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Q&A with Aymar Azaïzia Interview Share 7 May 2016 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Col: Hey Aymar. Thanks for joining me today. I have a few Assassin’s Creed topics we would like to discuss today. Aymar: Thanks for having me, especially in a pub, with a beer. Is it a strategy to get me to talk? :) Col: We’ll see if we can get any secrets today ;) So let’s get started. Can you tell us anything about the Apple of Eden replica that was shown off a while back? We saw a prototype but we haven’t heard anything since. Aymar: Sure, right now, the project and the will to make it happen during the year is still very real. However we are trying to find the best execution, quality so expect more news soon! Col: Cool! Okay so I have a very big question! How did Ezio die, and was he assassinated? Aymar: My take on it, is watch the Godfather movie, and focus on the death of Don Corleone. Then watch Embers again, and I would say that Ezio get assassinated. There is a price to pay, and there is no rest once you walk the path of the Assassins. It is a bittersweet ending, Ezio got a nice and long life, yet there was no way for him to die from a heart attack (PS focus on the soundtrack!). Now you can hate me :) Col: Poor Ezio! So I was also wondering about the Nikolai Orelov statue that was shown. Is that still happening? Aymar: Got the only one :) It was a prototype that wasn’t supposed to be shown at that stage. It was a unique resin prototype, and we didn’t moved on with that, yet you can expect more cool figurines from us! Col: Nice! So why did the Davenport Homestead mysteriously disappear after AC3? Aymar: History kills a lot of thing… But there may be another explanation… :D Col: Who was the man at Lucy’s Grave in Initiates? Aymar: What is your call? We know who he is, but we are not there yet :) Col – Interesting. I personally think that it could be an Instrument of the first will, but we’ll have to see! Col: I was wondering if you can tell us anything about the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Movie Novel by Ryder Windham. Aymar: Talking about early announcement :) It is supposed to be a movie script adaptation as far as I know, but I don’t have more details at the moment, sorry! Col: Fair enough! Speaking of early announcements, an Assassin’s Creed Colouring book appeared on Amazon. So what kind of images can we expect to be colouring in? Aymar: We have the guys working on our artbook selecting the best images, so expect a mix between characters, landscape, iconic symbol and more! Col: Awesome! So Assassin’s Creed has released two sets of comic books recently, so I was wondering if any more can be expected in the future? Maybe comics focussing on Erudito or Juno’s Instruments. That could be cool. Aymar: YES! Both Titans and us are really pleased with what is happening at the moment, and I would be lying if I was saying we don’t have more plans for Assassin and Templars :) Col: That’s cool. Speaking of future plans, I was wondering if you guys would ever consider making more Chronicles game’s? Aymar: Right now, we are focusing our game effort on our next Assassin’s Creed game, but nothing is impossible with Chronicles :) Col: Fair enough! So Assassin’s Creed Last Descendants was announced recently, and a new Piece of Eden was mentioned in the description. “The Trident of Eden”. Can you tell us anything about that? Aymar: Yes, but I will have to kill you then :) What I could stay is that it is a very amazing story, I LOVE what Matt did with it, and the trident is a very interesting POE :p Col: Sounds interesting! So I was wondering if we could see the Lydia Frye story going anywhere in the future? Aymar: Haha, Lydia, Haytham, and so many others we want to bring back. So stay tuned! Col: So I left the difficult question until the end. Let’s talk about the precursor box. Does one exist or many. I personally believe that we saw 2 in AC Rogue, but several exist. Aymar: How many visuals versions have you seen so far? Same? :p Col: Interesting. I’ll stick to my theory though! Thanks for your time Aymar. It’s been an absolute pleasure to meet you. Aymar: It was a pleasure, let’s focus on beers now :) 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)

“Odin-sama is with us!”: A Product Review for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Eivor Nendoroid Figure Review Share 7 Jun 2022 Written By: Edited By: Michael Smith Ashlea Blackett Back To Database From the latest entry in the popular stealth action game series "Assassin’s Creed® Valhalla" comes a Nendoroid of Eivor! The fine details of Eivor's head tattoo and his weapons have been faithfully captured in Nendoroid form. Optional parts include Eivor's axes, shield and the Hidden Blade, allowing you to recreate stealth poses and action scenes alike! Eivor's companion Sýnin is included in the set as well so you can enjoy displaying them together! Good Smile Company is a Japanese figurine manufacturer for pop culture properties that was founded in 2001. Their most recognisable line of products is their Nendoroid Series of figures. This series takes characters from various properties (primarily anime) and creates a chibi (“small person”) version in a vinyl figurine that is articulated and provided with multiple parts to allow the user to pose their character in different positions for display. Pre-orders for the “Assassin’s Creed Valhalla - Eivor” Nendoroid started in the summer of 2021 and after a brief delay, was released in May 2022. The Eivor (technically Havi) Nendoroid comes packaged with an assembled figurine in the Raven Clan armor, two axes (Varin’s Axe and the Raider Axe), the Raven Clan Shield, two sets of arms, hands, and legs in either straight or bent poses, two hidden blades (retracted and extended) and a base with stand to pose your Nendoroid. In addition, a mini version of Eivor’s animal companion Sýnin is included with two sets of wings and a separate stand to pose the bird. The included instruction pamphlet comes in Japanese and English, and provides a breakdown of the included 38 pieces and instructions on how to attach the parts to pose the Nendoroid in multiple poses, as well as how to interchange the faceplate from the stern gaze to the battle cry face, giving the figure even more personality and options for display. The Nendoroid stands at approximately 100mm in height with the included stand. Posing the Nendoroid is a simple process of snapping ball-jointed pieces into the figure and rotating the multiple locations throughout the figure until you reach the pose of choice. The included base provides support as the figure cannot stand on its own (easily). The small pieces can be hard to handle in humid or warm environments as while I was playing with the figure in the Texas humidity, I started dropping the tiny pieces such as the hands and hidden blade, as my skin was becoming slick with sweat. However, the paint on the figure did not show any wear to my oily skin, which is a plus in my eyes. This figure also comes with an extra neck joint which to my dismay, I broke the original joint when trying to remove it as I believed it to be a different type of joint. This was broken as I was wiggling the piece out of its holder in the neck with a pair of pliers. The instructions inform that if you have issues removing a piece, to run it under warm water to relax the vinyl (something I did not read). I spent the morning recreating the instructions and taking photos. The Nendroid has such a personality that with camera angles and patience, I was able to take some fun action shots that reminded me of the Photo Mode within Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. This figurine looks great amongst my other Eivor statues and adds a lot to my collection in whole as having not only a licensed product from Ubisoft, but one that is in an animated style that the standard moulded pose of a statue allows me to change up how I want to display the figure. I also love seeing a poseable Sýnin as the support animals of the games do not get enough love in the merchandise. The Nendoroid Series #1661 - Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Eivor is available now from the Good Smile Company website for $54.99 USD. Prices and availability will vary by location. The Nendoroid line will also be releasing an Ezio Auditore figure later this year, which I hope to purchase once they are out of the currently closed pre-order phase. Add the Eivor Nendoroid to your collection today! Amazon 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

