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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 Podělte se o vaše myšlenky Buďte první, kdo napíše komentář. 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)

Education Through Story: An Overview of Discovery Tour: Viking Age Review Share 18 Dec 2021 Written By: Edited By: Michael Smith Ashlea Blackett Back To Database The Ones Who Came Before published an article in September about the Discovery Tour by Ubisoft, discussing both the museum style game mode and the books published in France. At the time of publication, the new Discovery Tour: Viking age had been announced but had not been detailed outside that it would be a new experience. With time we were provided more information that the new Discovery Tour would be an experience that focuses on education via combat free storytelling. The excitement built as the first images of the new mode were release just a few weeks before launch and come October 19, the Assassin’s Creed Community had dove head first into the world of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla after countless hours of raiding monestaries, building settlements, and fighting the King of England. This was a new way to explore the beautiful landscapes and mythical realms of AC Valhalla. DT: Viking Age is told in eight chapters, following three storylines that intertwine across Norway, England, Jotunheim, and Asgard. Thorsteinn Silvertongue and his wife Gunnhilda, a merchant family from Stavanger, are seeking wealth through raiding under Jarl Harald Fairhair and the promise of a new life in England. In Grantebridgescire, a monk of the Isle of Ely Monastery, Brother Ealric is adapting to his new life as a brother of their church and strengthening his Christian faith. Lastly, King Aelfred of Wincestre works towards a solution to the “Great Heathen Army” and the protection of his Kingdom in England. When it comes to controls and mechanics, players of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will find that the directional pad actions are usable to summon a horse, longship, use a torch, and meditate to pass time within the world. There are guided instructions for these actions via the story missions to assist those who have not played the prior release before. Additionally, Odin Sight and a personal raven are available to locate interactive nodes and examine the environment around them from a higher perspective. Keeping the same controls minus the combat has allowed a smooth transition into DT: Viking Age. The education portion of Discovery Tour is broken up into two types of collectable informative codex entries; Learnings (historical entries) and Behind the Scenes (game design entries). Subjects cover Daily Life, Law & Justice, Trade & Economy, Art & Culture, War & Politics, Religion & Magic, and lastly Science. The BTS sections are divided into Research, Immersion, England, and Scandinavia. The order these Learnings and BTS are unlocked are organized around the story in each chapter. In example, Chapter 3: Seaworthy provides information on relationships within a clan and their shipbuilding. On average, each chapter will provide 20 Learnings and at least 2 or more BTS Codex entries. When each chapter is completed, a short recap is provided by a research expert and the player is able to replay the chapter again or free roam the area in an open exploration, this is where the majority of Learnings and BTS can be gathered without breaking away from the story. Once the player gathers a fixed amount of either Codex type, a new character can be unlocked to be used as an avatar when traversing the world of DT: Viking Age. In total there are 24 total characters to choose from, 6 of which are available at the start of the story. 12 characters are unlocked from Learnings, 3 from BTS, and the last two are unlocked after finishing Chapters 6 & 8. One of the key benefits of having so many characters to roam around with is the Photo Mode function of the game, allowing players to take their favorite characters to any location within Norway, England, Jotunheim, or Asgard that do not require some form of combat to unlock (such as destructible coverings). Players of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla are also rewarded at the end of the remaining chapters that did not provide character rewards. These rewards cover all selective components of the main game around the customization of the character and their settlement. A new max level gear set, raven, longship, horse, tattoo set, and settlement decoration pack are the rewards. Once the player has completed all chapters in DT: Viking age, a Mythical Short Sword is unlocked to close the “Valhalla Rewards” provided. The theme of all of these unlocks is historical and more grounded than some of the mystical designs in the gear and decorations of the parent title. Discovery Tour: Viking Age, is an improvement on the original Museum style guided tours that were experienced in Ancient Egypt and Greece. Integrating the educational aspects of the history that influenced Assassin’s Creed Valhalla into bite sized chapters of a detailed and historically accurate story made the content interesting and captivating. Players that were dismissive of the original Discovery Tour method may find this interactive story to be more attention grasping and explore the content more. This is also supported by the use of DT: Viking Age in educational settings. The unique software has been provided to multiple schools and was spotlighted on the BBC at the time of launch. Multiple classrooms have presented this refreshed model to their classes and have had students take notes from the learnings to use for review. Gaming in the classroom is something that has been looked at for the future of education and Discovery Tour is a great source of historical information. With the success of the release, future entries in the Assassin’s Creed franchise will likely be followed by additional Discovery Tour experiences. With the game mode being offered separately, this series can continue via education, even when the series comes to an end or a reboot of sorts. The concept of educational story based tools can be expanded into other fields outside of history, and released in multiple languages. Expanding the library of tours for players to experience can also become a new focus for Ubisoft and their library of IPs. However, this can also lead to a higher price point for the mode. While the game is sold separately, there should be free application use for educators and students that are using the software for research. One option could be a more detailed database of Learnings and animated examples or levels to depict how something worked in the past. I found Discovery Tour Viking age to be my favorite entry of the series thus far. The overall gameplay feeling made it more interesting to come back to each night of my playthrough and not try to complete in a single sitting. The chapter format played like episodes in a TV series and the knowledge available in each chapter was never overwhelming. One thing I didn’t care for with DT: Viking Tour was that certain learnings were off the path of the story and were either left until the end of the chapter, or would be an off-course objective that pulls the player from the story. Everything should be included for a complete tour, or displayed as points of interest after the chapter was completed. In addition, once the chapter is complete, a quiz could be given as they were in the past for reward currency to unlock concept art or BTS videos, maybe even more characters to use with the games Photo Mode. It would be enjoyable to have an updated version of the previous two entries to this new format with stories of the era and not based on the games themselves, but more likely released around an anniversary of the games. Games that receive remasters or reboots could have the new mode added on disc or released as their own collection on disc. Assassin’s Creed Infinity could even add the new eras within its release if the game goes the route of the Helix service as seen in AC Unity. Implementing more and more education to the games will not only provide a stepping stone to those that do not play, but allow the ones that do to explore their new interest in the history of these characters via DTs or an in-game codex archive that covers all stories of the AC universe. All aspects covered in this review show not only the current, but future benefits of the Discovery Tour series. By presenting history in an interactive story-driven way similar to shows and film, the newer generations of students can experience their studies and not just absorb fact after fact. I have been able to speak more about the Viking Age, or at least know where I can find information over so many aspects of Viking life with this tool. Unlike the previous entries, while enjoyable, I have not retained the information as much and that alone shows the importance of this new version and a reason why everyone should play it that has interest in the history influencing Assassin’s Creed. Discovery Tour Viking Age is available now through the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla main menu on all systems and separately on the Ubisoft Store and Ubisoft+ for PC. 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

