimum to reach a similar standard was debunked. The game focused on what the first game did correctly, but took those exact fan-favorite aspects and completely overhauled the criticism some had for various parts of the first game. The repetitive missions and limited open world were often features of the first game that many disliked, but Assassin’s Creed II changed that all. The story was memorable and the characters were even more loved. The game started a trilogy of games featuring the beloved protagonist, Ezio Auditore da Firenze. Not a single main protagonist in the franchise before or after the self-titled “Ezio Trilogy” has gotten even a second game, let alone a total of three. Fans adored the cast and the story directions Ubisoft followed. The open world was improved by allowing the ability to visit different parts of the time period set in the Italian Renaissance, allowing gamers to explore multiple regions such as Florence, Venice, and a brief trip to Rome at the end of the game. Many also loved the combat the game featured that allowed the ability to equip and use a wide variety of different weapons and tools for the first time that could be used to take on enemies. The first game was much more compact and the sequel managed to keep the aspects fans love and simply make it so much better. Often today, games that have a sequel get fan criticism for removing certain features gamers loved in a first game and changing it entirely for the sequel, Ubisoft instead listened to their fans and knew the ones that loved the first game back in 2007 would love to see a lot of returning elements, but a fresh take on the game especially since it was set in such a famous era in history. Promotional image for Assassin's Creed II via Ubisoft Although there are certainly a few things Assassin’s Creed II could have improved upon that are seen as out of date in today's standards, it was far ahead of its time in what we knew to expect all the way back in 2009. Many gaming developers even to this date often look back on the work Ubisoft did with Assassin’s Creed II and use it as an example of how to craft a sequel that can be an instant improvement that doesn't take the old belief that many years and many games were necessary for vast improvement. As important and legendary as the original 2007 Assassin’s Creed game was, many fans of the series point to the sequel as the true turning point of the franchise, and a huge reason the franchise is still around today and stronger than ever. Assassin’s Creed II launched on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles, but it received a remaster collection for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles back in 2016. The remasters did not receive any significant graphical or gameplay improvements, which is proof that Ubisoft is rightfully very proud of their work and does not feel it is a dire necessity to come out with a full on remake that rebuilds the entire game from the ground up. The original game still plays very well on the old consoles, and still remains to many as the best part of the entire franchise. The game had two sequels that were 2010’s Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood and 2011’s Assassin’s Creed Revelations . None of that would have happened without the impact Assassin’s Creed II created. Since the inception of video games, almost all developers had a belief that reaching vast improvement took a lot of time, but the creators at Ubisoft rewrote history and changed the game forever. It differentiated the way many developers and fans see in sequels and remains a staple of the industry and a game that can for the rest of time be looked at as an example or inspiration for how to follow the blueprint Ubisoft created and how to replicate the era-defying results it created. The work Ubisoft started changed things forever, and proved the idea that sequels needed years of work to be an improvement was indeed false. Promotional image for Assassin's Creed II via Ubisoft comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Hayden is a passionate Freelance Writer based in South Carolina who joined TOWCB's Writing Team in 2020 during the Covid-19 Pandemic, writing articles on all things Assassin's Creed Valhalla. He left the group to focus on studies, joining our Alumni program, but triumphantly returned with fresh ideas in 2024 to pick up where he left off, only this time covering Assassin's Creed Shadows. In 2025, Hayden took on the position of Team Leader for TOWCB's Writing Team, overseeing article releases, assisting with recruitment and providing assistance with internal operations. Hayden Bird

Assassin's Creed Winter Wallpaper Collection Released Community Share 20 Dec 2025 Written By: Edited By: Frame Hold Photography TOWCB Team Back To Database We are pleased to announce that our very own Frame Hold Photography from TOWCB Core Team has released an Assassin's Creed Winter Wallpaper collection! Feel free to use them however you see fit, and let us know in the comments which version is your favourite! Merry Creedmas Assassins! Happy Holidays! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Frame Hold Photography is a passionate Virtual Photographer who joined our Video Content Creation Team in Summer 2022, as we began our efforts to break away from solely written content. During a period of uncertainty for TOWCB website, FHP stepped up and took on the role of Site Manager, overseeing our restoration efforts. Our website today now sits at the top of many Google searches📈 Outside of AC, she is also a full time editor and visual effects artist on TV commercials, and has been putting her skills to use in the community by creating epic Assassin's Creed tribute videos, miniature figure painting videos and editing episodes of our Rally the Creed podcast! Frame Hold Photography

Assassin's Creed Mirage Early Access Demo Gameplay Round-up News Share 12 Sept 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Back To Database On the 12th September 2023, an embargo lifted for Assassin's Creed Mirage which saw a flood of content circulate the internet. The coverage included gameplay, screenshots and information captured and documented by media outlets, community members and Youtubers, taken from the first few hours of the game. We here at The Ones Who Came Before made a conscious decision not to share any of the footage on our social media channels as we are so close to launch. Instead, we have decided to round-up all of the gameplay videos we can find and share them here on our website! Please enjoy and support the content creators listed below, and always be considerate when sharing unreleased content. