This Week in Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 15th to 21st May Community Share 23 May 2023 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week I will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. This week’s theme: Tattoos Seer Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ KeenEyeVP “You will never be rid of me. Accept it. Accept me.” A perfect quote for this capture. Eivor and her clan have always encountered acceptance issues since arriving from Norway. I love the way Eivor is deep in thought, possibly speaking with her gods. The facial tattoos are magnificent, enhancing Eivor face, especially against her pale skin. This shot to me feels very Seer like, it would have worked just as well with Valka. A truly captivating shot, be sure to check out the full set. Link to set: Berserker Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ TuridTorkil “When you hear thunder, it’s only thunder. But for me, it’s Thor, beating his hammer.” Words of Rollo a famous berserker. This shot is giving me huge Vikings TV show vibes. I admire the striking pose with an axe in each hand. It is nice touch to use the Egyptian bracers, probably one of the best in the game. With his shirt off the tattoos are on show and they could not look any more Norse. This Viking warrior is ready for battle, no one should get in his way. Link to set: Face Your Fears Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ NovA1990 This shot reminds me of Eivor’s expression when she is trying to resist the darkness Odin is offering her. He asks "what more can I give you power, glory and riches" but she just responds with “Everything else”. I really like how we can only see half of Eivor’s face yet it is full of details. The tattoo is so good, named 'Mjolnir sign' it reminds players of the duality of Eivor by representing both Pagan and Christian sybolism . The line through the middle separating the Church from the Danes. An excellent capture that embodies this week’s theme to perfection. Wolf Kissed Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ Magsvarulv I love this portrait of Eivor. The beautiful contrast between dark background and pale body is so eye catching. For me it also symbolise the coming together of the Creed and a Viking. Her stance is perfect for showing off the werewolf tattoo set, which looks incredible. I think this tattoo selection fits her perfectly given the title of Wolf Kissed. “If your hell is real then I hope you shall find it” a fitting quote from a Viking who, without realising it, is doing the work of the Hidden Ones. Boar Warrior Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ artschoolglases We end this theme week with an outstanding capture of Eivor as a boar warrior. She reminds me so much of the wolf warriors in The Last Kingdom. The berserker look suits her well, with the face covered by both boar and shadow, her enemies will fear her rage. I appreciate the tattoos, the ones coming from her mouth represent a warrior and the one on her chest blends perfectly with her outfit. A capture that is both beautiful and menacing. The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week: Boar Warrior Judge: @ Cll3ar I really love how mysterious this picture is. The moody lighting instantly drew me to the facial tattoo. This is a lovley portrait overall and shows how gorgeous the designs of the tattoos are in this game. 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

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

The Ones Who Came Before - 2025 Highlights Community Share 28 Dec 2025 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) Colum Blackett Back To Database 2025 has been another big year for us here at The Ones Who Came Before. Assassin’s Creed Shadows at last released in March, we got to interview true legends in the world of AC, launched new and built upon existing ventures, welcomed new members to our team and more, all while continually growing and becoming one of the leading and most followed platforms for everything Assassin’s Creed. With only a few days of the year left, let us look back at some of the highlights and our biggest moments from throughout the year! Thanks to all of our followers for your continued support, whether you have been with us from the beginning, hopped aboard just this year or anywhere in between! We look forward to releasing more content on everything AC in 2026, and hope to see all of you stick around for it! Interview with Roger Craig Smith Let’s kick off the list with one of our coolest and biggest landmark projects to date. At the beginning of the year, we had the opportunity to sit down with one of the most popular and in-demand voice actors, as well as one of the most iconic and legendary names in the world of Assassin’s Creed for a chat; the one and only Mr. Roger Craig Smith - the voice of Ezio Auditore - talking everything from Roger’s career, the role of Ezio and preparation for, the character’s legacy and more. We are so glad we could finally make it happen and put it out there for fans to listen to, after what actually ended up being months of trying to plan it. Thanks again Roger for taking the time to do it and being awesome! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qjMRKFHaWo AC Shadows Launch & Original Music Fan Theme Inspired By One of the major highlights in Assassin’s Creed this year, was of course the launch of AC Shadows, after two delays and one of the most intense and controversial marketing campaigns in gaming history, at last taking players to a fan favourite location over many years, 16th century Feudal Japan. Maybe, maybe not against all odds, the game quickly turned out one of the biggest and quickest successes in the history of the franchise, accumulating 1 million players in under 24 hours, with more joining every day. The last stretch of road leading to as well as official launch in March, saw us putting out an array of special content, from early access gameplay and first impressions, exclusive interviews with the game’s directors, as well as launch week community streams among other things. Continuing our entry into the world of music, for the occasion, we also put out another original fan theme inspired by - The Wind Between The Cherry Trees - capturing the peace and tranquility of the vast natural landscapes of Japan, written and produced by our team’s musical brains Gargudon . Available wherever music is streamed; listen on Apple Music or Spotify ! Original track promotional banner The occasion also saw different members of our team attend launch events across multiple countries, representing the site, networking, talking to other fans and content creators, and overall having a fun time. Founder and Team Leader Colum (Col_96) was invited to the Assassin’s Creed UK community