This Week in Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 2nd to 15th October Community Share 20 Oct 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 Mirage Launch Special (Minor Spoilers for Assassin's Creed Mirage) Crossing the Desert Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ BookieVp “Baghdad and its surroundings call to me” Returning to the desert with Basim almost feels fitting. The links to the original Assassin’s Creed and Bayek’s adventures in Egypt are strong. Although smaller than the previous entries the mix of wildlands and city really works. This silhouette of Basim and his camel crossing the desert reminds me of that moment the game opens up to you. I adore the bright sun in the middle of the photo with the clouds and orange glow surrounding it. The desert almost feels made for this sort of shot, a fabulous capture to kick start the showcase. Blending In Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ Spiggy_Smalls “There is no greater glory than fighting for the truth” 2007 saw the release of Assassin’s Creed, an action/stealth game that would go on to lay the groundwork for many entries in the series. Last year we saw the AC15 celebrations and it felt fitting that we should return to the roots with Mirage. This epic shot captures the essence of AC1 both in style and substance. I love the white background as it gives real Animus vibes, something that was so prominent in the original. The use of Altair’s robes obviously increase the nostalgia, while having Basim hide in plain sight tops off a brilliant Assassin’s Creed capture. Desert Delirium Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ G_Assassin90 “It is why you have chosen to walk this path” Returning to the Middle East was always going to be a tantalising prospect. Not only does it feel like the birth of Assassin’s Creed it also boasts such breath-taking environments and diverse cultures. For a virtual photographer the Islamic Golden Age is the perfect setting. This magnificent capture has all the feel of the desert. The sun is so prominent and helps to magnify the superb silhouette of Basim riding his horse. I love the shadow work and the details of the sand. Allowing us to roam the outskirts of Baghdad is such a treat, and this shot proves it. Initiate of Alamut Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ KaiVirtualPhoto “Are you ready to leave your life behind and walk the path of shadows?” When Basim finally receives his Assassin robes for the first time there really is a sense of nostalgia. I loved the moment you take hold of Basim in the desert, ready to hunt down the order in Baghdad. The photo here perfectly captures that moment in all its glory. Basim looks focused and very ready to leave his old life behind. The details on the robes are so good, you really can see all the little intricacies. The saturation on his face tells us where he is and with the hood up we know he means business. A beautiful portrait of the leading character that shows us why he is quickly becoming a fan favourite. The Hidden One Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ AlexK0nstantin “Are you ready to give up who you once thought you were” The Assassin’s Creed Mirage marketing campaign felt a little low key when compared to previous entries. However the Game Informer coverage really blew me away. None more so than the epic shot of Basim appearing from the red smoke. If there was one thing that hyped me the most for this game it was that picture. This shot has aced that very photo, something I knew the VP community would do. The saturation of the red mist is perfect and Basim’s pose is awesome. In this outfit with sword and dagger drawn you cannot really go wrong. There is a sense of impending doom in this capture and Basim would be very proud of that. Hunting the Order Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ AlexK0nstantin “Hide in plain sight” Being a Hidden One and working in the shadows is a necessity for Basim. Having a huge city to run around in adds to the sensation of being an assassin. Traversal has been a hot topic in the recent games, but Mirage breaths life back into this much loved mechanic. The shot here gives off huge Assassin’s Creed vibes but it’s the quality of the shot that catches my eye. At first glance you could mistake it for being concept art. The lighting is split but works beautifully to cast shadows on the people in the street. You cannot deny Basim moving along the beam is an excellent addition. A capture that truly lives up to what we saw in the cinematic trailer. TOWCB Photo of The Week Guest Judge: Miranda Amess (Community Manager for Assassin's Creed at Ubisoft) '' Assassin's Creed Mirage is all about paying homage to the original titles, and ultimately returning to the roots of the franchise. Basim stealthily running across a beam, (on his way to complete a contract), with the busy marketplace of Baghdad below him. For me, AlexK0nstantin has captured the essence of Assassin's Creed Mirage perfectly.'' Baghdad Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ Memento_Gallery “The Order has put a fog over Baghdad” Baghdad is the capital of Iraq and during the Islamic Golden Age it was a hub of activity. I have been enjoying how Ubisoft split Baghdad out into sections so that we can enjoy different atmospheres depending on where we are. Once again the team have created a city that feels alive, something that I haven’t felt since Unity. For me this capture symbolises the game and how beautiful it is. The composition of the shot is glorious, and having Enkidu soring high in the corner adds to the majesty. The Round City looks incredible with the hints of fog hanging above it, almost like a metaphor for the Orders presence. The Palace of the Green Dome in the background serves as the icing on the cake. Training Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ eivxr_ “Never compromise the Brotherhood” Sometimes Assassin’s Creed Mirage feels more like an Origins story than Bayek’s adventure. The training sequence in Alamut with Roshan gave me such Batman Begins vibes. I felt like Ubisoft nailed the pacing in the opening hours of the game. Here we have Basim putting his mentors teachings to the test. What I adore about these shots are the colour tones and how fitting they are to the theme of the game. Together in a collage they look sublime especially with that white boarder. What I appreciate the most though is how each shot represents an Assassin’s skill set. This is minimalism at its finest. Leap of Faith Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ Evo_Pixel “Then out of the dark, you will come into the light” When you think of Assassin’s Creed the leap of faith is iconic. Jumping from a height into a bale of hay will never get old. The move is essential for all Assassin’s and is required for initiation into the brotherhood. This shot reminds me of the trailers before launch and how good it is to be an Assassin again. Once again the composition is magnificent, I cannot get over how much is included in this capture. It’s wonderful that Enkidu is involved almost mirroring Basim, and the rooftops below add to the feel of elevation. I am loving the walls of the Round City and the Palace of the Green Dome in the background. Tormented Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ Spectral_Lens “Ready to sacrifice everything you held close” As a fan of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla it was nice to see Basim’s robes from that game included. For me they will make for a great end game set to tie the entries together. This shot for me epitomises Basim, and his split personality. The water effect works two fold, one in highlighting Basim’s outfit but secondary producing a reflection on the water. The reflection just makes me think of his duality and how Loki has this power over him. I love the colours and the shadows work, really typifies the mood of the shot. For me though this is an endgame capture of the Valhalla Basim rising out of the water, no longer the hero and destined for darkness. 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

This Week in Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 1st to 7th May Community Share 9 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: Portraits & Quotes Basim Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ Majdulf47 “A man you trust with anything, can take everything” a quote that sums Basim up. He works in the dark but not necessary to serve the light, although his origins story may expand on this. I admire this shot so much. I love the lighting across his face as he exits the shadows. The level of detail in this capture is excellent. I am in awe of how good his facial features look. A really stunning Assassin’s Creed portrait. Ragnar Lothbrok Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ JinxyVP This shot gives me massive Ragnar Lothbrok vibes. The way Eivor/Havi is staring into the abyss is reminiscent of Ragnar in the TV show Vikings. I can hear him saying “Don’t waste your time looking back, you’re not going that way.” This is such an atmospheric shot amplified by the striking background. The short hair and the beard help with the Viking feel and I admire that face tattoo as it adds something different to the shot. Guided by the Light Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ Its_Gurly “The truth of a man lies not in the land of his birth, but in his heart. A king must be a king on his own terms. He cannot be his father, he can only be himself”. I feel like this quote and capture go together so well. Eivor spends most of his time with regret about his father’s death and the lack of ambition from Styrbjorn his adopted father. I feel the shot symbolises Eivor breaking free of his past and stepping out of the shadow of Sigurd. A beautiful capture that amplifies every detail, kudos for the shadow work truly spectacular. My Saga has ended Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ KeenEyeVP This week’s #Thorsday shot had to be Eivor deep thought about her time in England. There is a sadness to this shot. “My road forward has been a muddy one. Slick with blood and tears, but we can reach its end together”. I felt this quote best summed up this shot. Once again the shadow work here is excellent and that face tattoo brings some nice Origins vibes. Eivor always gets you with her eyes though, so mesmerising. Spinner Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @Cll3ar You would think this shot was right out of The Witcher. The three spinners play a big role in Norse mythology and also in Eivor’s journey. “Deep under the earth, where the corpse serpent gnaws at the roots of Yggdrasil, the tree of life, there are three spinners. Three women who make our fate” Eivor feels like she is in control of her destiny but we all know that is not true. This moody and gothic shot embodies the quote in exquisite fashion, the lighting is on point to make it incredibly eerie. The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week: Judge: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) from TOWCB Video Content Creation Team Taking the title as Photo of the Week this round is "Spinner" by @Cll3ar . A perfectly framed shot, with a very special and mysterious tone and look to it, where Eivor and her brightly coloured outfit shines perfectly in the otherwise dark. This shot also feels like something that could be a poster for a movie / show, or and album cover, with its simple yet very cinematic style. 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 (1) Write a comment Write a comment Sort by: Newest Guest May 10, 2023 Fantastic Article! Thank you for including me with other incredible Virtual Photographers. I look forward to your next ~Jinx 💙 Like Reply 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