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc9DbG-jzbc Footage by Jackfrags and first impressions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHgaolJLQoY Footage by IGN. Previewed on PC by Nick Maillet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY-Gak8DPVk Footage captured by theRadBrad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-ztu_HV-6Y Footage captured by Luke Stephens https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-9Yq8cF2Uk Footage captured by jayvee https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXniX4XRzek Footage captured by Zanar Aesthetics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB9YDYcsB-g Footage captured by JorRaptor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJONnDtGfrU Footage captured by That Boy Aqua https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRtRjcQxmMw Footage captured by GameSpot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH3FVTf3XB4 Footage captured by GameRiot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH-9o00quMY Footage captured by Hollow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AiCFUugMT0 Highlights video by Playstation Access https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RTrT23Kb_0 Footage by Nick930 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8d2SXYLILmA Footage by Easy Allies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnxsizQ7PuY Footage by Arekkz Gaming https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Dwhl9sTmWc Footage by Rickster2344 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRWMTUS18i0 Footage by Shirrako https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wFu8mpx9i8 Footage and Impressions by Franky Boy and JorRaptor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMxDQrRO6DI Footage by Mirror Gaming https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UADDzQAePRQ Footage by MadMorph https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6dQcQeK_e8 Footage by GamersPrey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kguGcnteYbw Footage by Access the Animus Screenshots Image captured by @ LegacyKillaHD Screenshots by RockPaperShotgun Screenshots by TheLoadout Did we miss your early access coverage of Assassin's Creed Mirage? Message us privately to be featured on the site! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

Full Breakdown of the Launch Trailer for Assassin’s Creed Mirage Valley of Memory DLC Analysis Share 15 Nov 2025 Written By: Edited By: Zephryss Hayden Bird Back To Database The launch trailer for Assassin's Creed Mirage: Valley of Memory has finally arrived, giving us our best look yet at the story, characters, locations, and new features coming with this highly anticipated DLC. Here’s a complete breakdown of everything shown in the trailer. First of all, a big thanks to Ubisoft and the Assassin's Creed community team for providing us early access to the launch trailer. A Deadly Chase in AlUla The trailer opens with an intense scene set in AlUla, where Basim is seen chasing down a member of a new enemy faction known as the Robbers. He quickly catches the target and eliminates him with his hidden blade in an action-packed start to the adventure. How the DLC Begins We then jump to a moment that takes place before the DLC story starts. Players must visit Dervis in his shop in Baghdad to begin the new quest titled “A Call from the Past.” Interestingly, the DLC is also accessible in two ways: It unlocks naturally when players begin the Head of the Snake mission in the base game. OR it can be started immediately from the main menu when launching a new game. Arriving in AlUla Next, we see Basim finally arriving in AlUla with some beautiful shots of the region, including a cinematic moment of him riding a camel through Hegra. The region looks stunning and packed with exploration potential. Basim’s Personal Journey We then see Basim and Dervis resting at a campfire during their journey. Basim holds a brooch crafted from a blue ceramic tile, taken from the home where he once lived with his father. This is a strong emotional anchor for the story. Basim reveals that he has come to AlUla to seek out his father, who he hasn’t seen in many years. New Faces and Rising Tensions A new character appears in the trailer, telling Basim that lawlessness has plagued the AlUla region for a long time. This reinforces just how dangerous the area has become. Basim later infiltrates a fortified location in search of his father. By this point, he has already learned that the Robbers are involved in his father’s disappearance, leading to several tense confrontations. Landmarks & Parkour Moments The trailer then highlights several iconic locations and dynamic shots: Basim standing before Elephant Rock after defeating a group of enemies. A great parkour sequence near Musa ibn Nusayr Fort. These visuals suggest that AlUla will be one of Mirage’s most visually unique regions. Fears and Hopes In a small camp outside the town, Basim tells Dervis that he is unsure what scares him more, finding his father’s resting place, or finding nothing at all. Dervis reassures him that there is still hope. Captured on Purpose? In the following scene, we see another new character who warns Basim that the men he seeks are very dangerous. In the next moment, Basim is surrounded and captured by enemies. It appears Basim intentionally allowed himself to be captured to reach the leader of this new enemy faction. Meet the Robbers' Leader: ‘Abis We then get our first official look at the Robbers’ leader, ‘Abis, who threatens Basim. Basim asks him why he was involved with his father, saying the conflict was only with him. Somehow, Basim escapes from the prison and attempts to attack ‘Abis, but ‘Abis anticipates Basim’s moves and counters his attacks. New Features & Improvements The trailer also showcases several updates coming to Assassin’s Creed Mirage , including: Enhanced parkour mechanics New Animus Sequence missions Additional gameplay improvements New Outfits and Weapons Next, we get a look at the three new outfits, three new dagger skins, and two new sword skins that will be available in the upcoming updates. The third purple outfit could be a reward from the Animus Sequences. It looks really cool and now it's actually a Hidden One outfit, so we can’t see Basim’s face, haha. A Final, Mysterious Tease In the final scene, we see Basim walking toward a mysterious cave. Inside, there is an Assassin’s Creed insignia banner. It could be an Isu cave or a new Hidden One bureau in AlUla. We’ll have to wait until November 18 to find out. Assassin's Creed Mirage: Valley of Memory launches on November 18 and adds more than six hours of new content to Assassin's Creed Mirage, and it will be free for all players. What do you think about the new launch trailer, and how excited are you for the Assassin's Creed Mirage: Valley of Memory DLC? Share your thoughts below. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Zephryss is a passionate social media manager based in India who joined TOWCB's Social Media Team in Summer 2024 to help the team prepare for coverage of Assassin's Creed Shadows news and updates. Recently, he completed his Masters degree in Electrical Engineering and is now preparing to take on a PhD. He loves video games very much, and since childhood has enjoyed playing various types of games in different genres He also has 3 gaming channels (Zephryss, Assassin Zephryss & Spider Zephryss) where he uploads gameplay videos regularly. Zephryss