Journey Through History: TOWCB’s Timeline of the Assassin’s Creed Universe - 2023 Edition Breakdowns Share 29 Jun 2023 Written By: Edited By: Michael Smith Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Banner by Thea Marie Rivedal (Moonchildgecko) from TOWCB Art Team. It's time for an update to the timeline I released last year here on The Ones Who Came Before for the Genetic Memory Timeline for the entire Assassin’s Creed Universe (or at least what I find to still be relevant). To get started, please download a copy of the following Google Sheet that I am sharing in a View Only format to avoid unapproved changes to the timeline. You can download a copy of the timeline here . As you read through the timeline, you can check off what items you own and which ones you have completed on one or both timelines. Links are provided for discontinued services that will redirect you to another site that has documented the content of these entries to read over. Overall, these timelines are a great way to explore the Assassin’s Creed universe. Not every single item that Ubisoft has branded will be included such as the companion apps for games or the old mobile versions of titles that would have been played on non-smartphone devices. However, I scoured the internet from AC Wiki, Access the Animus, Wikipedia, and other sources to gather as much lore that I could and put it in on the timeline. In total there are over 250+ items within the Assassin’s Creed timeline so there will be plenty to choose from. The original Genetic Memory timeline is organized by Century (both BCE and CE) from ancient content to modern day, but the new addition for this year’s timeline is the Release Date Timeline; organized by the date of release based on the information that I was able to locate. This timeline is divided by Release Year from 2007 - 2023, with a TBA section at the end for content that has been announced but not yet provided a release date. Unlike the GM timeline, certain transmedia such as the Echoes of History podcast are not divided into individual episodes within the RD timeline, but grouped as one item to be enjoyed all at once. This is also something that you will notice with similar data points being merged together in each column to make it easier to read (at least it is to me). If you do not find this useful, once you download the spreadsheet, you will be able to edit it to your personal preferences. If a piece of content is available in a non-English language, it will be notated in parenthesis. Beginning with the Genetic Memory Order tab, I will walk through each Century and provide a small explanation of what you will find in each section. With the dates for each historical period, you will find the range of when the content took place and find that some items may start at a similar point in time or even during the same time period as another (such as the Assassin’s Creed movie and Assassin’s Creed II). The earlier start date will take precedence over the other, so you can image this as a “Elsewhere this was happening” when moving through the recorded history. Periods that had no major event taking place are labeled with the area that the content takes place. Additionally you will find the GM character (such as Kassandra, Eivor, or Ezio) and then the Modern Day time period and respective character if available. If you have interest in following the MD story in order, see the Release Date Order tab for that option. However as we progress to the 21st Century, the GM periods will fill more with N/As and be replaced with more detail in the MD period and character. The format that you will see for the majority of the main games in the series as it is meant to be an option of how you want to enjoy the story, is that the novelization and game are next to each other in order. I suggest going back to the one you didn’t start with (book or game) once you finish the first to get the full experience. You will also find that the supplemental content for the games in the form of strategy guides, art books, and soundtracks are grouped with their game to provide that full content line. If you would rather explore the timeline in Release Date order, you can select the tab and just read top to bottom as it is organized by dates and doesn’t need any additional explanation. 6th Century BCE From the Facebook application Project Legacy (courtesy of Access the Animus’ recording of the site data) we have a single entry for the period showing how Pythagoras received the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus via the story of his companion Kyros of Zarax. 5th Century BCE Assassin’s Creed Odyssey resides in this Century and all of the content for the story of Kassandra will be located here (minus the Valhalla end of the Crossover Story with Eivor in the 9th Century CE). Starting with the Behind the Legend episode from Echoes of History, fans can learn more about Kassandra’s grandfather, King Leonidas I of Sparta before moving into either the novelization or the videogame for AC Odyssey. Fans will continue with the game’s DLC with a few items mixed in and follow this with the Discovery Tour, and close with the various VR offerings that are available either commercially (at a VR business) or on the Meta Oculus Quest. 3rd Century BCE Assassin’s Creed: Codename Jade is the exclusive entry for this century. It is set in the Qin Dynasty and will be coming to mobile devices in the future. 1st Century BCE Assassin’s Creed Origins is the focus of the 1st Century BCE. Starting with the prequel novel and another Echoes of History episode to set fans up for the main game and its additional content. Much like Odyssey, this will be followed with the Egyptian Discovery Tour and end with the Origins comic that takes place after the story of the game. 3rd Century CE Moving into the Common Era, The Ankh of Isis Trilogy will be next on the checklist. Now while the Modern Day adaptation of Desmond Miles’ story is not considered canon to the universe, the Genetic Memories are as there are references to this transmedia piece in later content. 7th Century CE The first book in the Imperial Jade Seal series will take place in 660 CE following Chinese Assassin, Zhangsun Qi. This book, Assassin's Creed: Chang'an Wang (Prophecy of the Emperor) is available exclusively in Chinese and has no current information available for additional languages. 8th Century CE The Tang Dynasty continues with Assassin’s Creed: Dynasty in five volumes (6 volumes in France). 9th Century CE This century is the one that many fans will currently be in or waiting for as both Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Valhalla take place here. With Valhalla you will see multiple DLC and content updates listed individually as they have major plot points and was the first game to offer a 2-year content schedule. If you do not see a particular content update listed, it was not added as it was assumed that you will play with the main story (such as the festivals). 10th Century CE Another century with a single entry, The Last Descendants - Fate of the Gods. A good way to wrap up the Viking stories as we move to the original game. 12th Century CE Assassin’s Creed (2007), the original game is the focus of this century. Starting with the DS game Altaïr's Chronicles and The Secret Crusade (Spoilers: This will cover content that you won’t play until the 16th Century as it is about Altaïr's life). The main game and Bloodlines will follow and wrap up with the historical podcast about the overall Assassin’s v. Templars in Echoes of History. I added this podcast after the original game and not in the 11th Century as I felt that it was better fitting to listen to after playing the first game as story elements of the game are covered within. 13th Century CE Mongolia is a key location in the 13th Century as we start with the final content for Altaïr and his family, following with an Echoes of History episode on Niccolo and Maffeo Polo, and wrapping up with the second book of the Last Descendants trilogy, Tomb of the Great Khan. An additional YA novel takes place in Scotland with AC Fragments - The Highlands Children. 14th Century CE The sequel to the Ankh of Isis Trilogy (3rd Century CE) is next with The Hawk Trilogy of books. Either the individual books or the combined trilogy will be acceptable here as it will get read all together. Of all the AC content that I have interacted with so far, this trilogy is my least favorite. 15th Century CE Ezio Auditore takes over in the 15th Century after fans read AC: Heresy by the awesome Christie Golden. Assassin’s Creed II will be the majority focus this century, but will intertwine with the Assassin’s Creed movie as well. 16th Century CE This is the second largest century for content with 41 items to read & play. AC Brotherhood, AC Revelations, and AC Chronicles: China are the major players as Ezio’s story continues and he passes the torch to Shao Jun. 17th Century CE Do you know what the 17th Century has that the others don’t? Witches! Three of the four content entries in this century are about the witches in the US (Trial by Fire comic), France (The Witches of the Moors YA novel), and Germany (AC Hexe, not-confirmed). This century also includes the audiobook, AC Gold, that follows the blind Assassin Omar Khaled during The Great Recoinage in 1696. 18th Century CE The Kenway Saga is the anchor for the 18th Century. Edward Kenway leads with AC IV: Black Flag & the currently running Forgotten Temple manga on Webtoon. His Quartermaster Adéwalé continues our time in the Caribbean with the DLC add-on, Freedom Cry (also available as a standalone game).Edward’s son Haytam is the transition with AC Forsaken (novel) into the Templar led AC Rogue, and then into his son Ratonhnhaké:ton’s (Connor Kenway) game Assassin’s Creed III. AC Liberation adds Aveline de Grandpré to the cast of Assassins and wraps the America’s story before rewinding to a character fans met in Rogue, Arno Dorian. The French Assassin takes us to the French Revolution for the next 16 years of the series and the collection of media based around this release from 2014. 19th Century CE A century of revolution and civil war. Assassin’s Creed India and Syndicate provide plenty of gaming options while The Engine of History trilogy provides amazing stories in novel form from author Kate Heartfield and Aconyte Books. Lots of time will be spent in the UK and Europe this century and covers a vast amount of historical time periods. 20th Century CE The comic lines of the Assassin’s Creed universe take over from here as the games have not continued past the 19th Century, with the exception of Assassin’s Creed Russia. The Russian Civil War, World War II, and the Vietnam War all occur this century. This is also the century that Abstergo Industries was founded (the modern day Templar Order) so fans will get to explore the history of the organization via websites and multiplayer-files from previous games. 21st Century CE We come full circle with more information about Abstergo Industries, including the Employee Handbook and the final volume of the original Assassin’s Creed comic line from Titan Comics. Fans can also continue into the future with the non-canon story of Assassin Darcy Clarkson in the DLC update for Watch Dogs: Legion if they choose to do so. Additional Data (Multiple Time Periods) In this section, I positioned alphabetically the content that covered too many time periods or content that was made for the Assassin’s Creed audience and not the story itself. This includes “The Network Podcast” which I have singled out in this explanation as one of the hosts, Andrien (@EscoBlades) was reported in 2020 for abuses against women. While TOWCB do not support this man in any form, the podcast which was also hosted by Stephen O'Neill (@SickSteeny) & Gabe Graziani (@GabeGraziani) who I feel should not be shadowed by this person. Reference Books If you want to deep dive into the series or get a quick overview of the story, this is the section for you. The Encyclopedias, The Essential Guides, The Official Collection magazine series, and other similar materials are all included here. I could have divided the magazines into their respective time periods, but there are 80 issues and I don’t have them to do that. Maybe if I can ever get my hands on them I will divide them, but it's best to keep them together for now like the Encyclodpia’s various pages on each Assassin and time period. Announced Titles Any and all titles and projects that have been announced by Ubisoft and the Assassin’s Creed Brand that do not have enough information to be placed in the timeline are here. These will be added once more information is provided. But it's a nice way to see what is around the corner for us to explore when the time comes. I hope that this timeline helps all of you organize your plans to explore the Assassin’s Creed universe. If you happen to find an issue with the timeline (as I have found a few typos or copy/paste issues that I have corrected), or if you have additional content that you think fits in the timeline, please reach out to me on this site in the comments or on Twitter @thelordreylus and I will look into it further. I plan on updating this article at least once a year, but with the spreadsheet, I will attempt to keep it updated as I update my personal copy. So go forth and explore this historical playground that we all enjoy and I will see you online to discuss your favorites! 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: 29th to 4th June Community Share 6 Jun 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, as 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 Assassin Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ _TFoU_ “It is a good life we lead brother” Words from Federico. The Auditore’s had a lust for life and that can also be said for Eivor and Sigurd. Eivor may not be an official Assassin but her morals and beliefs are not too dissimilar. This shot is all about the instrument of justice and it is beautifully showcased here. The lighting is immaculate, highlighting all the right details. I adore this hidden blade. The design is stunning and that gem elegantly rounds it off. Starlight Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ DollyPlays_ “An ocean lies before us Eivor, and on its far side, a new Kingdom awaits.” This capture reminds me of the opening of the game before you set off on your adventures with the Raven clan. I love the rays here, they are so beautiful. If you catch the sun right in Valhalla it always makes for a spectacular photo. That silhouette of Eivor is also magnificent, she looks poised to leave Norway in search of her destiny. Swooping in Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ UVioletra Visually this capture is phenomenal, I admire the landscape and incredible deep blue sea. The angle of the shot is dreamy allowing for a cinematic vibe, especially with Ikaros swooping toward us. I have been watching Moana with the kids recently and this shot definitely has a similar vibe. After some time away in England and its early medieval setting, I am eager to get back to some sun-drenched lands in Mirage. A truly colourful shot that can brighten anyone’s day. Eivor of the Raven Clan Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ artschoolglases If you’re a Valhalla fan or Vikings in general then you should definitely follow @ artschoolglases This week’s #Thorsday shot had to be this one. This armour set is easily my favourite along with that longsword. The lighting here is on point reflecting gracefully off the metal, and highlighting the incredible detail of this outfit. I think the shot works so well against the black background. “I do not seek battles. Battle just seem to seek me”. A fitting quote for Eivor as she fights for the safety of her clan. Battle Elephant Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ theonlyjess_vp I thought we would close out this week with a shot that took me back to the Lord of the Rings films. These boss battles were so cool in Origins despite the steep learning curve. Bayek looks like a fearless warrior charging towards that massive Elephant. Kudos to Jess for the tremendous camera angle, as it is not easy to get great shots like this as a portrait. A wonderful advert for replaying Origins again, as visually it still has it. Replaying Origins could be a nice way to prepare for the sandy deserts of Mirage. The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week: Battle Elephant - Judge: Michael Smith ''The epic scale of this image shows the powerhouse that are the war elephants in the side activities. The detailed armor for each of the various animals gives them personality and the photographer captured both detail and scale extremely well in this shot.'' 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

Interview with Lee Majdoub - The Role of Basim, Arabic Authenticity, Acting in Games VS Films & More Interviews Share 11 Oct 2023 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) Colum Blackett Back To Database Gargudon from our team had the opportunity to sit down with Lee Majdoub, the man behind the voice of protagonist Basim in Assassin’s Creed Mirage, for a chat about everything from the road to and preparation for the role, authenticity in acting, the AC community, acting in games versus shows and films and much more. Video edited by FrameHoldPhotography. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPmmpI014kg Thank you again Lee for making space for this and being awesome! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Gustav / Gargudon is an active community member, who started out in podcast hosting in 2016, but today mostly specialises in video creation, interviews & composing. By joining The Ones Who Came Before in 2019, originally reviving 'The Memory Corridor' podcast, which had been offline for nearly a year, he has had the opportunity to expand his audience and further develop his skills.