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: November 1st - 8th Community Share 9 Nov 2020 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) Ashlea Buckley Back To Database Welcome back to a new weekly virtual photography initiative hosted by Gustav Poulsen from The AC Partnership Program. Each week, five Assassin's Creed shots will be showcased here on TOWCB website, in order to promote virtual photography and community contributions. Gustav is a seasoned pro when it comes to virtual photography, and has a keen eye for special shots. Look out for more Photo Logs over the coming weeks, some of which may include Assassin's Creed Valhalla! Great Pyramid This week’s first capture is from Assassin’s Creed Origins. It’s a shot of the Great Pyramid in Giza, taken by Instagram user @ gamingpharmofficial. Vibrant, full of beautiful lighting, palm trees, blue skies and of course a legendary landmark, this capture had to kick off this week’s recap list! Dark Skies: This week’s second capture is yet another one from AC Origins; this one taken by Instagram user @ anna.loves.pcgaming. Oddly enough, this one also features the pyramids of Giza… But Bayek looks at them from a distance, from some high ground down in Memphis. And of course, the most remarkable aspect of this shot, the dark skies and clouds appearing from above, that gives this shot a unique sinister vibe. Monteriggioni This Assassin’s Creed II screenshot is taken by Instagram user @ il.mentore.1459. In it we see Ezio fashionably dressed in the Armor of Altaïr on a rooftop, looking out over his new home village of Monteriggioni. In the distant background, we see the beautiful Tuscan highlands at night. This makes for a not necessarily sinister, but certainly mysterious at maybe even slightly ominous vibe that ACII is known for. You can almost just look at this picture, and here “Leonardo’s Inventions” start playing in the background. Palazzo Ducale For the fourth picture on this week’s list, we have another one from ACII… Also taken by @ il.mentore.1459 . This one however is of the massive, “impenetrable” Palazzo Ducale in Venice at night. Like the previous shot, this one also has that mysterious and slightly sinister vibe to it. The dark vibe that ACII as mentioned is so well known for. Scouting The Area We’ve only had (great) shots from ACII & Origins on this list so far, so isn’t it time for pictures from other games for some variety? Coming in at spot number five, we have an awesome screenshot from Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, taken by Instagram user @ char.lie.scott In it we see Jacob Frye in his preferred working class-esque attire, hanging from a ledge with ONE HAND on top of St. Paul’s Cathedral, observing the beautiful City of London. Bright, filled with warm colours and overall cool and cinematic looking, this capture was to good to not be featured! Paris Noir As mentioned, since this is the final recap before the release of AC Valhalla, we’re featuring double the amount of the usual five pictures. Therefore, kicking off the latter half we’ve got an Assassin’s Creed Unity screenshot taken by Instagram user @ shadow_warrior003 . This one is a classy black and white picture of the legendary Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris. The noir filter really gives this capture a certain classic French noir vibe, that in one way or another takes one back to Paris in the early 1900’s. Whether this was intentional or not, the photographer did an exceptional job with this photo! Loneliness And for the next capture, we’ve got an Assassin’s Creed Odyssey landscape shot taken by Instagram user @ baddestfemale__. This picture is stunningly beautiful to say the least! Perfectly capturing the golden hour as its reflection can be seen on the ocean, and with several small islands thrown into the frame for good measure, this might very well be one of the best AC Odyssey shots I, Gargudon, the photo recap writer have stumbled upon! Ghost Rider In this third AC Origins pics to make the list, we see Bayek wearing an Anubis mask, riding his mysterious, flammable and obviously extremely hot Abyssal Steed horse through the Egyptian deserts as the sun slowly disappears from the horizon. Not much to say to say about this picture, other than it’s well framed, cool looking and last but not least extremely vibrant and warm looking! Source: Spartan Gamer Goodbye Greece For the second last picture on this week’s list, we’ve got a heartfelt goodbye tribute shot dedicated to AC Odyssey, taken by Instagram user @ mentor.of.the.creed . This picture cleverly marks the end of one Assassin’s Creed era, before a new one starts with Valhalla tomorrow already. In it we see our protagonist walking down the beach, alongside the water. Let’s just say they’re reflecting on their many adventures throughout Greece. Not only is this capture extremely beautiful, but as hinted towards there are certain symbolic meanings attached to this. All of which are up for interpretation. Northern Lights he talented Assassin’s Creed Rogue photographer @ shaysredemption , whose shots have already made the list several times, gets the honour of having the last non-Valhalla shot on these lists for a while featured! In this one we see Shay’s ship the Morrigan, adrift in the middle of nowhere in the North Atlantic, surrounded by icebergs in the night. And most remarkably, sailing under the most beautiful and phenomenal northern lights! Thanks for checking our this weeks's photo log, and to all of the virtual photographers who contributed towards this article! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Compartilhe sua opinião Seja o primeiro a escrever um comentário. About the Author Gustav is an active community member who specialises in Podcast Hosting & Composing. By joining the program, he has had the opportunity to expand his audience and further his skills, even helping to revive 'The Memory Corridor' series, which had been offline for nearly a year. His unique skill set made him the perfect candidate for our AC Partnership Program, of which he has been a part of since it began back in 2019. He is known in the community for the Sounds Of History music project; an original instrumental project featuring five tracks inspired by AC, written and produced by him, and more recently, video interviews with Jesper Kyd and Lee Majdoub. Fun Fact: Gustav is the only member of our team to have a tattoo of TOWCB logo! Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon)

This Week in Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 9th - 15th January Community Share 15 Jan 2023 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea 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: World of AC 1. The Way of the Medjay Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ _Virtualtourism First up this week we have the symbol of honour, courage, and loyalty. The Medjay are the sworn protectors of the Pharaoh's and Bayek is the last of his kind to hold the role. This shot gives me 'Dark Knight Rise’s' vibes with the sign of hope etched into the wall. Jack has a knack for capturing these sorts of shots. Checkout the set below as they are all stunning. Link to set : 2. Woodland Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ NoviKaiba23 This week's second shot just needs to be framed and put up on the wall. I can't get over how beautiful this photo is. It also amazes me how games can look like this; the world building is phenomenal. I love the colours, especially the deep red of the flowers. The rays of light breaking through the trees make this shot so magical. Link to set: The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week: Judge: Michael Doyle - TOWCB Strategist I love that this image is a metaphor for the brotherhood. The atmosphere of the image is calm and unassuming, whilst the shadows cast by the ancient trees give off a sense of protection for the wildlife they shelter beneath them. The misty air beyond the tree line, hiding what possible mysteries lay beyond. Everything together, including the elegance of the Stag, mirror the principles of the brotherhood. 3. Ikaros Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ WallyDaGreat66 Next up we have a wonderful collage of Ikaros shots. It's strikingly put together, showcasing The Eagle Bearers favourite companion. I am impressed with the variety of angles that Wally has used to capture the eagle. It’s great to see different kinds of VP and I am always blown away by what this community produces. 4. League of Assassin’s Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ KeenEyeVP I had no choice but to feature photo number four. I love absolutely everything about it. The atmosphere is tense, the outfit devilish. In a game based around a Spartan this shot shows that the Assassin look still rules. This sort of capture makes me so excited for Assassin's Creed Mirage's photo-mode. Checkout the others in this set to get a feel for how Troy created this shot. Link to set: 5. Sunset Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist : @ RenanVP_Alt This shot brings the article to a fitting close. What a fantastic sunset in Assassin's Creed Odyssey. The positioning of this capture is just beautiful. It feels like you are sat on the water watching the sun go down. The little details of the landscape caught in the background really help make this shot. Posted for the #MinimalFriday theme, I think Renan has perfectly fulfilled that brief. 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 Deel je gedachten Plaats de eerste opmerking. 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

TOWCB 5 Year Anniversary News Share 18 Sept 2019 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Check out the ways in which we celebrated our 5 year anniversary! New Website Launched On the 10th August 2019 we launched our new website! The site is one of our most ambitious projects to date, and provides an interactive platform for members of our passionate community. We will be working hard to provide regular content that is both interesting and engaging. Stay tuned for more. Brotherhood of Venice Interview We released an interview with Thibaud de la Touanne, Founder of Triton Noir, the Montreal based studio behind Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood of Venice. You can read it here. Follower of Romulus Giveaway We ran a giveaway for an exclusive Follower of Romulus Figure from the AC Brotherhood of Venice tabletop board game, kindly donated by the Triton Noir team! Congrats to our fan Shell from the UK for winning this limited edition prize! Bundle Giveaways To celebrate the launch of our new website, and 5 years as an Assassin's Creed community, Ubisoft kindly donated a range of items for a giveaway! Congrats to our fans Cole from the US and Nader from Egypt for winning the epic merchandise bundles! Assassin's Creed Movie Interview We released an interview with Chris Wildgoose, Weapons Concept Artist on the Assassin's Creed Movie! You can read it here Giveaway We teamed up with Lisa Zaman and ran an art giveaway! Three lucky winners received exclusive art prints to add to their collections! Congratulations to Peter from Denmark, Joseph from Michigan and Adrienn from Hungary! We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported TOWCB, and hope to see you all again in August of next year for the year 6 celebrations! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Deel je gedachten Plaats de eerste opmerking. 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)