The Memory Corridor: Potential Sequels ft. Irakli Podcast Share 25 Mar 2017 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) Back To Database https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM38_Pc0OC0 comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Gustav / Gargudon is an active and versatile content creator, who started out in podcast hosting in 2016 - hosting the discussion based show “The Memory Corridor” - but today mostly specialises in video creation, interviews, writing and composing. He joined The Ones Who Came Before in 2019 for a merger, publishing new episodes - and reviving the show following nearly a year of inactivity - on our platforms, until phased out in 2023. Today, his landmark projects include the Sounds Of History project - an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental music project, featuring five tracks inspired by as many different games - other original fan themes plus covers of iconic AC tracks, as well as video interviews with a number of high profile names in the world of AC, from Roger Craig Smith, Jesper Kyd and more. Fun fact, among his growing colourful tattoo collection, Gustav is the only member of our team to have the TOWCB logo inked. Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon)

This Week in Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 8th to 14th May Community Share 16 May 2023 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Colum Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week I will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. This week’s theme: Assassin’s Creed Spartan Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ JPGphotogame “Spartans, ready your breakfast and eat hardy, for tonight we dine in hell.” How could you not think of the movie 300 when looking at this capture? The ambience of the shot is fully in keeping with the movie aesthetic. The lighting is so moody and the stance imposing, Alexios looks ready for battle here. I really liked how you could mix up your play style in Odyssey, adding variety to the game. An excellent warrior shot that is worthy of its place in the weekly showcase. Wonder Women Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ WallyDaGreat66 Sticking with Odyssey and the movie ties ins, how about this Kassandra shot that spectacularly gives of Wonder Women vibes. It’s a beautifully taken capture that really pops due to the excellent depth of field. The colour tones here are perfectly matched allowing Kassandra to shine with her bow. Of all the Assassin’s Creed leads, you can see why Kassandra is so well loved. Incredible photography from Wally. In the Mist Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ NIKOOO_WOLF It is not easy getting good Longship shots in Valhalla but this one is a bit of a gem. Vikings appearing from the mist is symbolic in many pieces of media regarding their exploits. I think this capture is a great example of this. What I love about this shot is the sunlight and the shadows it is producing on the hull. Likewise that reflection and ripple in the water looks so good. Brilliant capture that fulfils the Viking brief. The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week: Judge: Michael Smith What I love about this particular image is the personality of the player in the longship customization. With so many options, each player could have their own taste presented in what is also a fantastic image that really shows the style of AC Valhalla. Saxon or Dane Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ ccf_photomode This week’s #Thorsday shot had to be this one. The Carolingian armour is one of the best looking sets in the game but also leads to a conflict of faith. I do like the way Eivor embraces both sets of Gods, how her time in England meant that she was divided but ultimately took lands so that they could be for both Saxon and Dane. This shot is so atmospheric, it creates a real sense of mystery. The dark background really allows the armour to shine, especially that cross. Is Eivor embracing the Saxon ways or is she infiltrating their ranks, either way this is a magnificent shot. Miss Frye Game: Assassin’s Creed Syndicate VP Artist: @ MissEvieFrye We end this week’s showcase with a delightful shot of Evie. Whenever I see captures from Syndicate or Unity I get jealous that console players don’t have a photo-mode. This is an excellent portrait of an underappreciated gem in the Assassin’s Creed world. I adore the lighting here, especially as it highlights that excellent expression on her face. As Evie once said “Freeing future generations from a city ruled by Templars” And that sums it up for this week’s Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out this week’s photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next week keep those shots coming in! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

Assassins in Need: Heart of the Creed (2022 Community Fundraiser) Fundraising Share 17 Aug 2022 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database We are pleased to reveal that our 2022 Assassin's Creed Community Fundraiser will run from the 15th August - 10th September 2022! This year's campaign is titled 'Assassins in Need: Heart of the Creed', and will raise money for The British Heart Foundation and The American Heart Association, two incredible organisations providing critical cardiovascular medical research and education to facilities around the world. This lifesaving campaign launched by The Ones Who Came Before in association with various different companies and communities hopes to be our biggest yet, with a target of £1500. Here you can learn more about the 2022 campaign and our partners! This is a cause which we can all get behind, as many of us in the community have lost family members and friends to heart disease or related conditions. Earlier in the year, Assassin's Creed scriptwriter Russell Lees sadly passed away from a heart attack. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends during this difficult time. Our Assassin's Creed community fundraisers have collectively raised over £2500 for various causes, and we hope to once again support a worthwhile cause which can save lives. Thank You https://video.wixstatic.com/video/06e6c8_89aef6b06ff94ec09a46899f54d573a5/360p/mp4/file.mp4 Dave Woodward from Assassin's Creed United Kingdom https://video.wixstatic.com/video/06e6c8_de76bed45c324e7f9ac7db2b948a6441/1080p/mp4/file.mp4 Declan from Let's Talk Assassin's Creed promoting the campaign on his podcast https://video.wixstatic.com/video/06e6c8_588bdeb184784c1ea7a33785703e4586/480p/mp4/file.mp4 The Maverick (A Hidden One) promoting the campaign onhis TikTok channel. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/06e6c8_8b8a8abf18644f648d87496f89e2efa7/720p/mp4/file.mp4 Aaron from the AC Partnership program thanking donors 2022 Partners Links to Assassin's Creed As longtime fans of TOWCB will know, we pick our fundraising causes very carefully, finding ways to connect real-life issues to the Assassin's Creed series In the Assassin's Creed series, Master Assassin and Mentor Ezio Auditore died of a heart attack on a bench in his beloved city of Florence. We were also saddened to report the death of Assassin's Creed scriptwriter Russell Lees earlier in the year, who passed away from a heart attack. Russell worked on various AAA Ubisoft titles as a script writer, most recently as Lead Writer for Assassin's Creed Valhalla Wrath of the Druids and ACV's Sciropscire & Oxenefordscire arcs. Milestones & Raffles £100 reached: Lisa Zaman Art Sale. All profits go towards the fundraiser. We are thrilled to announce that Lisa has once again teamed up with TOWCB team to host an exclusive art print sale! £300 reached: Assassin's Creed History Livestream launched, covering historical figures, landmarks and events. Hosted by @science_creed, @ac_landmarks and @HistoriansPers and by our YouTube channel names The Science of Assassin's Creed and AC Landmarks. Additionally, you can find the channel of our collaborator Master Hekate's Ceremonials also on YouTube £400 reached: Merchandise Sale launched We are pleased to announce the launch of our Assassins In Need merchandise sale, featuring a design created by TOWCB team member Thea Rivedal! 100% of proceeds support the 2022 community fundraiser, raising funds for @ TheBHF & @ American_Heart £500 reached: Ezio Auditore Statue Auction: All profits go towards the fundraiser We will be auctioning an Ezio statue, kindly donated to the fundraiser by Ubisoft UK! £1000 reached: Merchandise Sale: We will be selling even more exclusive Heart of the Creed fundraiser merchandise, using designs created by AC Partnership Members. Opportunity! All donors of £5 or more will receive access to our Thank You pack, containing a special video! You'll need to donate to find out more! Opportunity! All donors of £15 or more will be entered into a raffle! Aconyte Books have kindly donated x5 digital bundles containing the following novels! Assassin's Creed: Sword of the White Horse Assassin's Creed: The Magus Conspiracy Assassin's Creed: The Ming Storm Opportunity! All donors of £20 or more will be entered in to a raffle! We have x3 Ezio Auditore Assassin's Creed Revelations prints by Chariflame to giveaway! Opportunity! All donors of £50 or more will be entered into a raffle We have x1 signed Evie Frye Print, signed by voice actress Victoria Atikin, kindly donated to the fundraiser by Kim Beacham from the Assassin's Creed United Kingdom team! Get Involved You can now find the 2022 Assassins in Need fundraiser on GoFundMe. We need your support to make this a success, so please donate and support the fundraiser if you can. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

Aaron Young from TOWCB Joins ThePhotoMode Writing Team News Share 12 Apr 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database We are pleased to announce that our very own Aaron Young has been invited to join ThePhotoMode team as a regular article writer! Aaron is known in the community for his incredibly detailed portrait captures using the in-game Photo Mode tools, and also for his weekly Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography articles for The Ones Who Came Before . ThePhotoMode is the first free virtual photography e-magazine, and aims to support digital creators who share a love for virtual photography. The project, led by community member Jack ( _Virtualtourism ) has done an excellent job at highlighting community content, but other notable achievements include the site hosting a Q&A with Raphael Lacoste (Former Art Director on Assassin's Creed), and Jack himself winning the ' Virtual Photographer of the Year' award' at the Ubisoft Community Awards event in London! You can find Aaron's first major contributions to the project below, which are featured in the most recent release, issue #27 . Issue #27 available now: Free download comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

Why We Needed Assassin's Creed Valhalla Other Share 25 Jun 2024 Written By: Edited By: Hayden Bird Colum Blackett Back To Database ‘ Assassin’s Creed Valhalla ’ was released November 10, 2020, and was praised by both fans and critics. It was a big step forward in the franchise as fans for years had hoped to explore the Norse era of history and what Scandinavia had to offer. It was heavily anticipated upon release, and gathered a large following after its incredible cinematic reveal trailer in late April of 2020. The trailer excited many fans as it showed the return of the famous Hidden Blade, and also revealed some of what to expect in the era of the Vikings. However, it was a big deal having ‘ Valhalla ’ release when it did, as the world was at the peak of the Covid-19 Pandemic. People needed a reason to be happy or stay distracted. Assassin’s Creed fans had waited patiently for Ubisoft to navigate game development during a global pandemic. It forced work from home situations and changed entirely how to develop a game while remaining safe from health violations. ‘ Valhalla ’ fortunately did not face any major delays leading up to its end of year release date. Ubisoft had done a fine job keeping their employees safe from the Coronavirus while still being able to work and complete a game as big and as ambitious as ‘ Valhalla ’. November of 2020 was also the highly anticipated launch of the next-generation gaming consoles. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S were set to launch around the same time as each other, and along with the pandemic, the Semiconductor Chip Shortage was also a major problem in the world at that time, meaning purchasing one of these new consoles was borderline impossible. Restocks at select electronic stores and websites were done regularly, yet still supply was unable to meet demand. Covid, and the shortages combined made life difficult for a lot of people. 