 His unique skill set made him the perfect candidate for our team. Among other things, he is known in the community for the Sounds Of History project - an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental music project, featuring five tracks inspired by as many different games - other original fan themes plus covers of iconic AC tracks, as well as video interviews with a number of high profile names in the world of AC, from Roger Craig Smith, Jesper Kyd and more. Fun fact, among his growing colourful tattoo collection, Gustav is the only member of our team to have the TOWCB logo inked. Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon)

Assassin's Creed Symphonic Adventure London Photo Log Events Share 30 May 2024 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Colum Blackett Back To Database On the 29th and 30th May 2024, the Assassin's Creed Symphonic Adventure UK Premiere took take place in London. Representing The Ones Who Came Before were Aaron Young (FalconSwift87: Isu_Network Virtual Photography Team), Lisa Zaman (Art Team) and Louise Chase (TheNerdyArcher: Isu_Network Writing Team) on the night of Wednesday 29th May! Here are our photos from the event! Photos by Aaron Young Photos by Louise Chase Coming Soon Photos by Lisa Zaman Coming Soon 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

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

Assassin's Creed Community Showcase: April 2023 Community Share 5 May 2023 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Colum Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the first article in a new series dedicated to showcasing Assassin's Creed community artwork! Each month, we will be highlighting community creations and sharing them here on TOWCB website! Kicking off the series, we have an incredible piece of art work inspired by Assassin's Creed Origins, reminiscent of the wall art from the Prince of Egypt movie. Aya by Ru Solis (@ solisdaemon ) Written by Yasmin Page from TOWCB Art Team. ''This artwork was created for the April codexmonthly art prompt: shadows, and encapsulates the theme beautifully. All the details in the background — from the hieroglyphs painted on the wall, to the columns framing the image and the plants surrounding Aya — give the artwork a very strong grounding. A single glance places the scene in Ancient Egypt, and yet the softness of the firelight gives subtlety to what, in daylight, would be bright with colour. And then we have Aya herself, or rather, Amunet, as fierce and mysterious as her namesake. The composition and framing draws your eye to her, and her pose emphasises her power as a warrior. Looking at this artwork, we are reminded that this is the woman who founded the Hidden Ones. A force to be reckoned with.'' Next up, we have a digital painting of Odin, pondering his fate in a recreation that captures the mood of the Valhalla expansion brilliantly. Art by @ linaykaa Written by Aaron Young from TOWCB Writing Team ''I love this piece of art as it fits the themes of the Dawn of Ragnarok expansion. The firey red background with the sparks are so reminiscent of the Svartalfheim enviroment. The trinity knot on Havi's hood beautifully symbolisies that there is no begining or end just eternal life. Makes me think of Loki's quote "All your efforts to evade destiny will only fling you further along its course. If you're not careful, you may be the author of your own destruction" His face and demenour in this piece show the weight he is carrying, can he advert Ragnarok and change his fate?'' Another digital painting, this time imaging Bayek syncronising the Assassin's Creed Origins insignia. Art by s_snowyhooves_s Written by Aaron Young from TOWCB Writing Team ''Assassin's Creed Origins artwork always has a touch of class to it. This piece is no different, with the golden tones representing Egypt magnificently. I adore the Assassin symbol with the eye of horus in the middle and with Bayek sat atop the meaning of protection is amplified. I really like the use of the Isu armour as it's a great contrast to the time period, showing that connection to the ones who came before. With that sun shining so brightly behind Bayek all I can hear is Khemu calling "Papa jump". Assassin Beads by MoonMilk Beads. Written by Colum Blackett from TOWCB Core Team ''I love the colours in this project. To me, it almost resembles an American Eagle from above, with the beading below the insignia acting as tale feathers. I would say that this project has its roots in decorative Native American beading patterns, and it certainly is beautiful. Had Assassin's Creed III followed Connor's story further, I could totally have seen patterns like this appearing in-game.'' Basim by Redreyenotarget Written by Colum Blackett from TOWCB Core Team ''This digital painting shows Basim in his younger days. He appears to hold a rank higher than a novice, due to the throwing knives, but the blue head scarf suggests that he still has numerous stages to overcome before he reaches the rank of Master Assassin. The artist notes the Assassin's Creed Mirage Reveal trailer as the key inspiration for this piece. Perhaps his visible happiness is because Loki is yet to corrupt his perspective through twisted nightmare visions.'' Arno by Madam Estrella ( @ madamestrellascurio ) Written by Yasmin Page from TOWCB Art Team. “We work in the dark to serve the light. A quote at the very heart of the Assassin’s Creed games, and this artwork, to me, is a perfect example. While we as players know Arno and his story, to those inside his world, he moves through the shadows and is unseen. In this image, the shadows hide Arno’s eyes and shroud him in darkness, hiding his identity from the viewer and emphasising the stealth element that’s central to the Assassin’s Creed series. Additionally, the limited colour palette is really striking: the red, white and blue of the French Tricolour, the black of the harsh shadows, and the colour of the light on Arno’s face. A simple portrait composition beautifully executed (pun intended). This artwork was also created for April’s codexmonthly theme.'' Art Reveal We are pleased to reveal a brand new piece of Assassin's Creed Mirage fanart by TOWCB Art Team member Yasmin Page ! ''I painted this portrait of Basim in Photoshop using my Wacom drawing tablet. Surprisingly, I had quite a hard time with it, which I didn’t expect as I’ve drawn Basim a few times before. Nevertheless, I’m proud of how it came together in the end! I’m really looking forward to the release of Mirage and creating more artworks inspired by the game — the world and characters of Assassin’s Creed are an endless source of inspiration!'' Here is another brand new piece of Assassin's Creed artwork, this time by TOWCB Art Team Member, Thea M. Rivedal! “Let them fall” Feathers have been a representative element within the AC community since day one, and given the opportunity, I decided to create a more minimalistic image. As the feathers hold a heavy symbolism, letting them fall slowly from above gives a sense of serenity on the violence the Creed tends to find itself in. Blood on the feather at the bottom is in honor of Altaïr. The image was created in my most used medium the past months, Procreate. https://www.instagram.com/moonchildgecko/ Also produced this week were two pieces of artwork by ShayaFury from TOWCB Art Team. ''I had so much fun making both artworks (The digital one and the traditional one) . Both are made with love. Especially the Victoria and Jacob sketch since it was a small gift for a friend of mine drawing her OC based on Assassin`s Creed Syndicate. It did not take me much time to make it since I had so much fun and specially made it look like that. Used Photoshop and my Wacom Cintiq 27QHD touch and pen tablet. For the Basim sketch it took me a bit more since I did draw him for the very first time and was wondering if I will do him justice! Glad I managed to make it right. I will for sure draw him again. I did draw him in my illo sketchbook using pencil and for the yellow used Ecoline Watercolour brush pen from Royal Talens.'' We would like to say a big thank you to all the community members who contributed towards this article. We will be using our new Community Spotlight series to shine a light on various art projects, alongside sharing our own courtesy of TOWCB Art Team. Look out for the next entry in the series at the end of May. 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

New member SisterlyThrower joins TOWCB Video Content Creation Team News Share 4 Mar 2024 Written By: Edited By: SisterlyThrower Colum Blackett Back To Database We are pleased to announce that @ SisterlyT is joining our @ Isu_network Video Content Creation Team! Andy is a Twitch streamer who began streaming in 2019, where he utilizes his real-world expertise as a therapist to analyze the mental health messages found in today’s games. SisterlyThrower is a Twitch streamer who began streaming in 2019. While initially covering a variety of different topics and games, he eventually leaned into one of his first loves of modern gaming, Assassin’s Creed. While he was playing through the series much, much later than most everyone else, he quickly grew to love the lore, the gameplay, and yes, all those pesky achievements. This love for Assassin’s Creed has blossomed into his current suite of projects, lovingly entitled, “Assassin Academy”. Working to learn more about the Assassin’s Creed universe, Assassin Academy places SisterlyThrower into what will soon be a whole host of different themed videos and streams. Currently, SisterlyThrower is conducting a series of playthrough streams under different challenges (Assassin 1001 – Fundamentals of Assassin-ing). While not streaming or looking up achievement lists, SisterlyThrower spends most of his time with his wife, WifeyThrower and their two cats: Mary, who was supposed to be SisterlyThrower’s cat at first, but of course glommed onto WifeyThrower and won’t let go, and Jimothy, the quintessential essence of what happens when you give a cat only three brain cells and he loses two of them. SisterlyThrower also enjoys making videos under his other moniker, The Video Game Therapyst, where he utilizes his real-world expertise as a therapist to analyze the mental health messages found in today’s games. Twitch Twitter Instagram TikTok Tumblr We are taking several steps to reform our Video Content Creation Team in preparation for the months ahead. Keep an eye on our social media channels (below) for updates! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLo3cRM4f_Y comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author SisterlyThrower is a Twitch streamer who began streaming in 2019. While initially covering a variety of different topics and games, he eventually leaned into one of his first loves of modern gaming, Assassin’s Creed. While he was playing through the series much, much later than most everyone else, he quickly grew to love the lore, the gameplay, and yes, all those pesky achievements. This love for Assassin’s Creed has blossomed into his current suite of projects, lovingly entitled, “Assassin Academy”. Working to learn more about the Assassin’s Creed universe, Assassin Academy places SisterlyThrower into what will soon be a whole host of different themed videos and streams. Currently, SisterlyThrower is conducting a series of playthrough streams under different challenges (Assassin 1001 – Fundamentals of Assassin-ing). While not streaming or looking up achievement lists, SisterlyThrower spends most of his time with his wife, WifeyThrower and their two cats: Mary, who was supposed to be SisterlyThrower’s cat at first, but of course glommed onto WifeyThrower and won’t let go, and Jimothy, the quintessential essence of what happens when you give a cat only three brain cells and he loses two of them. SisterlyThrower also enjoys making videos under his other moniker, The Video Game Therapyst, where he utilizes his real-world expertise as a therapist to analyze the mental health messages found in today’s games. SisterlyThrower

Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag and Addiction: Remembering Dad In Memoriam Share 1 Sept 2022 Written By: Edited By: Finn Fletcher Ashlea Blackett Back To Database It's 2013, you're 13 years old and waiting for what would become one of your favourite games. You've always loved pirates, spent your childhood watching the Pirates of the Caribbean films so obsessively you nearly know them word for word. You could tell people the difference between a schooner and a brigg, and have visited the last remaining sailing ship of the era docked in London. It's 2013, you're 13 years old and you learn you'll never see your dad again. He introduced you to Pirates of the Caribbean when you were probably too young. He'd bought history books for you, and had plastic sword fights throughout the house with you when you were younger. He's gone now, and you don't know why. 9 years have passed and you still think of that strange autumn, the wild month around your birthday which went from excitement to depression. You remember being too young to really understand what's going on, what account documents you're being told about and the will you've been left with. In all honesty you don't care, what does stuff matter now, just leave me to play my games. 9 years have passed and you still replay Black Flag, no game has ever come close to completely absorbing you since. You remember swimming between islands just to see if you can, and finding a glitch to keep your hood up (because honestly who wants it down). The story progresses, and you realise that it's got more to teach you than you thought. Suicide , you've heard the word before but never really understood it. It was mentioned in bible class when you were younger, but like everything it just washed over your head, a word without any real meaning. Alcoholic is said now and again, you get the concept but now why people end up like that. "Just stop drinking," you'd think, "it's not that hard." Edward Kenway hits rock bottom, he's pushed away all his friends, his families halfway across the planet, hope has disappeared. He tumbles through the memory corridor, an area that's become symbolic for beginning your journey, and the success of defeating another target. Now, it's nothing but the falling ground for a man with nothing but a bottle. It's strange how art can affect you, what it teaches you without you ever expecting. No one went in to Black Flag for an emotional revelation about what it feels like to be hopeless, to give up and turn to bad habits to survive. The fun swashbuckling adventure has slowly peeled away to reveal the sad truths of the heroes of children's books and films, the reality of feeling without a place in a growing world. I struggled to understand my dad, he was distant and strange, without any explanation. He lived in a village in the middle of nowhere, he was part of a church whose rules he didn't follow, and seemed rudderless in everything he did. It's hard to express what being a child and seeing that feels like, trying to comprehend emotions you're too young or naive to experience feels like. That confusion can become resentment, misplaced anger or endless sadness. It's easy to repeat the cycle, act out without reason and continue the self destruction. If it weren't for an odd little game about Pirates and hooded Assassins. This month marks the 9th anniversary of that tumultuous year, and a lot definitely happens in your teen years. You go through your own heartbreak, learn your own lessons, get to experience sot medium, Darby McDevitt, Matt Ryan, and all the other actors, writers and developers made something that can, at least for one gamer, be life changing. It's soppy and melodramatic sure, but these fun corny games can be so impactful. They can last for nearly a decade in the minds of players by trying something, by trying to make a statement or express an emotion. I don't want to interfere in the lives of developers, but there's something so personal to the narrative of Black Flag, a passion to its presentation and themes that shines through. If we don't discuss depression, addiction, greed and imperfections, we're doomed to leave people clueless. Entertainment and art can teach so much, and even without realising, can help improve our understanding of the human experience immeasurably. I love Assassin's Creed, I love it's gameplay, philosophy and history. I just hope to see more stories from more creative, that touch upon something with such raw truth as Black Flag did all those years ago. me of the emotions that once seemed so alien. The best part of growing up is being old enough to hear the full story, to learn details that were understandably kept secret. But that journey, surprisingly of all, started with Assassins Creed showing a real, human and flawed character. It's strange to look back, after games with demigods and narrative choices, to think about how personally impactful watching a pre-written story about a Welsh dude with a few too many guns was in comparison. I know that to many Assassins Creed is pulpy historical fun, like marvel with dysentery. But it can't be understated, especially now in the age of "content" and "games as a service", how important it can be to include these darker moments and themes in your games. Black Flag was undeniably a fun romp, and the team behind it were exceptionally successful in making a great sandbox that you can jump back into after a long d ay. If you are concerned that you or someone you care about has a problem, there are people you can talk to. You can find some useful phone numbers and links here for free and confidential advice. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Finn is a creative writer from Rotherham, UK who has previously supported TOWCB's Fundraising events, and raised awareness surrounding Men's Mental Health. Finn's writing covers a wide scope, with releases including reviews, interviews and stories. He is known in the AC Community for his 'Pitching an Assassin's Creed Game' series, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website! In February 2026, he left the team to focus on real-world opportunities as a journalist, writing for a newspaper! We're thrilled to see Finn using his skills to build a career! Finn Fletcher

Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 20th to 31st May Community Share 12 Jun 2024 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Colum Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the biweekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from the AC Partnership Program. Every two weeks we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. This theme has been run by the TOWCB VP team. We have been monitoring the hashtag and the community hub to see all your wonderful shots. Keep an eye on the site as more shots are added, we are looking for captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to #ACFirstCivVP for a chance to be featured. Theme: From Red to Shadows Red Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: Rosshiro (@ q9j9p ) The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Judge: @ CapturesByRenzo Renzo A few weeks ago, AC Codename Red was finally revealed as Assassin’s Creed Shadows, set in feudal Japan. In order to celebrate the occasion, we decided to run the “From Red to Shadows” theme. During the last couple of weeks, we saw many amazing shots from the AC community, but this particular photo stood out. Taken in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, this shot from Rosshiro captures the essence of the theme, showing Eivor in the Yurei Bushido armour set, as well as their mount and their loyal raven Sýnin. The colour splash was perfectly executed and makes the red tones stand out from the rest of the scene. Let’s not forget about the great composition. Take all these elements and you get a winning shot. Congratulations Rosshiro. Aaron (@ FalconSwift9 7 ) “We must honour their sacrifice”. What I enjoyed about last year’s Assassin’s Creed Mirage announcement was the creativity we saw from the virtual photography community in recreating shots in Assassin’s Creed Origins. This time an even bigger challenge has been set with the Japanese theme proving trickier. That being said, this capture fully embraces the theme with the red colour splash and the Assassin’s Creed Shadows logo present. The Yurei Bushido armour set means you’re a far cry from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and fully embracing the Japanese setting. Excellent work from Rosshiro and fully deserving of shot of the week. Blade in the Dark Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: Raven (@ Cll3ar ) “Where has my path brought us?”. I am expecting Assassin's Creed Shadows to bring a lot of katana photo opportunities. This weapon is one of the most elegant swords in history. The unmistakable curved edged blade with that magnificent square guard and wrapped grip is a sight to behold. Raven has managed to replicate that grace with her beautiful black background shot. Basim’s blade looks deadly with the lighting perfect for showcasing the stunning details of the sword. I also love how the light elevates Basim’s hood. You get a real Assassin vibe from this photo coupled with the darker tones of the Valhalla robe. A truly exceptional piece of virtual photography. Flame Bearer Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ NickVPgamer “How dare you think your destiny, your greatness, outweighed all of ours”. The torch is a real virtual photographer’s dream, when lighting isn’t quite right it can be deployed to great effect. I remember seeing the early photos from the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla announcement and there were quite a few that featured the torch. Eivor looks so good here with that warming glow from the fire highlighting his Raven Clan outfit. The way the light falls on the hood and his lips leave a perfect shadow across the eyes. That cold wintery background uplifts the capture further enhancing the effects of the torch. An awesome capture that takes me back to the launch trailers for Valhalla. Misthios Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ _fallenmemory_ “Sometimes the face we show to the world needs to be one of strength, despite the chaos we harbour underneath.” Kassandra has become a real fan favourite, especially for us virtual photographers. Her character design is quite something and lends itself to being captured. Although Kassandra will never be considered a real Assassin, her part in the bloodline is extremely important for what will unfold in Egypt. This striking portrait is completely up my street, with the gorgeous, muted blacks and the excellent shadow work. I adore how the red of the Misthios outfit blends with the dark to really encapsulate this week’s theme. For me this is a real movie moment where the hero appears from nowhere to enact justice. Red Mist Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ ValkyrieQ8 “No enemy is untouchable, no matter how powerful they appear”. The theme from red to shadows encompasses the life of Basim. He goes from street thief to an apprentice within the Brotherhood. His skill and determination eventually result in him wearing the famous red sash. However, it is this moment in his life that the darkness and shadows betray him, and he is lost to Loki. I think his attire in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla depicts this theme with the mix of red and black. This capture gives such a dream vibe with Basim caught between two paths. I like how his eyes are hidden behind the beak of the hood, with the whites trying to break out. The reds and blacks mix almost signifying the confusion in Basim's mind as he fights to find out who he really is. And that sums it up for this Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out the photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next time keep those shots coming in! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