The Ones Who Came Before - 2024 Highlights Community Share 22 Dec 2024 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) TOWCB Team Back To Database 2024 has been a big year for us here at The Ones Who Came Before. We celebrated our 10th anniversary, launched a wide variety of landmark projects - analytical breakdowns, photography, interviews and more - welcomed a number of new content creators to our team, as well as numerous new followers to our site, continuing to become one of the leading platforms for everything Assassin’s Creed. With the year slowly coming to an end, let us look back at some of the highlights and most recognised projects of ours from throughout the year! Thanks to all of our followers for supporting us yet another full year! We look forward to releasing more content on everything AC in 2025, and hope to see all of you stick around for it! 10th Anniversary of The Ones Who Came Before First and foremost, let’s reminisce on our site celebrating its 10th anniversary this recent August. From founder Colum , then only a kid, starting it as a place merely to share cool AC theories with next to no followers, to first being recognised by Ubisoft, becoming a three-man, then the 25+ members team we are today and 60K+ followers later, our site has certainly seen its share of growth and expansion, becoming one of the top Assassin’s Creed fan communities out there. To go with this massive milestone, we also released an array of special content and projects, from a golden version of our logo inspired by the AC15 aesthetic, highlight reels, interviews with high profile community icons and more. Interview with Jesper Kyd & Assassin’s Creed II Soundtrack Covers As part of our 10th anniversary content schedule, we had the opportunity and honour of sitting down with Mr. Jesper Kyd for a chat - the legendary composer behind the iconic soundtracks of Assassin’s Creed 1, The Ezio Trilogy and Valhalla - talking everything from Jesper’s journey in games composing, writing, production and sound design, musical influences and much more! To suitably go with this landmark interview, we also cooked up covers of a number of favourite tracks of ours of Jesper’s from the legendary Assassin’s Creed II soundtrack, among others the iconic Flight Over Venice. Create our versions of these tracks, sticking as true as possible to the originals, while also adding our own unique twists and elements. Full interview with Jesper plus covers of all tracks are up on our YouTube channel! The Meaning Of Edward Kenway’s Tattoos Early on in the year, at last properly relaunching our video venture which we are only looking to further grow and expand, kicking things off was the analysis of the meaning of the legendary pirate trained by Assassins Edward Kenway’s iconic tattoos. The analytical deep dive, turned out one of our best video successes to date on our growing YouTube channel with a couple thousand views, and had viewers getting good discussions started about their thoughts on the subject. What are your thoughts on Captain Kenway’s vast ink collection and the meaning behind the individual pieces? Make sure to let us know and to check out the full analysis available on our channel! East Again, Original Musical Fan Theme Inspired by Assassin’s Creed Mirage In the beginning of the year, following our entry into the world of music with our 2023 project Sounds Of History - an original instrumental EP featuring five tracks inspired by five different games - the brains behind that Gargudon cooked up another track, dedicated to AC Mirage, the three and half minute ambient and action packed fan theme East Again. From starting out on a slower, ambient section perfectly suited for stealth gameplay, then exploding into a louder section towards the end fit for fight, fusing electronic, Metal and traditional Eastern sounds and melodies, this track received praise from community members and was a blast to create! The track is available wherever music is streamed, as well as on our YouTube channel accompanied by an ambient visualiser. Links to listen on Apple Music & Spotify via our LinkTree. Virtual Photography Community & Contest Judged by Magnus Bruun As in-game photography has evolved heavily in gaming overall and Assassin’s Creed specifically with the years, so has a number of online communities dedicated to players sharing their incredible captures, including ours over on X. Run by our incredible photography team, our community passed 1000 members in the summer. Additionally we have hosted a number of photography contests, each with their unique theme, inviting our followers to share their best shots, one of the latest ones to be guest judged by Eïvor himself, Magnus Bruun. Every one has been nothing short of incredible entries, every shot leaving us mesmerised! Thank you to everyone who have joined our photography community thus far, and make sure to do so if you haven’t yet! We look forward to more talent joining and contests in the new year, and till then, keep tagging us in your best shots on X and Instagram @acfirstciv from across the games! Join our virtual photography community on X . AC Community Tattoos Showcase As part of our 10th anniversary celebrations, we asked our followers with such, to share a picture of their Assassin’s Creed themed tattoos with us, for a showcase compilation of the ink found among the community’s members. Featured were community members and fans @djdelange, @ rick_sama , @ valorianru , @ kells_creed , @ kendo_messiah , @ hangmanshand, as well as long-time community member Dave Woodward and his iconic collection, and Gargudon and ActualSpider-Man from our team. We would love to see more of the incredible Assassin’s Creed tattoos found on fans out there and do a part two to this showcase. Do you have any ink inspired by the franchise? Send it to us on one of our socials and we’ll feature it next! Assassin’s Creed Shadows Reveal + Code Breaking One of the major highlights in Assassin’s Creed this year, was of course the official reveal of of the next instalment in the franchise, with what formerly known as Codename Red officially becoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows, at last heading to a fan favourite location over many years, 16th century Feudal Japan. Leading up to the reveal in the last days before, Ubisoft also shared mystic encoded messages, as well as clues and character graphs that might aid those capable of decoding them, and as it happens, we were one of the first to do so, thanks to the incredible codebreakers joining our team. This reveal overall got us working on and putting out a series of Shadows related content, from fanart, custom wallpapers, analytical breakdown videos and more. More content on the game will of course only keep coming leading up to the February release, among other things including our teased original fan theme The Wind Between The Cherry Trees inspired by the game. New Additions to the TOWCB Team And last but not least, throughout the year we of course also welcomed a number of new talented and passionate AC content creators to our ever growing and evolving team, from writers, streamers, video creators, platform managers and more. On the video oriented front, the addition of SisterlyThrower has seen our growing video venture further taking off, with among other things analytical breakdowns and unique psychological analysis of key AC characters. We also welcomed shorts and skits creator Calvin, as well as streamer Laura Jung, who successfully executed our first community stream on Twitch, playing Valhalla while brilliantly cosplaying as Eïvor. Our writing team welcomed codebreaker Edenoi, who was key in solving the coded AC Shadows messages, and it also welcomed back Hayden Bird , a writer who originally joined us in 2020 but had to depart, but is now back with us in style as an article writer. Our latest additions, Zephryss and Renzo, have also brilliantly helped mange our social media platforms and content. We look forward to even further building our team in the new year, and we want you on it! Are you passionate about AC with a knack for writing, streaming, video creation, art or social media managing? Get in touch with us and we’ll take you into consideration, we are excited to hear from you! And that more or less sums it up for the best and most significant highlights for us here at The Ones Who Came Before in 2024. The year is of course not fully over just yet, and we still have bits and pieces of content we are excited to share before the new year. Once again, thanks to everyone one of our followers for supporting us throughout the year! We look forward to welcoming new followers and team members, and continuously creating and sharing an array of cool new exclusive content on everything Assassin’s Creed in 2025. Merry Christmas, happy holidays and new year Assassins! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Partagez vos idées Soyez le premier à rédiger un commentaire. About the Author Gustav is an active community member who specialises in Podcast Hosting & Composing. By joining the program, he has had the opportunity to expand his audience and further his skills, even helping to revive 'The Memory Corridor' series, which had been offline for nearly a year. His unique skill set made him the perfect candidate for our AC Partnership Program, of which he has been a part of since it began back in 2019. He is known in the community for the Sounds Of History music project; an original instrumental project featuring five tracks inspired by AC, written and produced by him, and more recently, video interviews with Jesper Kyd and Lee Majdoub. Fun Fact: Gustav is the only member of our team to have a tattoo of TOWCB logo! Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon)

Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 3rd to 14th February Community Share 8 Mar 2025 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Renzo 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 Great Sand Sea Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ summers458.bsky.social The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Judge: @ turidtorkil.bsky.social Such a breathtaking image would hardly be possible to capture in real life, but equally as difficult to achieve in virtual photography. The sun perfectly in the centre, the silhouette of our protagonist and his mount clearly visible but seamlessly integrated into the overall picture. A great composition that deserves a place on the wall. Aaron The beauty of Assassin’s Creed Origins will never cease to amaze me. As we sit on the cusp of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, reflecting back at the RPG games that came before, it is easy to forget how fantastic they all look. Origins will be eight this year and looking every bit as good as it did at launch. I must say this capture is right up there with my favourites from Origins. The composition and range are breathtaking, and the dunes look ultra realistic. There is certainly a fine art feel to this photo thanks to the soft tones. That sun is so powerful that I am feeling warm just looking at it. Bayek on his horse in the distance makes the shot for me. The bright sun next to the shadowy figure. The epitome of a Hidden One, working in the dark to serve the light. Artic Fox Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ m_nt_13 Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has such a great selection of wildlife throughout the game. However, the outstanding environments of Norway, along with the critters that live there, really stand out. The artic fox was definitely one of my favourites. Which makes it no surprise that we have featured this fantastic shot of a snowy fox wandering the mountains. This, for me, is a perfect example of animal photography. The composition and portrait style really showcases the vastness of the Norwegian fjords. I really like the fox’s stance, especially the paw held up and the head tilted to the side. You can tell it has just sensed a lumbering Viking trudging through the snow not too far away. The Day of the Jackal Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ xephon-70.bsky.social One thing I always thought Assassin's Creed Origins nailed was the use of the Gods. The Egyptians were renowned for their worship to the deities so it would have been strange not to explore these avenues. Having the Anubis outfit for Bayek was pretty cool and it fits so well with the story given the path of vengeance Bayek undertook. I think this is a sensational portrait of our hero dressed as the protector of graves and guide to the afterlife. The bright white background contrasts excellently with the black of the armour, acting as a metaphor for the Assassins. I particularly like the level of detail too, further enhancing the quality of this capture. I Never Sleep Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ charapof.bsky.social Assassin’s Creed Origins became the tenth new entry into this wonderful franchise and along with it a photo mode. You could say it was the perfect game for us virtual photographers as many went wild snapping amazing Egyptian vistas, and its captivating hero. Here we have a truly remarkable image of Bayek and Senu looking out across the desert. I adore the warm tones of this capture alongside the beautiful sand dunes, which add layers to the shot. Silhouettes always look good but this one in particular caught my attention. The black outline of our heroes really contrasts brilliantly with the colour palette of the background. A father and his companion seeking solace in the wilderness. Colourful Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ SGVphoto It’s sad to say but we are a few weeks away from the curtain falling on Assassin’s Creed Mirage. A game that has largely gone under the radar but quietly reinvigorated the series with its blend of old and new. Shadows will soon take the mantle as the newest game, so a capture like this feels fitting to close out our article. This a beautiful photo that uses colour so elegantly. It’s quite amazing how there is a mix of blue, purple and orange in the sky. I love how the light is reflecting off the water. The sun setting in the background and Basim walking to it really has a feeling of closure. Although I am doubtful this is the last time we will see this complexed hero. 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