'Valhalla' releasing alongside the next-generation consoles, including the weight of the global pandemic pulling it down. It made the game become a source of comfort to fans across the globe. The state of the game industry at this time was as bad as it had ever been, and having 'Valhalla' in the mix was a great solution to fans not wanting to think about the pandemic, and became a staple of the industry to the gaming world during that time. When ‘ Valhalla ’ was still in production, a big phenomenon surfaced across the gaming world, and was seen by fans as a secret tease for the upcoming Assassin’s Creed game, as Ubisoft perhaps unintentionally created an in-game poster from one of their other franchises, ‘The Division 2’ of what seemed to be a Viking holding the Apple of Eden, which is a popular recurring artifact shown throughout the Assassin’s Creed series. It had fans wondering if Ubisoft hid an easter egg in the game to get clues as to their upcoming game. Ubisoft officially denied these claims, but fans had their suspicions that the next game in the series really would be a Norse Assassin’s Creed game, and they were right, as shortly after fans dubbed the new game to be called ‘ Assassin’s Creed Ragnarok ’. Fans also called the game ‘ Assassin’s Creed 2020 ’ to be more plain. But later on, shortly after all the rumors fiasco did Ubisoft officially announce the game as ‘Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’ in April of 2020. When ‘ Valhalla ’ was released, it became a coping mechanism to gaming fans during a very dark time. It was a major upside in the gaming community, and a big thing to look forward to from already faithful Assassin’s Creed fans. It was available on all major gaming platforms at launch, which was important considering very few people owned a next-gen console and could play the advanced version of the game. Ubisoft offered a free upgrade to the next-gen versions to players who purchased the game on either PS4 or the Xbox One. It was a good gesture from them as it saved people money and helped gamers avoid spending money on the same game twice, which had become a popular tactic in gaming at that time. It helped give players who were unable to upgrade yet. So, they would be able to play the new and improved version of the game they already owned. Ubisoft's marketing strategies for the game were also a big help to the fans as they were able to be even more excited about ' Valhalla '. Ubisoft's efforts to engage with their audience were a welcome gesture to the community, including having activities they encouraged fans to complete while in lockdown, such as cosplay from home and AMA's. This allowed fans to ask their most anticipated questions they had for the developers, giving fans a chance to interact with the creators and unify the community as one. The addition of Virtual Photography in the game was also a contributing factor to the game's success and allowing people an opportunity to explore and capture the land of Scandinavia, considering doing this yourself was challenging with the restrictions of the pandemic. The release of ‘ Valhalla ’ went quite well, as it performed great graphically, and was even moved up from its original release date to match that of the Xbox Series consoles and their much anticipated launch. It showed fans that Ubisoft was confident in their game, and they were rewarded as ‘ Valhalla ’ went on to become a monumental hit, selling record amounts of copies in its first week alone. Fans were happy to explore the history of the Vikings, which had been heavily requested for years from fans of the series. Fans loved ‘ Valhalla ’ for many different reasons. Norse Mythology itself is very popular amongst historians and gamers alike. Games such as ‘ God of War Ragnarok ’ became a gigantic hit due to its storytelling and a faithful adaptation into Norse Gods. ‘ Valhalla ’, meanwhile had their own version of the Norse Mythology, by adding it in with returning features and storylines of standard Assassin’s Creed games, such as the Hidden Ones against the Order of the Ancients, which is a earlier in history battle between the more modern Assassin’s Brotherhood vs the Templar Order shown in previous games. Ubisoft succeeded in adding their own touch to Norse Mythology, making it very believable for the story while staying true to the source material. For fans, the reason ‘Valhalla’ worked so well was because it was truly just a great Assassin’s Creed game in all aspects. The changes made in this game compared to previous games in the series such as ‘ Assassin’s Creed Origins ’ and ‘ Odyssey ’ were great additions to the game, and seen by most as a large improvement. The new features added included horse stamina, which gave you a meter on how far you could gallop with your mount without it getting exhausted. It offered players strategies such as escaping from enemies, meaning monitoring your horse's stamina to escape successfully. Another change included a new form of the classic Eagle Vision now known as Odin’s Sight, which allowed the player to get a landscape of the environment around them, and have them watch out for enemies in the area or where to find your objective. Weapon customization became more important for reasons such as adding runes to weapons and gear, making them more powerful and more durable against higher-leveled enemies. Building up your settlement was also a major addition to the game, where you could improve your home with pillaged materials taken from River Raids against rival clans, or found in chests hidden in enemy territory and around the map. These were welcome additions to the game, as they added a very unique form of exploration and combat that the series needed badly. Fans were also happy that Ubisoft decided to bring back certain popular elements of past games that were eventually left out of the newer games in the series, such as Social Stealth and Hidden Blade assassinations on enemies. Social Stealth allows the player to use the environment as cover, for example by equipping a cloak and going unnoticed through crowds in distrust areas. Including that, the game gives you the iconic Hidden Blade, a long-time staple of the series quite early on into the story, and allowed players to get familiar again with the weapon and the techniques needed to take out an enemy fast, or getting in and out of an enemy restricted area while killing your target. These were great additions for both fans of the current games and fans who could prefer the originals and its old formula. It catered to both sides of the fanbase who may have different opinions based on the direction of the franchise, but quickly pleased the ones who doubted ‘ Valhalla ’ which is a big reason the game was as popular as it has gotten to be. As we look back on this game, it truly is one of the more influential games in the entire Assassin’s Creed franchise, as it did a great job providing an excellent experience for fans and being able to distract the players and keep them busy while not trying to think of the dark time our world was going through then. In years, the gaming community may look back on this game as one of the first, if not the first true next-gen game made in the PS5 and Xbox Series era. Ubisoft did a spectacular job creating the beautiful world of both Norway and England during the Norse era, and creating a game as memorable as this one. ‘ Valhalla ’ was a great way to not only satisfy returning fans of the series, but also to entice new players to create new fans of the series. It was a game for everyone, even if you were not familiar with the ever-popular Assassin’s Creed games. ‘ Valhalla ’ was a gift during the Covid-19 pandemic, and allowed fans and gamers alike to enjoy it even in the darkest of times. Ubisoft once again hit the jackpot with ‘ Valhalla ’, a game we did not know we needed as much as we did. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Hayden is a passionate Freelance Writer based in South Carolina who joined TOWCB's Writing Team in 2020 during the Covid-19 Pandemic, writing articles on all things Assassin's Creed Valhalla. He left the group to focus on studies, joining our Alumni program, but triumphantly returned with fresh ideas in 2024 to pick up where he left off, only this time covering Assassin's Creed Shadows. In 2025, Hayden took on the position of Team Leader for TOWCB's Writing Team, overseeing article releases, assisting with recruitment and providing assistance with internal operations. Hayden Bird

TOWCB Recap: Reddit AMA with the Assassin’s Creed Mirage Dev Team News Share 13 Jul 2023 Written By: Edited By: Michael Smith Back To Database Banner by Thea Marie Rivedal (Moonchildgecko) from TOWCB Art Team. The official Assassin’s Creed Twitter account announced this last week that the devs of AC Mirage would be holding an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit’s r/Assassin’s Creed on the 13th of July, 2023. Present for the AMA were Creative Director Stephane Boudon, Narrative Director Sarah Beaulieu, and Art Director Jean-Luc Sala. The Q&A session lasted for about 3 hours with 23k reported views (via Moderator u/WhiteWolfWhispers) and we have gathered and trimmed all of the questions and responses from the devs below for you to read in an easy and organized fashion. You can read through the full subreddit thread here . Game Development and Design u/WhiteWolfWhispers: Just curious, at what point during Valhalla was it decided to make Mirage a full game instead of a dlc and why? Sarah Beaulieu: Hi! We decided to make Mirage a full game in the following weeks after starting working on it. The opportunity of working on the city of Baghdad, and on the character of Basim, was too good to be missed! u/SparkedSynapse: Is there a chance of Assassin Focus being visually retouched to add more digital-artifacting, Animus distortion, floating text, and the like? Stephane Boudon: The walkthrough trailer was still work in progress and we continue to improve the visual of the game. u/andyreloads-YouTube: How long will it take in hours to complete the game (100%) & how big is the map in KM? Sarah Beaulieu: In terms of playtime, we are closer to the first AC games. u/SparkedSynapse: Is there any chance of quest replay or mission replay being made available in a potential post-launch update? Stephane Boudon: For now, Mirage has no plan for DLC or extensive post-launch u/Ras_AlHim: Maybe a silly question, but will there be credits playing at the end (unlike the past few ACs)? Sarah Beaulieu: Not a silly question! Yes, you'll be able to read the names of everyone who worked on Mirage at the end of the game! u/ClaudioACSy: I would like to know what accomplishment you're the most proud of and what is the hardest challenge you've faced during the development of this game? Sarah Beaulieu: I'm especially proud of the cast of characters and actors we gathered for Mirage. The talents brought passion and authenticity to the story, and I'm so grateful for this. When working on a complex and huge lore such as Assassin's Creed, the hardest challenge is to stay consistent, while creating bridges with existing lore elements, and new ones... This is key! Story u/NeedleworkerPure5092: The game is set in the period called “Anarchy at Samarra”. Then, why doesn't it include Samarra, Basim’s birthplace and the Abbasid Caliphate’s capital at that time? It’s the city where all of the caliphs lived and most important historical events happened. Sarah Beaulieu: The city of Baghdad was the center of the world at that time, home to many scholars and artists, so we decided it was the perfect place for our story. And back then, caliphs came to Baghdad regularly. We tell the story of the origins of the rebellion, and tie it to the Hidden Ones'. u/PapaSmurph: Why give Basim an Eagle companion when he had no such companion in Valhalla and Eagle Vision makes the Eagle companion almost obsolete? Sarah Beaulieu: Hello! About the eagle, and on the story side, you'll get an answer in Mirage on why Basim doesn't have his eagle in Valhalla… u/Sir-Fluf: Could you explain your decision to not include modern day within this game? Will we still see some in the future? Sarah Beaulieu: Hi, thanks for the question! As the game is more condensed in terms of narrative, we decided to focus on Basim's story during his time in Baghdad, since it was already so dense. There is a scene at the beginning of the game where you will have the modern day context, then the experience will focus on Basim's evolution as a Hidden One. u/fabled765: What is the approach to weaving philosophy into the story of Mirage? Does Basim seek liberty for all or just himself? Sarah Beaulieu: Freedom is actually the core theme of the conflict. Basim is torn between his strong will to bring back justice in Baghdad, and his own struggles. This supports the whole story and character evolution. u/NoTax20: Will there be any ties/connections to Origins or the Babylonians? Jean-Luc Sala: The visual identity we chose for the masks of the Order of the Ancients has a connection to AC Origins, which also suggests a presence of the Order during the Babylonian era. We also have in-game items that will definitely remind you of Origins. u/OlgaBaikova: Why did you choose Basim to be the main character of this game? We've seen the end of his story in Valhalla, and if this game becomes an absolute success, there will be not much left to explore about Basim's life in case of a sequel; unlike the mysterious other assassin, Haytham, whose life we know almost nothing about, and who is the "real deal", if you know what I mean. Sarah Beaulieu: Basim's origin story was basically a blank page, so we saw this as a great opportunity to explore his complex personality. He is the kind of character I love working on. How did he become the character from Valhalla? What happened to him? And as the team really wanted to explore Baghdad's history, Basim made even more sense! u/lillchicken126: What books did the team read to get ready for this period? Jean-Luc Sala: A lot, but Guy Le Strange book "Baghdad During the Abbasid Caliphate From Contemporary Arabic and Persian Sources" was a solid start for us. Historians, specialists of the topic, inside