Assassin's Creed Movie and its Importance Analysis Share 2 Jul 2025 Written By: Edited By: Hayden Bird Colum Blackett Back To Database Leading up to the announcement and release of the Assassin’s Creed Movie (2016), fans were eager to see a film adaptation of the franchise, and hoped to follow an original storyline in a unique historical setting. The movie, created by 20th Century Fox and New Regency, did exactly that. It excited fans of gaming who enjoyed seeing popular games adapted to the big screen. This strategy used widely by film companies who tried to expand the universe of several major video game franchises, worked at times, and at other times, did not quite as well live up to fan and critical expectations. The Assassin’s Creed Movie was an exciting project for the franchise as the year of its release, 2016, was set to be a quiet one for the series in terms of mainline games. Ubisoft committed to taking the year off of making a new game in the series for the first time in many years. Ubisoft instead put their focus on the movie along with the Ezio Collection , which was a remaster of the three beloved games in the series featuring fan-favorite protagonist Ezio Auditore. Overall, it was considered a quiet year, but there was still much to look forward to for any Assassin’s Creed fan. Promotional image for Assassin's Creed (2016) The movie boasted a serious star studded cast, with big names such as Michael Fassbender in the leading role, popular actress Marion Cotillard, Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons, and other big names that signed on the project. The cast certainly did not disappoint, and the film also hired Justin Kurzel to direct who was best known for directing the Shakespearian play remake Macbeth, ironically also starring Fassbender and Cotillard (2015). The cast and crew was well crafted by the producers and creative team. It made the movie so much more convincing with a cast full of stars. The story follows the journey of Spanish Assassin, Aguilar de Nerha, played by Michael Fassbender, and his life during the Spanish Inquisition and the Granada War. The plot of the film mirrored the modern day part of the story of Callum Lynch, also played by Fassbender. It told the story of the everlasting war between Assassins and Templars and their fight for freedom. This time fans got to experience a project in the series based on historical Spain, an era never touched upon by the games. The story of the film showed Callum, or Cal for short, synchronizing with his ancestor, Aguilar, and the journey he follows to transform himself from criminal misfit to a member of the Assassin Brotherhood. The movie released on December 21, 2016 and went on to gross $22 million in its first six days at the box office. The film ended up not living up to financial expectations, but there’s no doubt the film itself was quite selective and had a more complex following. It went on to gross a total of $240.9 million in its full theatrical run. The film also experienced mostly negative critical feedback, but on some sites such as Rotten Tomatoes, it has a significantly higher fan score than critical, suggesting most fans who watched were satisfied in the end. Since the film’s release, it has gone through several streaming services and most notably recently became the number one most watched movie on HBO Max for over a week and beyond. Sometimes films get overlooked during its initial release and eventually find their footing years later in the streaming category. Promo image for Assassin's Creed (2016) showing Aguilar de Nerha The idea of a movie based on Assassin’s Creed actually began in October of 2011. The film flipped through studios and development phases several times before Ubisoft Motion Pictures announced a year later that Michael Fassbender would be starring in the film. The film also flipped through directors and scriptwriters many times until they settled on Justin Kurzel taking over. After the film got its foundation started, it was initially planned to be the first film in a new series. After finalizing the cast and crew, filming began on August 31st, 2015. Pre-production was in full effect. There were several teases and hints as the film grew closer and the movie trailer was even revealed on TV during an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. The trailer was very popular during the show and later after being posted shortly after on YouTube where it gathered over 2 million views on just one channel, not counting the dozens of other official and fan pages who released the trailer too. One thing that is a debate is the potential confusion of the story to casual fans who could be unaware of the games and what they are about. The movie was perceived as a bit tricky to understand mostly over the use of the Animus, which is a device used in the games that allows the modern day protagonist the ability to access their ancestors' genetic memories. The portrayal of the Animus in the movie was difficult to understand to more casual viewers. In the end, the movie was and is a big part of the Assassin’s Creed community. Many fans alike went on opening night to movie theaters to see it. It definitely holds a soft spot for fans of the series and gamers in general, and really defined how much bigger Assassin’s Creed is than just a video game series. It's a worldwide media giant. The expansion Ubisoft took to the big screens was a bold move as it showed that the franchise was so much bigger than some fans may realize. It extends deeply into entertainment in general. The movie originally had a sequel announced by 20th Century Fox, but after the Disney acquisition that took over all of 20th Century’s properties, Disney went ahead and canceled the sequel shortly after purchasing Fox, leaving some fans disappointed as the ending to the movie left the door open for potential sequels. This was news to fans thinking the Assassin’s Creed franchise was all but dead in anything aside from gaming, until Ubisoft announced a partnership with Netflix in 2020 to develop a variety of projects based in the Assassin’s Creed universe. Including a live-action TV series and an animated show. This announcement proved Ubisoft was able to bounce back after missteps before and after the Assassin’s Creed Movie . The Netflix show is still in active development, and fans are looking forward to seeing what Ubisoft can bring to the small screen. Early promotional images for Assassin's Creed (2016) The mixed reception of the Assassin’s Creed Movie was a continued chain in the overall bad luck of video games adapted into films. This became so prevalent in the movie industry that most expected every new adaptation to fail, that was until an idea shifted to instead of adapting games to a film each time, instead try adapting into a television series, and this worked perfectly. Many major games have since been adapted to television formats such as The Witcher on Netflix, The Last of Us on HBO, Twisted Metal on Peacock, and others that strayed from the cinema path to instead try the small screen, and the continued success of this idea has only ballooned. Many other video games are set to get the TV treatment aside from Assassin’s Creed partnership with Netflix. The infamous failures of video game movies changed the way the industry thinks and has so far hit the jackpot with TV shows. The Assassin’s Creed Movie is beloved by many fans of the series, and memories shared outside of just the movie releasing itself are important as well. There were countless memories made in anticipation of the film that brought the community closer and of course its surprise success all these years later on streaming platforms. Whether the film was a critical or financial success or not, it created golden memories for the community and all those involved. The impact of the movie is more important than the box office. The time leading up to the movie was one of the best times to be an Assassin’s Creed fan, and regardless of its impression, it was a great experience for the community and the fans. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Hayden is a passionate Freelance Writer based in South Carolina who joined TOWCB's Writing Team in 2020 during the Covid-19 Pandemic, writing articles on all things Assassin's Creed Valhalla. He left the group to focus on studies, joining our Alumni program, but triumphantly returned with fresh ideas in 2024 to pick up where he left off, only this time covering Assassin's Creed Shadows. In 2025, Hayden took on the position of Team Leader for TOWCB's Writing Team, overseeing article releases, assisting with recruitment and providing assistance with internal operations. Hayden Bird