Rally the Creed Episode 7 Released Podcasts Share 1 May 2024 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Colum Blackett Back To Database In Episode 7 of Rally The Creed, host Gargudon is joined by one of the newest recruits on our team, video creator and streamer Andy, also known as SisterlyThrower . At the core of this episode is a proper introduction to Andy, talk about our growing video venture and future content, the American saga and more. Enjoy listening! Edited by FrameHoldPhotography . Listen to this episode on Spotify: comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Compartilhe sua opinião Seja o primeiro a escrever um comentário. About the Author A collection of articles from The Ones Who Came Before team. TOWCB Team

Launch Day: AC Partnership Program News Share 1 Dec 2019 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database We're proud to announce the launch of a new community initiative known as the AC Partnership Program. The aim of the program is to promote and share content created by community members, and we are now establishing a network of dedicated and passionate fans who are all individually working on AC related projects. Each one of our partners brings something different to the table, and all of them will be adding their own unique projects to our new Community Hub , a database which will store the projects. We have been working behind the scenes for four months on the new website, and we have almost finished the huge task of adding all past projects to the database. It's now time to think about future projects, and the AC Partnership Program is one which will continue to thrive as regular content is released. We are always on the look out for new members, so if you believe the program is for you, simply message one of our admins and we will be in touch. We currently have nine members on the program, all of whom are now working hard on their next project. Learn more about our members here. The initial idea for the program comes from a desire to help hardworking members of the community who are passionate about creating content. We believe that with the help of TOWCB admins, and our social media influence, the projects created by our members will be viewed by a larger audience, and will gain a regular following. In return, we will have new and exciting content on our new website, and members will help us with projects such as fundraising and giveaways. We can't wait to see what our talented members create next! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Compartilhe sua opinião Seja o primeiro a escrever um comentário. 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 Unity - A Great Game With A Bad Reputation Share 15 Feb 2025 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) Gargudon Back To Database 2014’s Assassin’s Creed Unity, marked the beginning of a new era. It was the first game exclusive to a new generation of video game consoles, built solely with that powerful technology, meaning less restrictions and new possibilities. This made for an ambitious, graphically stunning and chaotic yet lively portrayal of 1790’s Revolutionary Paris, offering a wide array of activities making for dozens of hours of gameplay, one of the best storylines to date with remarkable characters, what might be the smoothest parkour to date, the widest selection of character customisation options yet, and of course, fun action packed Co-op missions to be played with friends and much more. Underneath all of this though, is a game infamous for being rushed in development, that was simply put out too soon, many players finding it unplayable at launch, having purchased an ultimately unfinished product. Numerous patches and a while later though, the game was finally able to be played as it was always meant to, with the years it having become a fan favourite among a number of fans, many even calling it their favourite instalment overall. However, none of this changes the rushed and disastrous launch, forever impacting and plaguing the reputation and legacy of an otherwise great and fun game, maybe even the franchise as a whole. Join us for a deep dive into all of this and more, in our new in-depth retrospective look at the game. Full video available now on our YouTube channel! Video written and narrated by SisterlyThrower, co-written and edited by Gargudon. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Gustav is an active community member who specialises in Podcast Hosting & Composing. By joining the program, he has had the opportunity to expand his audience and further his skills, even helping to revive 'The Memory Corridor' series, which had been offline for nearly a year. His unique skill set made him the perfect candidate for our AC Partnership Program, of which he has been a part of since it began back in 2019. He is known in the community for the Sounds Of History music project; an original instrumental project featuring five tracks inspired by AC, written and produced by him, and more recently, video interviews with Jesper Kyd and Lee Majdoub. Fun Fact: Gustav is the only member of our team to have a tattoo of TOWCB logo! Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon)

Assassin's Creed Shadows Trailer and Promo Images Unveiled News Share 15 May 2024 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) TOWCB Team Back To Database Assassin's Creed Shadows (formerly titled 'Codename Red') was today revealed to the world with the release of a 'World Premiere' Cinematic Trailer, alongside promotional images appearing on retail / video game news sites. Here you will find our round-up of the images and videos that were released to kick-start the promotional campaign. Enjoy! A seriously impressive trailer showing off the dynamic combat system and duel protagonists who come together to fight for what seems to be a newly-formed branch of the Brotherhood. An interesting concept! Ubisoft released an official breakdown of the trailer A new series of the 'Echoes of History' podcast began. Concept Art That concludes our round-up of the media released on day one of the AC Shadows marketing campaign! Stay tuned here at The Ones Who Came Before for all things Assassin's Creed. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Fikirlerinizi Paylaşın İlk yorumu siz yazın. 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)

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 Dave Woodward from Assassin's Creed United Kingdom Declan from Let's Talk Assassin's Creed promoting the campaign on his podcast The Maverick (A Hidden One) promoting the campaign onhis TikTok channel. 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)

This Week in Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 6th to 12th November Community Share 15 Nov 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: Birdseye View Coming in to Land Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ Murphys_Law_Vp “We will need a safe way in. And I know where we might scout one” Beautiful scenery and awe-inspiring landmarks are a staple of this beloved series. When Assassin’s Creed Mirage was announced we knew that we were in for a treat. This spectacular shot is the perfect example of the above. The structure looks so elegant and the photo does an excellent job of highlighting those gorgeous green domes. The camera tilt is a genius move as together with Enkidu give a sense of swooping in. Very much in the style of Senu from the Assassin’s Creed Origins trailer. The depth of field rounds off the capture with that Mirage vibe, excellent virtual photography. Link to set: The Palace Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ Rambo_590 “Does where you stand not awaken fond memories.” It has been discussed a lot recently about whether Assassin’s Creed should ditch the companion bird as its purpose has become repetitive. For us virtual photographers though the companion is the perfect way of producing shots with better depth and range. Exhibit A above shows this elegantly. This capture gives us such a stunning view of the city, and the various style buildings that reside there. I adore the fog in the distance as it serves to inject that desert feel to the image. Enkidu’s wingspan is my favourite part of this capture, the way his wings spread across the photo is majestic. Without doubt the theme has been met in this fine-looking capture. Vinland Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ cop_filip “This is where ghosts fade to mist, to be forgotten.” After the Assassin’s Creed Mirage rollercoaster, it is nice to feature a Valhalla shot again. Vinland doesn’t get many chances to shine in terms of virtual photography. The North American coastal area that was explored by the Vikings, lends itself perfectly for this week’s theme. This capture gives us an amazing view of the landscape below. The gorgeous colours and scenery help the viewer know exactly where this shot was taken. A little insight as to what would be possible with a reimagined Assassin’s Creed III. A truly stunning capture that has been impeccably composed and superbly executed. Symbol Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ PodToGo “Everything is permitted, nothing is true.” One of the standout elements of the original Assassin’s Creed was the wonderfully designed bureau’s. They were the command centre for the Assassin’s and the symbol upon the rooftop helped the player spot their location. Their reappearance in Assassin’s Creed Mirage was so welcome and now we have a photo mode too. I love this capture, as it showcases the bureau hidden within the city. Using Enkidu allows us to see the famous symbol that is embedded into the rooftop. The saturation is delightful as the greenery pops in front of Basim. It’s a nice touch to include him in the shot, dressed in a classic white robe he is hard to miss. Landscapes Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ xephon70 “Your meddling has doomed us all, crow of battle” Landscapes in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla are a sight to behold. The variation on show is quite something and lends itself to some very different shots depending on your location. Here we have a dream scenario where landscapes combine to give a breathtakingly beautiful capture. Once again using the bird has a dramatic difference in the style of shot. The composition is exquisite, especially with the Raven in fully swoop. There are so many elements to this shot that are divine, but my favourite has to be the shadows across the land. Link to set: The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Judge: @ dpruttz_vp ''I love the composition as it is using the rule of thirds. The sweeping arch of the wing span and the mix of snow and grassy landscapes in the distance makes for a beautiful shot. The shadows of the rolling clouds and the colours truly capture the beauty if the English landscapes.'' 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