and outside Ubisoft helped us a lot. Gameplay u/yautja-hunter: Will there be assassin headquarters like in the earlier games? Also, can we train our own assassins and use them in combat? Sarah Beaulieu: Each district in Baghdad has a Hidden Ones Bureau, where you will report to the rafiqs and collect assassination contracts. The experience is centered around Basim becoming a Master Assassin, therefore he does not train any other assassins yet! u/Assassiinuss: Also in the gameplay walkthrough the player picks up a contract from a board - are those contracts handcrafted and limited in number (as in you can do every contract only once) or are they randomly generated out of a set of locations, objectives and other modifiers like for example the quests from the message boards in the Wrath of the Druids DLC? Stephane Boudon: All the contracts are handcrafted and limited in number, no random generation. u/SparkedSynapse: How possible and available are Ejects during movement? Stephane Boudon: For Parkour we are focusing on fluidity and control and building our own thing, taking inspiration from several ACs. Back ejects and side ejects as in the pre-AC3 games are not part of our Parkour system, but we put a lot of effort working on small details to make sure players have the best control on Basim. We are still fine-tuning the Parkour to reinforce even more this control and the feeling of fluidity and agility when traversing Baghdad. Abilities u/SparkedSynapse: If they have the resource for it, can a player activate Assassin Focus during any state? (Walking, Jumping, On A Wall, etc) Stephane Boudon: You can only activate the Assassin Focus outside a conflict. u/SixKeys: How does the skill tree work? Can we obtain skills in any order and ignore ones we don't care for, or do we have to buy certain skills to unlock the rest? Can we unequip skills and armor for a no-upgrades run? Stephane Boudon: We’re still fine tuning the skill tree. Skills are dependent on each other so you will have to unlock a path to access the next skill. You can unequip most skills except the ones concerning an additional tool we newly added. Armor/Outfit can’t be unequipped, but you can override them visually with a Costume. u/Ti2738: What are your thoughts on the backlash towards the new “Focus Assassination”, specifically towards the comments on how it ruins the game by being too fantasy-like visually. Is it too late to change the look of this ability and, in your honest opinion, do you agree with what people are saying or do you stand by how the ability looks currently? Stephane Boudon: Basim is an incredibly agile and efficient Assassin, and when using the Assassin Focus he is so fast that the Animus has a hard time keeping up with his movements - that's what we convey with the visual effect. From a game design point of view the Assassin Focus is an incentive for players to use Stealth, as you need to do Stealth kills to fill in your gauge. It is also a way to reward the player with a possibility to eliminate in a blast the remaining targets of a specific location. But using it is completely optional and it will be your choice to invest or not skill points in the ability to upgrade it. When triggering it, you will also have to be very careful about where Basim will end after the last kill, or you could be easily detected. Stealth u/SixKeys: Can you tell us more about social stealth? Can we blend with anyone or just certain groups? Is blending automatic or do we need to press/hold a button like in Valhalla? Stephane Boudon: You can blend with any civilians in AC Mirage (except children) as soon as you have three people in Basim’s vicinity, however you can also trigger a patrol blending. Equipment u/BrunoHM: Outside of the 6 tools shown, are there more to be revealed? Could we get more examples of how we can change their properties? Stephane Boudon: Yes, Basim will be able to access 3 tiers for each of the five tools he will unlock (Torch is not upgradable). Each tier will allow you to choose a new modifier. For instance, a smoke bomb can be turned into a healing vapor refilling Basim’s health or throwing knife can be charged to deal more damage. u/Assassiinuss: In the gameplay walkthrough it is said that tools will get branching upgrades - are those choices permanent or can they be swapped/rolled back? Stephane Boudon: You can roll back or swap those upgrades at the bureau if you want. u/MedicinalM1Abrams: What differentiates costumes from outfits? Are they disguises that the player can wear to better blend in and sneak into enemy compounds(like a guard costume that lets Basim walk right through the front gates of a restricted area?) Jean-Luc Sala: Costumes are official costumes Basim would wear in "real life" (like the assassins costumes) and outfits are to player discretion. You can dye the outfits and not the costumes. In certain circumstances the game will require [you] to wear some specific costumes in order to infiltrate a location. Outfit[s] give you specific perks. u/Enviromental-Crew66: Will there be an option to toggle Basim's hood during gameplay? Either like Valhalla with a quick access wheel or in Origins with a menu button? Stephane Boudon: No, you can’t do it. For us, Basim is a predator that must remain hidden. It was for us natural that Basim keeps his hood on every time he’s on [a] mission in Baghdad like Altair will do later. Of course, you will be able to witness Basim without his hood in bureaus or when Basim is with his fellow Hidden Ones. u/MedicinalM1Abrams: What exactly are talismans meant to be? Do they have any tangible gameplay benefit or are they trophies/trinkets taken from any one of Basims targets that we can wear for further aesthetic customization? Sarah Beaulieu: The talismans are cosmetic only! But I can already tell you that some of them are well hidden in the world… u/andyreloads-YouTube: Is there an ISU armor set to obtain in Mirage? Sarah Beaulieu: About the Isu elements, we definitely have some surprises in store! Exploration u/BrunoHM: After the prologue, how much freedom do we have in regards to the main targets and map exploration? Will our Rank restrict us in the same way "Levels" or "Power" would? Stephane Boudon: The first target is mandatory in Baghdad after that you’ll be free to start your investigation in one of the 3 other bureaus of Baghdad. u/BrunoHM: Exploration-wise, are you using Valhalla's Artifacts, Mysteries and Wealth? What type of activities, and rewards, will we find around Baghdad and Alamut? Stephane Boudon: Like in AC Valhalla you will be able to discover unique world events, treasure maps and loot but we have also new specific activities, such as pickpocket contracts and roaming target to tackle inside the world. u/BusyBizBusyBiz: Even if the main story is shorter than previous installments, will we be able to keep playing with challenges and exploration? In the same