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Succeeded… What Now For Ubisoft? Analysis Share 5 Jul 2025 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) Gargudon Back To Database Three months’ time ago now, after two delays and one of the most intense and controversial marketing campaigns in gaming history, the highly anticipated Assassin’s Creed Shadows was finally released, at last taking us to a fan favourite location over many years. Maybe, maybe not against all odds, it quickly turned out a massive success, ultimately having one of the best releases in the history of the franchise, reaching 1 million players in less than 24 hours, that number only growing exponentially. Despite this and the critical acclaim though, it is no secret a lot was hanging on this game for Ubisoft, the future of the very company itself possibly having been decided by it. This was mostly the result of a heavily financially disappointing 2024, plummeting stock prices and a potential company buyout, but the perception of the studio among fans and the public is not what it used to be either, after years of beloved flagship franchises undergoing heavy change, internal conflicts and more. So now that the fateful new instalment of the studio’s most iconic franchise turned out a massive success after all, what is next for the company, and how can they rise up again to their former glory? We will be exploring this in the following article, diving into the future of their flagship franchises, other outlets, fan relations and more. Focus On Key Franchises, Drop One-Off Games As mentioned, 2024 was one of if not the most financially disappointing year for Ubisoft ever, with both major releases of theirs that year heavily underperforming; the return to the golden age of piracy in Skull & Bones, and a new adventure in the galaxy far, far away in Star Wars Outlaws. To this day, both games have only sold around 1 million copies, which may necessarily not sound like a small number, but for an AAA studio of that size is. But were these two titles even necessary and the right output? One was a game that ultimately felt like nothing more than a failed second crack, at what is one of the company’s most successful and iconic titles even 12 years later; 2013’s legendary Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag. Secondly, should Ubisoft even have taken on a brand like Star Wars? Something which has already proven super successful in recent years with another studio - EA - 2019’s Jedi Fallen Order, and the 2023 Survivor sequel, proving some of the best and most beloved Star Wars games since the days of Battlefront II 20 years ago. If Ubisoft wants to avoid sales fiascos like this again, one obvious and easy move would potentially be as simple as this; drop one off games like these two “failures”, and instead continually focusing on their key franchises, that remain iconic and always only seem to get bigger - Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry and Tom Clancy’s. Additionally if not already, give up on franchises that once were great and promising, but dug themselves into ground with the years, best example being Watch Dogs. A franchise that started out with a bang, in a way being a new version of Grand Theft Auto… But with hacking, making for a fun twist and unique, new experience. While its 2016 follow-up more or less performed as it should, and was met with critical acclaim, for some it was also missing an array of the elements that made the original great, making players, including myself, kinda fall off. By the time the third instalment - Legion - was announced, many players just didn’t really care simply said, possibly also giving the shall we call it aimless direction of the game, for example being able to play as ANY NPC in it, signalling a lack of narrative. Fan Relations & Listen To Player Feedback Disappointing sales numbers aside, Ubisoft’s relations with players and fans has taken many hits in recent years due to a number of reasons. From solely a gaming perspective, the two mentioned beloved flagship franchises underwent stylistic changes to different degrees in the late ’10’s, clearly not to everyone’s liking. Assassin’s Creed (in)famously took a more loose RPG oriented approach with 2017’s Origins, and 2021’s Far Cry 6, were missing elements that made previous instalments as iconic as they were, survival and skill progression being at the very core of them. Following AC Origins that introduced this different style, an array of fans were begging for a return to roots… Only for the next two games to crank the RPG elements up to 11, almost completely ditching the classic Assassins VS. Templars aspects and narrative. Despite its perhaps smaller scale and some lore elements from this new era being carried over, 2023’s AC Mirage was as much a return to roots as possible, bringing back classic Assassins VS. Templars, (improved) stealth, and a gameplay formula reminiscent of the classic 2007 original. And then once again, AC Shadows re-introduced some of these RPG leaning elements. Can the AC franchise survive with all this push and pull, for one period of time more or less completely ditching the elements that made it what it is, then having it make a comeback, then for it all to come to a mix? Sure, games and franchises need to evolve, and a good example of a game that went against everyone’s expectations yet turned out a massive success - if not one of the all time greats of video game history overall - was Black Flag. But when the criticisms begins to outweigh the positives, it changes company dynamics, is it a sign Ubisoft needs to start listening to player feedback more than has been the case in recent years, and set aside any artistic decisions that may not turn out as thought? At this point, when AC fans say they want a more linear story and classic Assassins VS. Templars, it’s because they want it and to stay. When Far Cry fans criticised Far Cry 6 of feeling overloaded and long, lacking skill progression and a terrifying and deep villain on the level of Vaas Montenegro, they meant it. Another noteworthy aspect of this is following trends. Everyone in the gaming industry does it, Rockstar Games often having set the standard with every new game of theirs, more or less shaping the open-world genre single handedly. A wide array of elements from the first couple AC games can be traced back to GTA, Far Cry was inspired by classic FPS games but put its twist on it, and when a game in 2015 came out called The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt, it revolutionised the RPG genre, hence it makes sense Ubisoft would take note of that, and try to put their twist on that. As we well know though, this mostly only caused polarisation amongst fans, and Ubisoft seemed to fail at capturing the RPG feeling in the same way. Despite the success of The Witcher 3, was that really meant to be the game that would lay out the blueprint for the next decade of gaming, everyone trying to replicate that style since it clearly worked on one of the most iconic games of the ‘10’s? Since that, there have been many other landmark games that didn’t follow that RPG formula, so why are Ubisoft still clinging onto a blueprint that was last trending 10 years ago now? Ubisoft Television One wouldn’t necessarily know it, but for years Ubisoft have had a television division, the CEO of being Yves Guillemot’s brother, Gérard. In recent years, their most popular output has probably been producing the Apple TV+ original comedy show Mythic Quest, which despite recent cancellation, ran for four successful seasons over five years, to critical and fan acclaim. A number of projects based on Ubisoft titles are currently also in development; from a Tom Clancy’s The Division live action film set to star Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain, and to be directed by David Leitch - known for John Wick, Deadpool 2 and Fast & Furious Hobbs & Shaw among others - a Just Dance and Rabbids project, and of course the Netflix Assassin’s Creed live action series. But will these films and shows prove successful, and can this TV division do enough to keep the company afloat? The Assassin’s Creed series is highly anticipated among fans, and recently announced its writers room lineup, including several writers and producers who have worked on some of the most high profile shows in recent years. Otherwise much still isn’t known about any of these upcoming projects, and only time will tell as to their success a lot potentially could be hanging on. Despite anticipation and mixed reviews from fans, Ubisoft Television’s first big film - 2016’s Assassin’s Creed - wasn’t necessarily a success, mostly receiving negative reviews among critics and underperforming at the box office, but there is always room for improvement and the Tom Clancy projects could turn the tide. Additionally, we live in a time where the “video game adaptation” curse has at last mostly been lifted, with shows like The Last Of Us for HBO and Fallout for Amazon receiving almost nothing but praise. So if executed right, Ubisoft Television’s projects in development have the potential to take the company to completely new heights. Internal Company Healing Last but not least, Ubisoft has a great deal of internal fixing and healing to do, after years of internal scandals and their handling of, massive layoffs, rumours of toxic work culture and more. Many probably remember the summer of 2020, where a dark side of the gaming industry as a whole was exposed, Ubisoft being hit HARD, with different beloved community icons of many years inside the company, finding themselves with heavy allegations of sexual misconduct made against them. This was probably the proper beginning, of the mistrust towards the company among many, that’s then only grown with the years. About a year later, it was revealed that little if anything, had really been done internally to handle this conflict, once again enraging and saddening many fans. As a result of Ubisoft’s mentioned tightening financial situation, in the last year alone, hundreds of employees have also been let go, following the closure of multiple Ubisoft studios in an attempt to cut costs and stabilise the company. Last year the online game XDefiant was infamously shut down, causing just under 300 people to lose their jobs. In January this year, three more studios - Leamington, Düsseldorf and Stockholm were also shut down, resulting in an additional 200 people being let go. This could be the start of a dangerous pattern. The company does indeed need to stabilise, to keep its studios up and running and people’s livelihood intact, also maximising work and company efficiency. Finally, following the announcement of AC Shadows last year and the controversies that followed, rumours started circulating of toxic company work culture, and them prioritising DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) over hiring the most competent workers. While Ubisoft never made any direct comments on this nor confirmed or denied anything, comments made by AC Shadows’ Senior Writer - stating how "There’s more than enough games out there with white men as the only playable characters" - as well as a photo of the “diverse” team working on the game could be interpreted the wrong way. Whether anyone working on the game were hired directly for their skills or just to meet “diversity” quotas or not, controversies like this are best avoided in the future. All this aside, there is no doubt parts of the AC Shadows promotional campaign were actually controversial, insensitive and a result of bad company management. One notable example of this was the Yasuke action figure with a one legged Torii gate, which could be seen as a mockery of the iconic Sanno Shrine in Nagasaki, that was destroyed following its destruction by nuclear bomb in 1945 after World War II, a deep trauma in collective Japanese culture and history. Overall, Ubisoft have a lot of work to do, if they want to fix their company, and restore it to one of the leading elite video game studios it once was, putting out hit after hit, making big money, and helping setting the standard for the video game industry. How this is going to be accomplished we don’t know if anyone really does, if there is one formula for it. By redirecting focus to hit franchises that despite change and criticisms, only seem to get bigger still accumulating new players, and dropping one off games that are likely to turn out fiascos, getting Ubisoft Television up and running like never before, keeping relationships with fans healthy and alive, and doing everything they can to internally heal, it is certainly possible they can go a long way. What are your thoughts on this? Do you think Ubisoft can rise up to their former glory again, and how do you think this can be achieved? Be sure to let us know in the comments, and stay tuned for more articles like this! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEJwAIOl1mI comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Gustav / Gargudon is an active community member, who started out in podcast hosting in 2016, but today mostly specialises in video creation, interviews & composing. By joining The Ones Who Came Before in 2019, originally reviving 'The Memory Corridor' podcast, which had been offline for nearly a year, he has had the opportunity to expand his audience and further develop his skills.

 His unique skill set made him the perfect candidate for our team. Among other things, he is known in the community for the Sounds Of History project - an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental music project, featuring five tracks inspired by as many different games - other original fan themes plus covers of iconic AC tracks, as well as video interviews with a number of high profile names in the world of AC, from Roger Craig Smith, Jesper Kyd and more. Fun fact, among his growing colourful tattoo collection, Gustav is the only member of our team to have the TOWCB logo inked. Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon)

Rally the Creed Video Podcast #1: Assassin's Creed Mirage, New Podcast Format & Choices in AC Podcast Share 10 Apr 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database The Ones Who Came Before Team are proud to launch the reboot of our original podcast, Rally the Creed! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fm3zWTQznA The original mini-podcast series aired back in 2020 during lockdown, but for the reboot, we have decided to make two major changes. Each episode of Rally the Creed (2023+) will be released in three versions: Video, Audio and Transcript, as to create a more personal experience, and allow for viewers to enjoy the podcast in multiple ways. The second and most important change is host rotation, as we plan on getting different members of TOWCB Team to host each episode. We hope that this new and exciting structure keeps the podcast fresh, and helps it to stand out from other fan projects. The new series will cover a huge range of topics relating to the Assassin's Creed series, and give a voice to community members. For some, the podcast will provide the opportunity to step out of the shadows for the first time, and introduce themselves to the community, whilst for others, it becomes a meeting place for long-time fans of the series to discuss all things Assassin's Creed. In episode #1 , Col and Michael from TOWCB Core Team discuss Assassin's Creed Mirage, the new podcast format and choices in Assassin's Creed. Listen here on Spotify! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 4th to 15th March Community Share 20 Mar 2024 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Colum Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the biweekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from the AC Partnership Program. Every two weeks we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. This theme has been run by the TOWCB VP team. We have been monitoring the hashtag and the community hub to see all your wonderful shots. Keep an eye on the site as more shots are added, we are looking for captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to #ACFirstCivVP for a chance to be featured. Theme: Assassin’s Creed Vikings Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ GwynVP The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Judge: @ TuridTorkil Looking at this shot feels like coming home. Fornburg is such a beautiful settlement and I really like to return to it in the game. Gwyn did a great job capturing the Northern Lights, the majestic mountains and the warm fireplaces. Aaron “It is easy to lose one’s way on the road to glory”. The magic of Norway will never get old. Eivor’s epic saga begins in the frozen north, which gives way to some awe-inspiring backdrops. The virtual photography opportunities are endless, that is one of the reasons we still see many shots from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla on social media. This beautiful capture from Gwyn really caught my eye. I just love the colours and the strong Norse vibes. Eivor looks great walking in from her longship, torch in hand. The lights in the windows of the houses look so inviting and the sheer scale of that mountain in the distance is incredible. A truly wonderful piece of virtual photography. Corner Swing Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ PodToGo “Once, I lived on the streets and answered only to myself”. The parkour opportunities in Assassin’s Creed Mirage are so much fun. The swing in this shot has to be one of my favourites, I am so glad the developers brought it back. Little moments like this really help to keep the flow when navigating the rooftops of Baghdad. I really like how Pod has captured this as a portrait, it allows for a fantastic composition. The lighting and shadow work is perfect, and Basim looks awesome swinging around the building. Action shots are extremely hard to achieve, and Pod has done tremendously well to align all the aspects in this capture. The Eyes Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ Murphys_Law_Vp “Do not let false victories blind you to what is true”. The Dawn of Ragnarok DLC is a long and sad tale, unfortunately after the length of the main game it can be a bit of a slog. However, it’s an expansion that is extremely picturesque to capture and there are plenty of Easter eggs to be found. Here we can see one of them, I never fully worked out who or what the creepy being is. I assume it is some Jotunn, but it sure makes for an impressive photo. I love the framing in this shot, the trees either side of the Jotunn and the autumnal red leaves on the floor add to the mystical atmosphere. Havi seems really badass just walking away from it without a care, very impressive photography. Reflective Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ RossHiroAsmara “I will walk behind you, every step of the way.” I have found Assassin’s Creed Mirage to be great for capturing silhouettes, and the whole atmosphere of the game lends itself perfectly to this. Basim is a character who has a lot of inner turmoil, he often finds himself reflecting on who he is and what role he plays in the world. Here we have Basim in a classic Assassin’s Creed pose. I love the cinematic style of this, with the noise of the shot mixing well with that beautiful sun set. The silhouette is perfect, I adore that the sword and totem are standing out with their respective colours. A magnificent Mirage moment. The Light Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ redmaiden_vp “And maybe someday you will find the light.” I am a sucker for a portrait with a black background. I think this style works so well in the Assassin’s Creed series, especially with the slogan ‘we work in the dark’. All the RGP games have exceptional lighting which makes taking shots like this a dream. We just had to feature this capture; it is so beautifully put together. I am a big fan of the framing, and how the saturation levels heighten the details on Basim’s face. You can see how deep in thought he is, almost poised for the assassination. The Red Maiden has only just started the Mirage journey and I already know I am going to enjoy seeing all the shots. 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