Unboxing TITAN Evo 2022 Assassin's Creed Edition Gaming Chair by Secretlab Merchandise Share 22 Jul 2022 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database We are pleased to reveal our unboxing video of the upcoming TITAN Evo 2022 Assassin's Creed Edition Gaming Chair, kindly sent to The Ones Who Came Before Headquarters by Secretlab! Keep an eye on our social media channels (below) throughout Summer 2022, as we continue our coverage of this stunning Animus-inspired Gaming Chair and the ongoing Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary celebrations. We here at TOWCB will also soon be collaborating with Secretlab, so stay vigilant Assassins, as all will be revealed very soon. We hope that you enjoy our exclusive first look video! Secretlab Press Release Inspired by the Animus and the characteristic colours of the assassin's robe, the Secretlab TITAN Evo 2022 Assassin's Creed Edition is upholstered in Secretlab Neo Hybrid Leatherette and features a tonal red checkered pattern and futuristic Animus detailing on the side wings. The sigils of the Assassin's Creed series are embroidered on the backrest as a timeless ode to its legacy, designed specially for fans who have followed the series since 2007. Built on the award-winning Secretlab TITAN Evo 2022 series and available in sizes Regular and Xl, fans can enjoy world-class comfort as they revisit their favourite elements of Assassin's Creed or take a deeper dive into the lore of the highly-acclaimed series with the ongoing 15th Anniversary celebrations. Available for Pre-order now Discover the Assassin's Creed Collection at Secretlab.co.uk , releasing September 2022. TITAN Evo 2022 Assassin's Creed Edition Gaming Chair, Secretlab MAGPAD Desk Mat Assassin's Creed Edition. Secretlab MAGNUS Cable Management Bundle Assassin's Creed Edition. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Deel je gedachten Plaats de eerste opmerking. 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)

Best quotes in Assassin's Creed II (2009) Share Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Back To Database The game introduced players to Ezio Auditore, a character who is often rated as the best of the whole series. range comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author A collection of articles from The Ones Who Came Before team. TOWCB Team

Quick-Fire Community Questions - Round 4: McHeisenburglar (Irakli) Community Interview Share 30 Sept 2018 Written By: Edited By: Ashlea Blackett Colum Blackett Back To Database Ashlea: Hello Irakli, thank you for taking part in round four of our Quick-Fire Community Questions series! We would love to ask you a few questions about your work as an admin for The Ones Who Came Before and your time as a Star Player at Gamescom. As we already know you are one of the fellow admins here at The Ones Who Came Before, but tell us a little more abut yourself and the role you play in the Assassin's Creed Community. Irakli: My name is Irakli, though I mostly go by McHeisenburglar online, and I’ve been a member of the community for a couple of years now. Most of my work involves graphic design for Assassin’s Creed-related projects, such as the yearly Assassin’s Creed Marathon, the Assassin’s Creed subreddit, and, of course, The Ones Who Came Before. Ashlea: We know that you do a lot of work behind the scenes work within the Community. Please tell us more about this. Irakli: All the projects I am or have been a part of are team-based, so they’re often a cooperative effort with a lot of moving parts. For example, I help organize the Assassin’s Creed Marathon, and while I do take care of the designs you see online, I also help with the schedule of the Marathon, formatting and updating our daily threads, figuring out giveaway details and so on. On the subreddit, I help with updating the CSS, reworking the rules, wikis, FAQs, configuring AutoModerator. Ashlea: So when did you first start playing Assassins Creed, which game was the first you played? What intrigued you about the franchise leading you to start playing? Irakli: The first Assassin’s Creed game I played was AC3, though I had heard about the franchise for years. It was when one of my favorite YouTubers started a walkthrough for Assassin’s Creed 3 that I was intrigued by the idea, the gameplay and even the graphics. A couple of weeks later I got the game, and I played through it right away. While I did enjoy the single player, it was AC3’s multiplayer that really got me hooked and kept me playing for months, and I still consider AC3 to have the best multiplayer in the series. PvP was initially the only reason I purchased AC4 the following year, though it wasn’t long before I played the story of that as well and officially became obsessed with the series. A couple of months later, I bought all of the games I had been missing and played through the series in a little DIY-Marathon. Ashlea: How long have you been a part of the Community? How did you first become involved with The Ones Who Came Before? How long have you been involved with the AC marathons and as a Reddit moderator? What do you enjoy most about each of these roles you have? Irakli: I have been part of the online/Reddit-based Assassin’s Creed community for a little over three years. I visited the subreddit for the first time in June 2015, after watching the E3 gameplay of Assassin’s Creed Syndicate and wanting to discuss it online. There, I saw an announcement for an ‘Assassin’s Creed Marathon’ and was drawn to it right away, and decided to reach out to the team and offer to help out. That’s really when I first started taking graphic design and project work seriously. A couple of months later, as the 2015 Marathon was already underway, I reached out to The Ones Who Came Before regarding some of their designs. We had been working with TOWCB for Marathon promotion and I’d spoken with Colum personally, and I thought I would give feedback on their graphics and suggest things they could improve for their branding, and within a couple of hours I was offered to join the team as a graphic designer. I spent the next two years working on annual Assassin’s Creed Marathons and making designs for The Ones Who Came Before, and in 2017, in preparation for that year’s Marathon, I talked frequently with Dylan/Turul, one of the subreddit moderators, as the Marathon had always been a cooperation between our team and the subreddit mods, to allow things like custom user flairs and daily stickied posts. There were a lot of things we needed to get done, and some of them would’ve been impossible through Twitter DMs alone, so I was given a temporary moderator role on the subreddit. This was primarily for Marathon purposes, but I was free to help out with other subreddit matters, as a ‘trial’ for being a permanent moderator. Over the following weeks, I helped fix some CSS issues, rework the rules and open up the official r/AssassinsCreed Discord Server, and by the time Origins rolled around, I was announced as an official addition to the team. I like these roles (and other ones I’ve had in the community) for different reasons, I suppose. The Marathon remains the project I’m most passionate and sort of ‘protective’ of, so whenever I’m not that free, I try to use most of my AC free time to help out with that. I really enjoy working on TOWCB because of how much graphic design experience and skill I get out of it. The logo we unveiled in 2017 remains one of my single favorite design projects to date. The subreddit, on the other hand, has taught me what moderating forums is actually like, and what goes into a well-managed and run subreddit/forum. Plus, 90% of the CSS I know is thanks to the AC subreddit. Ashlea: What is your favourite part of being in the community? Irakli: The memes are nice. Ashlea: Your Twitter name is quite unusual, could you tell us where the name McHeisenburglar came from? Irakli: Honestly, I don’t remember exactly how it all happened. A couple of years ago I had to register for some site, and I guess ‘McHeisenburger’ was pretty funny (I was binging Breaking Bad at the time), and I didn’t give it a second thought. Years later I had to register for Reddit, and I saw that ‘mcheisenburger’ was taken, so on a whim I decided to change the ‘burger’ to a ‘burglar’. It sort of stuck once I joined the community. Ashlea: One of your main responsibilities with The Ones Who Came Before is you Graphic Design work how did you get into graphic design? Are you self taught or was it something you learnt at school? Irakli: I initially got into graphic design when I watched some YouTube videos of people making graphics and wallpapers and whatnot, and thinking it was the most incredible thing in the world. I couldn’t fathom someone making their own wallpaper. So then I pirated a bunch of Adobe programs, including Photoshop, and tried it out for myself. I was not good AT ALL, but that didn’t stop me from making dumb crap every once in a while, including YouTube channel artwork and logos for fake companies. It was really the Assassin’s Creed projects that made me take it seriously, and really pushed me to actually be decent at design. The 2015 Marathon was the first project I worked on, and a lot of the tasks I had were things I’d never done before, so I learned it through trial and error, and they turned out good because I worked with a team that didn’t hesitate to criticize. Other projects followed it, including TOWCB, The Bureau Podcast, ‘Assassin’s Creed Legacies’, all of which helped me improve, even if incrementally. Now it’s fun to look back on those old designs and see the progress I’ve made. Ashlea: What it means to you to be selected as a Ubisoft Star Player? Was it something you were expecting or was it a complete surprise? Irakli: I would be lying if I said that I didn’t expect to be selected this year. I had been active in many parts of the AC community over the years, and had worked on various somewhat-known projects. However, I wouldn’t have been so confident if Sofija hadn’t been picked the year before. That invite made it clear to us that being a Star Player was actually realistic, even if by doing just project work like we were. Ashlea: As a star player you recently attended Gamescom, what were you most looking forward to about the event? Did it live up to your expectations? Irakli: In the weeks leading up to Gamescom, I didn’t know what I was most excited about, though I knew it wasn’t Odyssey. As we got closer to the event, a Twitter group was created of all the Assassin’s Creed people that would be attending Gamescom, which made it clear what Gamescom was going to be about — meeting people. In the end, the best part of the event was really the opportunity to meet so many Assassin’s Creed community members and other Star Players. I had known a lot of these people online, and actually having a face-to-face conversation felt surreal. The event itself was also outstanding, especially with the VIP treatment we got from Ubisoft, getting to play the games early, etc. Overall, the two days were unforgettable. Ashlea: Were you excited to be able to play AC Odyssey early? What were your thoughts about the game? Irakli: I had very, very little hopes going into the Odyssey demo. I was not excited for the game at all, and barely kept up with the news and marketing (definitely a first for me). I played the demo twice at Gamescom, and it was almost exactly what I imagined. It’s a beautiful, well-built game with a lot of stuff to do, but I have a hard time seeing its place in the Assassin’s Creed series. I don’t think it will be a bad game, in fact, I think most people that enjoyed Origins will have a good time with this game as well. Unfortunately, I don’t consider myself to be part of those people. Ashlea: Do you have any hopes for things you would like to see in the game? Do you have any concerns about anything? Irakli: Still have a bit of hope that the marketing isn’t telling the whole story, and there are more ‘Assassin’s Creed’ things in the game that we have yet to see. I’m hoping it enriches the lore and treats it carefully, though I don’t think that is too likely. As is the consensus, I’d love to see a lot of First Civilization exposition and involvement in Odyssey, as there is not much else to do in a time period that predates even Bayek. Ashlea: Now that you have been to Gamescom what do you have planned next within Community? Irakli: Honestly, I am not sure. Right after Gamescom I moved to Germany to start university, and so the last month has been a great change of pace for me. Unfortunately, this also means I don’t have as much time or heart to pour into Assassin’s Creed anymore, but only time will tell. I’ll try to stick around, but with university taking up more and more of my time and interest (and Odyssey… not), it might be time to take a small step back. Ashlea: Thank you so much for taking part in our fourth round of Quick Fire Community Questions. You can find Irakli on Twitter here comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Ashlea is the Editor/ Charity Project Coordinator for The Ones Who Came Before on its wide variety of social media platforms. Her main responsibilities for TOWCB involve creating and editing articles, organisation of events and coordinating our charity fundraising, as well as hosting the Rally The Creed Podcast. Ashlea Blackett