vein, is there a new game plus planned for this release? Sarah Beaulieu: Apart from the main story, you will encounter world events as you explore Baghdad and its surroundings: you will meet characters and experience short narrative moments! You will also have assassination contracts that you will collect from the Hidden Ones Bureau, as well as world activities. All of them support either the world, the lore, or Basim's characterization. World & Environment u/Max-full: How did you reconstruct the city of Baghdad during this period ? Was it difficult? Jean-Luc Sala: Was it difficult ? Well bringing back to life a lost city is for sure always a challenge. Historians inside and outside Ubisoft were a great help. We will give details on this topic in our next Dev Diary. We based our work on Guy LeStrange['s] incredible book about Baghdad. The map of Baghdad in the game is very close to the Le Strange reconstruction. Le Strange book : Baghdad during the Abbasid Caliphate. u/neelabh2818: How dense is the city? Jean-Luc Sala: The city is very, very large. From an urbanistic point of view : it depends on the district, we have some intricate streets in the poor districts like in the city of Anbar and the workers district. Some other areas have large avenues. You will have the feelings of Mazes in the Round City. From a population point of view: you can expect more people in the commercial district of Karkh. u/Ras_AlHim: How different are the districts of Baghdad visually, what makes them unique? Jean-Luc Sala: The type of people and activities to be found in each city will affect their look and feel. Each District surrounding the Round City has a dedicated role. One is mostly industry and workers houses, the other is dedicated to trading and the last is about knowledge and science. You can expect very typical landmarks for each, [such] as factories, Great Mosque, Prison, Grand Bazaar, sellers streets and markets, Pharmacy, Hospital (Bimaristan), House of Wisdom, to name a few. The heart of the empire is the Round City and you can expect in this specific part of the city, the most exquisite display of Abbasid architecture and gardens, Administrations, Harem, a zoo and the Caliphal Palace at the very centre of the City. u/norranradd: What part of Baghdad did you enjoy building the most, or what part of the city is the most beautiful? Jean-Luc Sala: It's hard to choose :) I love the reconstruction of Dur-Kurigalzu (An ancient Ziggurat) and the southern marshes with flocks of Flamingos. The Western movie vibes of the Nestorian monastery is also one of my fav places. Of course the jewel of the empire is the round city, but the vibes in the bazaar district and the district of wisdom are really places I love to wander. As you see, it's hard to choose. :) Game Options & Modes u/SparkedSynapse: Was the Quick-Save feature visible in recent screenshots of the Inventory screen made available due to the consideration that Mirage leans harder on Stealth, and thus more punishing combat than Assassin's Creed previously has in many years? Stephane Boudon: In a way, we noticed stealth players love quick saving and we decided to make it more accessible. The game difficulty is a factor of course. u/SparkedSynapse: How does the Quick-Save feature work, and how "reliable" is loading your Quick-Save? In Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla for example, loading a save sometimes caused guards to be mispositioned or for guards "killed in a previous timeline" (IE, killed before you loaded the save) to still be dead. How "bulletproof" do you feel Quick-Save is? Are there important limitations for us to be aware of, with this feature? Stephane Boudon: This is part of our debug process, and we are committed to give you the best level of quality for AC Mirage. u/virtualtourism: Will there be a photomode to capture Basim and Baghdad? Will it be improved from the previous titles to have a photo mode? Jean-Luc Sala: Yes we still use the photo mode and you will have a lot of opportunities as Baghdad and surroundings are really visually stunning. You can also try to photo safari the now extinct Arabian Ostriches. We'll have the same feature set as for ACV, but you will also be able to play in-game (and capture shots through Photomode) with our AC1 nostalgic filter. u/Moon_Logic: Will there be a Discovery Tour or at least a no enemies free roam mode? How hard was it to recreate a city that was destroyed so long ago? Is accuracy even possible? Jean-Luc Sala: The recently announced feature "History of Baghdad" is our way to bring the historical content forward in your game experience. It felt important to us to share all the historical research and knowledge that went into the making of the game. Even if the city was destroyed in the 13th century, a lot of information can be found about [the] city . The reconstruction started with us learning the architectural Abbasid style in order to find back "the spirit of Baghdad". Bringing back the codex is also part of our "back to the roots" overall take on the game :) So what are your thoughts on what we learned today? Share your thoughts here or on our @ ACFirstCiv Twitter and on Facebook. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Mike Smith is a collector of all things Assassin's Creed and a major supporter of transmedia who joined TOWCB as a writer from 2021 - 2024 With nearly a full library of Assassin's Creed media, his work explored the universe in order of Genetic Memory. Notably, his Assassin's Creed Timeline became an essential tool for fans of the franchise looking to complete their collection and consume AC media in a particular order. Michael Smith

Madrinas Reveals Assassin's Creed Shadows Inspired Boba Tea Collection Merchandise Share 17 Oct 2024 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Frame Hold Photography Back To Database Madrinas, an online specialty coffee and tea brand, has officially revealed its new line of Assassin’s Creed Shadows-inspired products. This drop includes Cherry Blossom Fruit Tea, Strawberry Matcha Milk Tea, and an AC Shadows-themed shaker cup! These three items are available in their limited edition Collector’s Box. Madrinas has teamed up with many other video game franchises in the past, including Rainbow Six Siege, Halo, Sea of Thieves, and Cyberpunk 2077. We are also excited to announce that we are furthering our collaboration with Madrinas over the next few weeks, as TOWCB team member Frame Hold Photography will soon be receiving an Assassin’s Creed Shadows Collector’s Box to try these two new boba tea flavors. Her review will be posted to the site and our socials very soon, so stay tuned! To pick up your own Assassin’s Creed Shadows boba teas, check out Madrinas’ website at: www.madrinas.com Madrinas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Txz12PSFNA comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)