Event Log: Assassin's Creed Shadows UK Community Launch Event Event Share 8 Mar 2025 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Colum Blackett Back To Database Ad- Invite We are thrilled to announce that TOWCB Team Leader Colum Blackett attended the UK Assassin's Creed Shadows Community Launch Event, hosted by Ubisoft UK ⛩️ Community members had the opportunity to play the game early, learn how to perfect Japanese calligraphy and attend an insightful developer Q&A with special guest Akim Milne 🎥 Here is our coverage of the event, featuring footage captured by Col. Music: The Wind between the Cherry Trees by Gargudon 🎶 Huge thank you to Ubisoft for a great day celebrating Assassin's Creed Shadows, in particular the efforts of Silvia Gomis Lopez , Ben Levene , Liam Redman , Neale Maker , Calum Ridgewell , Olivia G and Stefan McGarry. Assassin's Creed Shadows: Coming March 20th. Available on PlayStation®5 & Xbox Series X|S, Ubisoft+, Amazon Luna, Macs with Apple silicon via the Mac App Store as well as Windows PC through the Ubisoft Store, Steam and the Epic Games Store.  Also coming to iPad in the future. 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

Netflix have announced an upcoming live-action Assassin's Creed series News Share 27 Oct 2020 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Buckley Back To Database Streaming service and production company Netflix have today announced that they are developing a live-action Assassin's Creed series in partnership with Ubisoft. The news broke when the @NXOnNetflix Twitter account posted a short teaser revealing a red Assassin's Creed insignia with the Netflix logo inside. The iconic Assassin's Creed II theme, Ezio's family theme plays softly in the background. Could this be a clue, or simply a nod to the series? “We’re thrilled to create an Assassin’s Creed series with Netflix and we look forward to developing the next saga in the Assassin’s Creed universe.” said Jason Altman, Head of Ubisoft Film & Television told Deadline. Netflix are looking to build an Assassin's Creed TV Universe, entering into a content agreement with Ubisoft to develop live-action, animated, and anime series based on the franchise. According to Deadline, the first series in development is as an epic, genre-bending live-action adaptation, and is being developed Ubisoft Film & Television’s Jason Altman and Danielle Kreinik, who are currently looking for a showrunner. “We’re excited to partner with Ubisoft and bring to life the rich, multilayered storytelling that Assassin’s Creed is beloved for. From its breathtaking historical worlds and massive global appeal as one of the best selling video game franchises of all time, we are committed to carefully crafting epic and thrilling entertainment based on this distinct IP and provide a deeper dive for fans and our members around the world to enjoy.” Peter Friedlander, VP, Original Series, Netflix. Details are currently limited regarding the first Assassin's Creed Netflix series, but you can stay up to date on all the news here at The Ones Who Came Before. Sources: Netflix Deadline 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)

Event Log: Assassin's Creed Mirage Red Carpet Digital Event Events Share 9 Nov 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) TOWCB Team Back To Database Just before the launch of Assassin's Creed Mirage, we were invited to attend an online event exclusively for community members. The event was unlike any other we have ever attended, and featured a mini game where everyone controlled a 'chibi-style' Basim. All players had a username attached, and when you approached audio and video would appear for those interacting nearby. Dotted around the cartoon mini map of Baghdad were also members of the Development team, who players could ask questions of before the game launched. It was a really unique experience, that also contained rewards. By clicking on items of importance around the map, such as Basim's armour or weapons, videos and concept art would reveal itself, all of which was shared with players after the event in the form of an assets pack. After some time interacting with developers and community members, players were invited to join a mini game which involved removing Basim's notoriety status. Wanted posters appeared around the map, featuring different colours which represented the various different teams. When Basim's notoriety had been reset, players met up at the Palace of the Green Dome. Here, host Clement Dagonneau announced that the Red Carpet event would soon be ending, and that a one hour play session for Assassin's Creed Mirage would be starting immediately. According to fellow Assassin's Creed Fan Community, Access the Animus , participants tested the ''Andromeda online p latform''. It featured an ''isometric chibi version of Baghdad where players can wander around with a Basim avatar.'' The Red Carpet event was a fun and interesting way for community members to learn about the game, with many in the Discord server requesting Ubisoft to host the platform permanently. Top marks to all involved for their creativity. Big thank you to the Assassin's Creed Community Team for inviting us! Images provided by Ubisoft 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)