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 16th - 22nd July 2022 Community Share 23 Jul 2022 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the new weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week, 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. 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 capture across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. 1) Berserker Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla This first capture comes from @ calisarah1998 over on Twitter. First up this week we have a capture of Eivor deep in thought. This is a powerful photo depicting the Viking theme of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. There are true Ragnar/Norseman vibes about this capture. Checkout the full tweet below to see some impressive editing skills from @ calisarah1998. I love how the darker colour tones and the cool haircut/tattoos all add to the story of a Viking contemplating battle. Link to set 2) Reflections Game: Assassin’s Creed Unity Photo number two comes from @ Amaya_Nocturna a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP TwitterCommunity. In this next image we head to Assassin’s Creed Unity, the game of choice this week for the AC15 celebrations. It is such a shame that Unity does not have a photo mode. That being said, you would not know it judging by the shots that are in this selection. This stunning photo, which is part of a glorious set by @ Amaya_Nocturna , really shows off the beauty of buildings. I adore the use of light bursting through the glass and settling on Arno. A real Assassin’s Creed photo. Link to set 3) The Kassandra Braid Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey This week’s third shot comes from @ MoonsDonuts over on Twitter. Photo number three really caught my eye due to the different perspective. Where portraits of the protagonist are usually from the front or the side, this one gives you a birds eye view aspect as seen by the player. What I admire is how @ MoonsDonuts has managed to showcase Kassandra’s amazing hairstyle. In addition we get a great look at the spear, quiver, bow and arrows. A true Misthios pose, beware of this warrior’s fury. 4) The Lonely Viking Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP number four comes from @ punkncreed over on Twitter. What I love about photo number four is the peaceful simplicity. A capture that very much symbolisesthe start of Eivor’s journey. The sun poking out from behind the mountain gives off Origins vibes, yet the cold colours say otherwise. Great use of the camera angle adds scale to the shot. You just know there are some gold icons on that mountain which need collecting. 5) Paris Game: Assassin’s Creed Unity The final capture of the week comes from @ Subject_72 a member of our Assassin’s Creed VPTwitter Community. I thought it only right that we returned to Unity for the final capture of the week. Once again this photo is from a brilliant selection and it was difficult to choose just one for this showcase. I picked this image due to the level of detail and French feel. Arno looks iconic in his classic dark blue Assassin’s outfit, watching out over the city. There are some excellent details on the buildings that just make Paris feel alive. I can’t wrap up without mentioning the exceptional Statue of Liberty, a fine addition to this game. Link to set comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Deel je gedachten Plaats de eerste opmerking. 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