Jesper Kyd Interview Interview Share 31 Oct 2019 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Buckley Back To Database To celebrate the upcoming 10 year anniversary of Assassin's Creed II, we're proud to release a new Q&A with BAFTA award-winning composer and sound designer Jesper Kyd. Col: Hi Jesper, thank you very much for joining us today. It's a huge privilege to be able to conduct this interview. I'm sure most of our fans already know, but please could you tell us a little bit about yourself, and your work on the Assassin's Creed franchise. Jesper: I wrote the scores for the first 4 Assassins Creed games including what has become the theme of the franchise, Ezio’s Family. I have also composed all the Borderlands games, the first 4 Hitman games, Darksiders 2, all the State of Decay games, Freedom Fighters and many more. Outside of games my most recent project is the fantasy horror film Tumbbad (Amazon) . Col: It's been a couple years since you last composed a full soundtrack for the series, but your work has now become a big part of the Assassin's Creed legacy. How does it feel to hear different variations of your music in the recent soundtracks, and to have Ezio's family become the signature theme for the franchise? Jesper: I am a huge fan of the Assassin’s Creed franchise and it’s a thrill to see that Ezio’s Family has become the franchise theme. I originally envisioned the theme to represent Ezio’s loss and struggles and I tried to capture the emotion Ezio felt when thinking about this act of betrayal and tragedy. This moment defines who he is and who he becomes and of course why he joins the brotherhood and becomes an Assassin. There is always a sacrifice and struggle for all the characters in the series when they join this secret brotherhood and to me, that’s what Ezio’s Family has come to represent. It’s absolutely wonderful to hear all the different versions of Ezio’s Family not only in the games but also the many fan versions on YouTube . This theme has evolved so far beyond anything I could have imagined. Col: What are your top 5 Assassin's Creed soundtrack songs? Jesper My top 5 Assassin’s Creed tracks that I have written? That’s a tough one but here goes… Ezio’s Family \ Earth, Venice Rooftops, Sanctuary, Home in Florence, Dreams of Venice but there is also of course, Access the Animus. I am proud of all my Assassin’s Creed music, however the creative freedom and journey creating a new music style for the Italian Renaissance in Assassin’s Creed 2 was one of my favorite experiences of any score I have written. I did not have the benefit of a live orchestra budget for Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood and Assassin’s Creed Revelations so it was a bit limiting in trying to match the vision of a similar setting without the means that contributed to the sound of Assassin’s Creed 2. In many ways the achievements of the original Assassin’s Creed led the way for Assassin’s Creed 2 and enabled me to be set absolutely free creatively for the 2nd game. On the first Assassin’s Creed we spent a lot of time and effort coming up with the central music ideas and creating the blueprint for the ‘Assassin’s Creed sound.’ This includes mixing live performances through electronics to remind the audience that the experience is simulated through the Animus. We also had to invent a lot of new gameplay specific music for game mechanics such as eavesdropping, following targets, chase music, unique music for each of the 3 different cities (which included different music writing styles, different arranging and orchestration techniques as well as different instrument sets). Col:Which song for the series do you think holds the most emotion, and why? Jesper: That would be hard to say. I always try to put a lot of emotion in my Assassin’s Creed music such as “City of Jerusalem” from Assassin’s Creed or “Ruins of Rome” from Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood. I can say this though, I was pleased with the emotion in “Earth” from Assassin’s Creed 2 and when we recorded that theme with live orchestra and choir for “Ezio’s Family” I was very moved by the emotion the orchestra and choir brought to the performance. Similarly, with the choir’s performance on “Sanctuary” from Assassin’s Creed 2. Col: Do composers ever experience the musical equivalent to 'writers block', and did you find it difficult at all creating music for a video game? Jesper: I can’t speak for other composers but I feel music should flow naturally so if it doesn’t I think it’s because there’s something wrong. If I have trouble finding the sound or theme it either means I have not fully stepped into the project yet, meaning it’s the wrong time to write the music or perhaps there’s another idea floating around in my head that I need to express first, even if it doesn’t initially fit the game at all. I have been writing music pretty much every day since I was 13, so I just tend to keep writing until I get there. I don’t call that writers block, it’s more like you have to process ideas in your mind before fully finding the right sound, especially when you are inventing something unique, such as the Renaissance sound of Assassin’s Creed 2. Col: When composing music for AC, what would you say were your biggest inspirations? Jesper: How the game feels to play, the setting, the story, the characters and the atmosphere of the game. These are all very integral to the music creation process. On the first Assassin’s Creed, we focused on 3 main themes, Mysticism, War and Tragedy (of the Third Crusade). Then I worked these ideas into 3 different styles of music for the main areas in the game, Damascus, Acre and Jerusalem. For Assassin’s Creed 2 the music was inspired by Ezio’s story and the Renaissance and with Assassin's Creed Brotherhood we introduced a darker tone to reflect the corrupt and tyrant regime of the Borgia family in Rome. My music for Assassin’s Creed: Revelations was inspired by the city of Constantinople (today’s Istanbul), particularly the exploration and city music which features Greek as well as Renaissance and Middle-Eastern instrumentation. Additionally, all of the scores are filtered through the Animus. Col: Do you ever sit and listen to the AC soundtracks, like many of our fans? Jesper: I do listen to the music since it still retains a lot of deep emotions for me. It’s also important to review what you have written before as a refresher for interviews like this one(!) or when talking with fans at events. That might sound kind of strange but when you are working on the score, you are in the moment and everything is written to enhance the game. Once you take a step back, that’s when it helps you realize what you have created. A lot of people have told me Assassin’s Creed 2 is their favorite score of mine but to me it’s just one of many scores I have written and they all hold a special place in my heart for different reasons. Col: How many of the Assassin's Creed games have you fully completed, and which one is your favourite? Jesper: I have played quite a few but only fully completed Assassin’s Creed, Assassin’s Creed 2 and Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood. I really enjoyed the first Assassin’s Creed; Altair is a great character. But I would say Assassin’s Creed 2 or Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood are my favorites. They really improved the Assassin’s Creed 2 gameplay in Brotherhood and I really like the music implementation in Brotherhood. Assassin’s Creed 2 has the best story though. Col: Do you own Assassin's Creed merchandise? If so, what is your favourite item? Jesper: I quite like the Jack in the Box from Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood. However, I would love to have some more vinyl of my music released from Assassin’s Creed outside of the ‘Best of Assassin’s Creed’ picture disc LP that’s currently available. We are in talks with record labels regarding more vinyl releases and hope to have more news to announce soon. I would love to see something similar to the ‘Hitman: The Critical Collection’ box set release from iambit. Col: How did you first hear about the Assassin's Creed Symphony? Jesper: I first heard about the concert tour when the producers of the show, MGP Live, reached out and started collecting material for their suites of my Assassin’s Creed music. Col: How involved were you in the song selection process for the Symphony? Jesper: I was quite involved with the music selection for the ‘ Symphony of the Shadows ’ concert celebrating the 10th anniversary of Assassin’s Creed 2. For the Assassin’s Creed Symphony world tour, I was not involved in the track selection. Col: I understand that you were recently part of a community meet and greet. How did it feel to speak with fans of the franchise after the AC Symphony event? Jesper: Yes, I was at the world premiere of the Assassin’s Creed Symphony in Paris, where they held a meet and greet with fans after the concert. I love speaking to the fans of all the various franchises I am involved with. Often people share their stories about why the music is so important to them and I feel blessed and honored when fans share such personal stories. It’s almost like sharing a part of you with people when writing emotional music. I really try to pick projects where I can maximize the truth behind the music, writing music that has a deep meaning to me too, and I think that translates to people that hear the music in the games. Col: Do you have any plans to attend more AC Symphony events? Jesper: Yes, I will be attending their next show at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on November 10 and we have a special surprise in store for the fans in celebration of the 10th anniversary of Assassin’s Creed 2. Also, as I am writing, I’m actually flying back from an amazing performance of Assassin’s Creed 2 at the 10-year anniversary concert ‘ Symphony of the Shadows’ which was performed at the National Forum of Music in Poland together with Hitman…one of the best concert halls in Europe and an absolutely amazing performance by the Wrocław Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir. We would like to say a huge thank you to Jesper Kyd for joining us for this interview, and to Top Dollar PR for making it possible. BAFTA award-winning and MTV nominated composer Jesper Kyd has created the iconic music scores for the ASSASSIN’S CREED series, BORDERLANDS series and HITMAN series. Renowned for his non-traditional methodology of blending live instrumentation and manipulated sounds, Kyd’s dark electronic, choral and symphonic scores for the HITMAN series received Best Original Music from the British Academy as well as an MTV VMA nomination. As pioneer of Assassin’s Creed’s musical universe, Kyd’s cinematic and uniquely atmospheric music helped define the series for fans around the world, including his ‘Ezio’s Family’ theme which has become the signature musical theme of the franchise. Most recently Kyd’s evocative original music can also be experienced in the visionary, multi award-winning Indian horror-fantasy Tumbbad. Bestowed with the 2018 Global Creators Award by Rock & Roll Hall of famer Nile Rodgers (David Bowie, Daft Punk), Jesper Kyd’s journey as an artist is ever-evolving and latest opus Borderlands 3 continues his penchant for experimentation with new sounds. Links: Jesper Kyd Website Assassin’s Creed Symphony World Tour Trailer Assassin’s Creed Symphony Tour Launch Trailer Jesper Kyd - Ezio’s Family Concert Suite (Assassin’s Creed II) | WDR FMF 2018 | Video Games Music Gala | Ezio's Family Suite from Assassin's Creed 2 FMF 2018 | Video Games Music Gala | Assassin's Creed Suite from Assassin's Creed 2 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)

Pressed in Gold: A Review of the Assassin’s Creed - Leap Into History Limited Edition X5LP Box Set Reviews Share 26 Mar 2023 Written By: Edited By: Michael Smith Colum Blackett Back To Database Banner by Thea Marie Rivedal ( Moonchildgecko ) from TOWCB Art Team . The 15th Anniversary for the Assassin’s Creed series is still being celebrated after 2022. There are continuous releases of merch and transmedia that are tied to the event, the latest of which is the release of the Leap Into History Vinyl Box Set from Laced Records. This release was presented in two options, a Deluxe 5LP box set for $110US, and a Limited Edition 5LP in Gold for $120US (which is now sold out). The differences between the two versions come down to the Limited Edition including a slip mat, art print, and the ‘gold nugget’ color of the vinyl records. After a few production delays, the vinyl collections shipped out across the globe this last month (original shipping date was set for January, 2023). The vinyl was shipped in a very form fitting shipping box with some packing peanuts over the cover which I liked as it is always fun to “uncover” the gorgeous black and gold packaging. The opaque images of the protagonists of the series and the Isu inspired trim of the image border gives a sleek and quality expectation of what is within the box sleeve. While it may be difficult to see in this image, the side where the vinyls are removed from the case read “Assassin’s Creed Leap Into History” on the left/top and then the disc number on the right/bottom. The order of having Disc one on the bottom which is really the front of the packaging makes sense, but it is one of those nit-picking things that I argue with myself when organizing things on shelves, in order of position. However, as vinyls should not be stored flat on a shelf, this labeling makes sense. The following section does bring up a similar issue with the decision of labeling sides A and B of a record. Side As Side Bs Each of the five vinyl sleeves holds music for two of the games, ordered by their Genetic Memory time periods (which I very much enjoyed seeing). Where my issue with this comes from, is the first side I saw when removing Disc 1, was Bayek from Assassin’s Creed Origins, or the “Side B” for this record. I understand that this comes from the Western reading order of Left to right, where with media printed for said audience, opens from the right side and is hinged/spined on the left. However, seeing each of the #AC15 artworks for the games (which was composed of the original game art with the grayscale filter and the golden logo from each game. The first set of “Side A” covers AC Odyssey, Valhalla, AC II, Black Flag, and the combo Unity/Rogue. The “Side B” shows Origins, Assassin’s Creed, Brotherhood/Revelations, AC III, and Syndicate. All of the current games with this exception of Liberation are present and broken down into different eras. When you pull out the vinyl, you have the slip sleeve that opens from the top so that the vinyl itself isn’t damaged or won’t fall out from the side. The front side of each removed sleeve has a simple design for the AC 15 release, but nothing district to speak to. The reverse sides are where the bulk of the collection’s information on the music itself. Disc 1: Classical Era, Disc 2: Middle Ages, Disc 3: Renaissance, Disc 4: Enlightenment, Disc 5: Enlightenment/Modern Era. The title of the game(s) and time period(s) are listed below the Era label, followed by the Composer(s) and the titles of the selected 5 - 9 songs for each game. The shortest list is for Brotherhood/Revelations at 5 songs and the longest is Unity/Rogue with 9. Some of my favorites are included such as the “Legend of the Eagle Bearer” for Odyssey and of course “Ezio’s Family” for AC II. I really wish there were some different sea shanties on the Black Flag vinyl such as “Running Down to Cuba” as that is a favorite of mine, but it's completely understandable that the track listings have to be limited or there would be double the number of records in the box set. The ‘Golden Nugget’ LPs are where this release shines the most. The color is so gorgeous and the stamped vinyls are unique to each individual bundle so my vinyls will not look the same as anyone else’s. They remind me of the golden sands of Origins in a way. Each vinyl has the logo for Side A or B in the center, though the placement of which way is “up” varies and isn’t lined perfectly, but again that is a nitpick. As listed on Laced’s site, the differences as I mentioned earlier are the golden color, art print, and slipmat. The art print is the AC15 logo artwork on a thin though nice quality paper. This however didn’t feel like a print but more of a protective artwork that would be on the front of a game that is removed with the plastic wrap to show the actual cover of the game. I would have liked to see a thicker print on gallery quality paper like what we have seen with the art books for the series. If I hadn’t remembered that this was an art print, it could have been tossed away by accident. Now on the other hand, the slipmat is really cool and something that fits perfect with the vinyl box set. The large golden AC15 logo to place below your vinyl to prevent damage from the record player itself. While I am new to vinyl collection, my wife who has a decent collection of albums was excited to see that it was included with the Limited Edition. As of this posting, the Limited Edition is sold out, but the Deluxe Edition is still available from Laced Records ’ US/Canada store for $110US. However as of March 10 when they announced via Twitter that the vinyl was in stock, they stated “Last few left” in that post, so it is unclear how close they are to selling out completely. Amazon US is showing a preorder for what I assume is the Standard Edition of the 5 LP bundle, at a higher price of $130US+ and a release date of April 7, 2023. So it does appear that fans can purchase the music in the future, but may not get the special packaging that the deluxe version includes. I would recommend looking into this set if you are a fan of the great music that comes from the Assassin’s Creed series so that we can see further support for physical releases in the future. 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