Interview with Kate Heartfield Author of Assassin’s Creed: The Magus Conspiracy Interviews Share 8 Jul 2022 Written By: Edited By: Michael Smith Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Kate Heartfield is a multiple finalist for Canada's Aurora Award. A Sunday Times Best Seller (The Embroidered Book). A former journalist and editor for the Ottawa Citizen, with a degree in Political Science and Masters in Journalism. Her latest release is Assassin’s Creed: The Magus Conspiracy, the first book in The Engine of History Trilogy. You can read our review of her book at the link below and read further for the interview she and I had during her press tour with publisher Aconyte Books. Michael: Kate, How are you doing today? Kate: I'm doing great. Very happy to be here. Michael : I wanted to start with something you had said in an interview you did with Second Life Book Club about Assassin's Creed being bid in your household. Can you tell us more about the history you have with the series? Kate : Yeah, for sure. I'm just so happy to be talking about it and thank you so much for your enthusiasm and support. It’s really exciting to be talking with fans about this and joining this cannon. As you can tell, I'm excited. I have a lot of enthusiasm for the games and for the universe. So my personal history with Assassin's Creed is that I have a twelve year-old kid and a partner and all three of us are gamers. So we are quite frequently in our introvert corners of the house on a game of some kind. I've played Syndicate, and I've played a little bit of Origins and I am currently working my way through AC2 at the moment. I've watched my kid play even more Assassin's Creed. So there have been many, many hours where I've been sitting in the living room, doing some work and he's been playing Assassin's Creed on PS4 and my partner also plays and I watch him sometimes as well. So, between the three of us I've probably at least watched most of the games being played. Michael: It’s funny you note about playing through Assassin's Creed II. You also did some work with Choice of Gaming with the Magician's Workshop. Have you found any influence for the writing that you did with that from Assassin's Creed II, or vice versa? Have you noticed a lot of your personal choices for how you describe the characters, or the historical figures with how they [are] represented in Assassin's Creed II? Kate: I hadn't played Assassin's Creed II before I wrote The Magician's Workshop. So, I didn't have a connection from that direction. But it's interesting now having written it, because The Magician's Workshop is set in Florence in 1512. It's really interesting now, seeing the characters and that setting. And one of the things I love about all Assassin's Creed games is the immersiveness of the setting and feeling you're there in a way that interactive fiction kind of coerces you in a different way that emphasizes agency and everything else, but it doesn't have that visual element a video game has. Michael: How do you decide what mechanics to include, or write about, that were in the games? Kate: Yeah, that's really interesting, and it was definitely deliberate strategy on my part to think, "Okay, how can I take what's cool about playing Assassin's Creed games" and not really replicate that in prose, because it's not the same format, but create that same sense of excitement and same sense of immersion and the choice of having sort of side quests and multiple plots happening at the same time, and it all coming together. So, I thought about, I didn't want to make it too mechanical either as that can be quite annoying in prose if you had sort of "Here's my weapon's inventory". It wouldn't work the same way in a novel as the game. So in fact my editor had to pull me back a few times, because he noted that I would keep saying exactly what kind of knife it was or what kind of gun it was, and that kind of thing. And eventually "You don't have to give the entire serial number, everytime". So I had, maybe a little too much of that in mind. I was thinking about all of those aspects of a game and... You know I did want things like weaponry to be there though, and to be important to think about how can they reflect the personality of each of the main characters? Like which kind of knife would they choose, for example. In the same way that you make that choice when you are putting together your character in a game. So that was definitely top of my mind. Michael: Would you say that is the same thought process that you had when choosing which books for Simeon, specifically to study while he was going through his apprenticeship? Did you specifically pinpoint those books that you wanted him to read? What was your process with that decision? Kate: That was lots of fun. I think what I wanted to do with the reading list that Simeon has... So Simeon is the main character, one of the two main characters in the book. He's a soldier, and he has a sort of a unconventional education. We learn early on that he was quite bright, and taken into a rich person's house early on to be educated, but it didn't work out. So he has a sort of a patchwork of an education. Then he meets his mentor, who an interesting character in his own right. So the reading list, [the] books that Kane provides Simeon to read, I wanted them to reflect what I though an Assassin's education should be, or could be about. So its sort of a mix of different things. You have very traditional fighting manuals, these traditions of German and Italian and French manuals for swordplay and for wrestling. I thought it would be really cool to draw on that really old tradition, because the brotherhood itself would have been around for so long and they might have incorporated those traditions of those old fighting manuals. But then also, a sort of renaissance man approach to understanding the world. So there's fiction in there, there's philosophy. It is a bit of a grab bag of different things that I though an Assassin should know, but its also reflecting the personality of the teacher that's assigning them as well. Michael: When you're deciding the history that you want to explore, where you taking the "This is the historical timeline for this period, and then here are some blanks I can fill in fictional characters", or was it more of "Here is the idea of what I want to do. Let me find what period, or what events in history would fill into this"? Kate: For us it really started with the period. Aconyte and Ubisoft had an idea that they wanted a trilogy set in this period. So they started working with me about, "Well how could we develop something in this period, and what are some of the things that would interest us in terms of the Assassins and Templars are up to at this time?" So we did start with sort of a basic idea of the time and place. That it would be probably Europe and in this time. I think one of the things that really stood out, I know to my editor at Aconyte, was that the 19th Century had a lot of political assassinations. That every monarch had at least one attempt on their life, several of them were actually killed. You had the rise of anarchism and the rise of Marxism and the revolutions in 1848. So there is just a lot of political ferments happening. With those assassinations, it seems like an obvious thing to ask the question of "Are the Assassins behind them? Are they not behind them? What would be their relationship to the brotherhood and to the Templars?" So it really did begin with that question of "Okay, lets look at what's happening at the time". Then from there it was sort of finding different elements in the history that I thought kind of fed in thematically to what I wanted to talk about. Also, there was a little bit of that sense of, that's another thing that people love in the games, is the opportunity to have those cameos with historical figures and interact with those people. So, that's another thing I wanted to replicate in the novel. Michael: Did Aconyte approach you directly about this, or was this something you had to apply for? Kate: It came about through my agent, so it was one of those things where my agent knew the opportunity was there, and thought I might be a fit for it because I've written a lot of historical settings and I'm really interested in historical alt history and that kind of writing is typically what I do. And, I have a little bit of background in interactive fiction and game writing as well. So she thought, yeah this seems like it would be a good fit for you. If you're interested. So at that point, I developed some pitches for Aconyte and they liked them, and they started working on an outline, and back and forth on that a bit. So it really was sort of a collaborate process right from the beginning. Michael : Did you collaborate with the Ubisoft team, The game historians and such to work along with fitting this into the Assassin's Creed Universe? Kate: It was really... I haven't written tie-in writing like this before for any property, and so I wasn't sure what to expect in that regard. I found it really wonderful and freeing and supportive, the way that that works. They would sort of provide information and say here's where you can find the things that you need to know. Here are a few things that we want to makes sure that you're aware of, in terms of writing. But I was already quite familiar with the universe anyways, so that part of it I felt pretty confident in. Then it was just a matter of, when we would work on an outline or the manuscript itself, just running things past Ubisoft at various stages of the process to make sure there was nothing that I was unaware of that would step on somebody else's toes, or something like that. I would kind of flag little things, "Please not this part of it is related to canon from another game" or something like that people would be aware I was throwing in those Easter eggs, or whatever. Michael : I know that you're very big on representation in your writing. Were there any original characters that you had added for some form of representation in a game that's very heavily marketed towards a more male audience? Kate : It is something that I think about in every stage. So I try to keep it in mind all the time. There is always a little bit of tension between the don't want to write outside your lane, or write things without thinking that you haven't properly researched, or haven't done the homework for and that kind of thing. So, I'm conscious of that as well. I am trying to represent all kinds of people in my writing and consider the kinds of people who have been present throughout history, but maybe haven't had as many stories told about them. I again felt nothing but support from Ubisoft and Aconyte in that regard as well. Definitely I was aware that with gaming in general there's, I wouldn't say maybe the majority but certainly a significant male audience. I have a strong female character in this book. There's one sort of minor side character who is non-binary, although they wouldn't have that word to describe themselves probably in the 19th Century. But they are actually based on a small note about a circus performer I actually found that "Ah, I'll steal that from history". There is a circus performer who is billed with being "neither man, nor woman". I thought, "Okay, they're going in the book." So when I do find those things in history, where people have maybe not, have been forgotten a little bit, I'll be "Okay, I'll put them in the book" and that way we can have a little bit more of a complete representation. Michael: Have you had a chance to look at any of the other transmedia that Assassin's Creed has put out yet? Kate: I have, not all of it by any means. I got myself a few books, a few of the novels, because I wanted to get a sense of what an Assassin's Creed novel is like. I think I have two of the Oliver Bowden novels and I have Elsa Sjunneson's novel that just came out; Sword of the White Horse. So I've read a few of the books. I've taken a quick look at, I'm trying to remember which of the graphic novels it was. But, yeah, I've been aware of a few things, but I feel like there is a lot out there that I haven't seen yet. Michael : Are we expecting to see some modern day later on in the trilogy or are we staying specifically in the historical setting? Kate: Not everything's written in stone yet. So, I don't want to say for sure "this is how it'll be". The conversations I've had with Aconyte so far about the rest of the trilogy are that it'll be historical setting and sort of carrying on the story from the first book. Yeah, I don't want to say too much about it, because I don't want to scoop announcements that are coming fairly soon. That's how its envisioned is definitely to maintain that historical period. But I think its interesting because its a fairly recent historical period, so it has the potential to bring us up into the 20th Century, and start thinking about things like the Animus, and how we get to that. The door's kind of open there in some regard, but so far, no plans to write about the modern period. Michael: The trilogy for the Engine of History is set to go up through the beginning of World War I, is that correct? Kate: I think that's out there in the internet somewhere. So I think its within the bounds of what I can say yes to. And that's first how it was kind of envisioned when I talked about how they came to me with this period. That was kind of the vision, mid-19th Century to World War I, in that period some how. Michael : Are you avoiding well known periods in that time frame like Russia during World War I with Rasputin? Is that something you look at trying to avoid in depicting other historical settings that people may not know a lot about? Maybe telling more about the Crimean War or things like that? Kate: It's always a little bit of a dance, because sometimes there are interesting stories in the parts that haven't been told as often. So there are things that draw me to them, but then at the same time, there's a lot of value in having some familiar touchstones that people can say "Ah yes, I was waiting for this person to show up!" or something like that. So there's a sense of, you kind of have an expectation to a degree. I wrestled with that a little bit, with my novel The Embroidered Book, because that's a historical fantasy about Marie Antoinette. My first thought when I had the idea was, "Oh my God, Marie Antoinette's been written about so many times", but not in the way that I did it. There's only so much room for one of those big well known historical figures. I kept thinking, Catherine the Great is off to the side in this book and I can't really let her on, because then she would take over. So, there's only room for so many of those well know events and figures. I think the same is really true in The Magus Conspiracy. We have Ada Lovelace at the beginning, and she is not as well known as she should be, but she's fairly well known. Being Lord Byron's daughter, she's kind of a celebrity. So she takes up a lot of room in that way, and she looms over the entire novel, in her legacy. So, there aren't that many other historical figures that are known to that extent for the rest in the book, and the few people that do crop up tend to be a little bit less well known. Unless they are walking on for a small part like the Emperor in Vienna. Michael: Do you have an audiobook version coming out? If so, who is actually doing the recording for it, if you are able to say? Kate: It is Recorded Books. I'm trying to remember the narrator's name. It's just gone out of my head. Anyway, if you look it up, there is a Recorded Books version. I believe it is slated to come out August 16th. Which is the same day as the US paperback. Its available through Audible, Libro, and all sorts of places. Michael: I know from some of your previous interviews, you noted how nervous you were working with this tie-in for the first time. How are you feeling now after all the feedback you've received? Kate: Really great. Really relieved. Its nice that the initial feedback from people who know and love the games has been really positive. That's really nice to see. Of course, reviews are for the readers and not the authors, so I try to separate myself from them to some extent. It has been really nice, the things that people have tagged me in, and said directly to me about the book. Its really gratifying that people have welcomed it into the canon, and see how it fits in. Because its a little bit nerve racking, coming into something that's so beloved and so wide spread. That so many people have played these games. Timidly knocking on the door and saying "Here's my offering". You hope that it's okay and that you don't break anything. I feel it's been a great experience to write this story and I feel a lot of ownership over it. Even though it's an Assassin's Creed story, I feel very proud of it and how it worked out and sort of blended together what I like to do in fiction and what I think the game universe does so well. Michael : Who would be your ideal casting for your main characters? Kate: Oh my goodness, I haven't even thought of this. Who would be good? I'm trying to think. I don't know. I have such... I'm terrible when it comes to casting actors. I'm trying to think if there is anyone who is really... I can't think of a Simeon. Although I feel that there could be the perfect person and I'll think of them as soon as I hang up this call. With Pierrette, I don't know. She starts out quite young. I mean maybe, Millie Bobby Brown. I started watching Taboo which has Tom Hardy in it. He's so good. He plays a returning sailor of roughly the same time period. But I think he's got kind of an edge to him. I see Simeon as, even though he is kind of closed down, and somewhat cynical. He's got sort of a spark of innocence in him as well and a spark of really good will. So I don't know, maybe someone like Andrew Garfield, maybe? I'll wait for the fancast, because someone will have a better idea. Kane would be fun to cast. I want to thank Kate for sitting down with me over this interview. For the full interview, check out the video that we recently posted to The Ones Who Came Before YouTube channel. Assassin’s Creed: The Magus Conspiracy is available digitally and in the US as a paperback in August. The UK will see the physical release in October. 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