launch event, and on the other side of the North Sea, Gargudon attended the fan event at Kappa Bar in Copenhagen arranged by Ubisoft Nordic, enjoying fresh and ice cold “Samurai Sip” cocktails, and even finishing third in the ultimate AC quiz, winning a game code and super cool Shadows themed t-shirt. Colum at the AC Shadows UK launch event The Ultimate Assassin's Creed Quiz kicking off at Kappa Bar CPH Ice cold (0,0%) Samurai Sip cocktails at Kappa Bar CPH AC Shadows Photo Contest In Collaboration with Assassin’s Creed UK Directly following the launch of this newest instalment, we teamed up with our friends over at Assassin’s Creed UK, for a photography contest using the new game’s Photo Mode, them also serving as judge. We received dozens of entries from followers, and every one of them were nothing short of breath-taking! From shots magnificently capturing Naoe and Yasuke in moments of peace, the beautiful and scenic landscapes of Japan, moments of distress and more, there was a bit of everything, and narrowing it down to but a few winners was a real challenge, the top winner received an exclusive AC Shadows themed Displate. Thanks to everyone who participated and sent us their incredible captures, and congratulations to the winners and runner-ups. Stay tuned for more photography contests in the future! Winner photo "Samurai" by AlexKonstantin Launch of Rally The Creed LIVE Podcasting has been an average venture of ours over many years, with (discontinued) discussion based show The Memory Corridor and community hangout Rally The Creed, but both were very occasional, sometimes months passing between episodes. In the summer, looking to produce and put out episodes more consistently and frequently, the latter underwent a bit of rebranding, turning it into livestreams on our TikTok every Sunday evening. Despite still being a very new format, it has quickly turned fairly successful, accumulating a couple hundred viewers every Sunday, and has already featured a number of high profile names from throughout the community, from video creators, cosplayers, fellow team members and more. We hope to keep the show going on this basis in the new year, also having an array of new faces come on, and we hope to see as many of you join us for the streams on our TikTok ! All existing episodes are available wherever you get your podcasts and our YouTube channel , and head to the latter for a number of highlight clips from across the episodes as well! 11th Anniversary In August, it was our anniversary once again, our site this time turning 11 years old. Throughout the month for the occasion, we put out an array of special content, from our version of the legendary Ezio’s Family track, our take on the classic Celtic folk song The Parting Glass famously featured at the end of Black Flag, “The Music Of Assassin’s Creed” community listening stream with Gargudon & Laury_Runs and more. We are immensely grateful for and proud of what our site has and continues to become. From founder Colum (Col_96) , then only a kid, starting it as a place merely to share cool AC theories with next to no followers, to first being recognised by Ubisoft, becoming a three-man, then the 25+ members team we are today and 65K+ followers later, our site has certainly seen its share of growth and expansion, continually becoming one of the leading Assassin’s Creed fansites and communities out there. Coven - Original Music Fan Theme Inspired by Codename Hexe As part of our 11th anniversary celebrations, one of the newest members on our team - Charlie Cooper / TheAssassinLord - composed an original music fan theme, inspired by the upcoming Codename Hexe. Charlie has many different skills under his belt, and has taken on the role of everything from composer, video editor and narrator, graphic designer and more, and is a fresh and valuable new addition to our team. The track described in the composer’s words; “Coven is a reimagining of Ezio’s Family by Jesper Kyd and the Assassin’s Creed III theme by Lorne Balfe, two of my favorite franchise scores. I blend them into a haunting piece inspired by the dark tone of Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe, drawing on my love for composers like Hans Zimmer who fuse nostalgic melodies with tension and scale.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYTPLRu7V-I Assassin’s Creed Syndicate 10th Anniversary Content Turning a decade this October was the final instalment of what could now be considered the original era of the franchise, 2015’s Assassin’s Creed Syndicate. For the occasion, we put together special retrospective looks at the Victorian London epic, looking back at everything from the story and characters, the lively and vibrant open world, the Jack The Ripper DLC, 5 overall things the game nailed to near perfection, as well as what it could have improved and more. Both were a lot of fun to write and edit, and ended up decent successes, and were met with praise from viewers. AC Syndicate - The Grand End Of An Era and 5 Things AC Syndicate Did Right… & Wrong as well as a number of short clips from both videos are all available on our YouTube channel! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQFCavk2AIk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxL9c673kik Black Flag Main Theme / He’s A Pirate Classical Guitar Rendition For the occasion of Black Flag’s anniversary in October, Gargudon picked up a classical guitar once again, for an extended and remastered arrangement of the game’s iconic main theme originally written by Brian Tyler, that we originally released a rendition of for the game’s 10th anniversary in 2023. This new version saw the second half of the theme with a different and increased tempo added, as well as its main twist being the fusion with another legendary Pirate theme; the iconic He’s A Pirate from Pirates Of The Caribbean, originally written by Klaus Badelt. Making this guitar arrangement ended up a bit of a challenge at points, but was a lot of fun and the ultimate crossover between the two most legendary Pirate captains, and was met with praise from viewers and community members. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gfdadWrt9c Assassin’s Creed / Ubisoft Halloween Community Showcase For the occasion of Halloween, we looked to the cosplayers among our followers and in the community, for an Assassin’s Creed and Ubisoft themed costumes showcase. We reached out to cosplayers and friends of the site, called upon our own, and were sent incredible photo shoots by followers, showcasing costumes ranging from the most legendary Assassins, to major characters from Far Cry and Watch Dogs. Featured in the showcase on our Instagram were Rick Boer as Edward Kenway, Krishna Dammert as Ezio Auditore, Line Chambet and Blade.Of.Blackheart as Arno Dorian, NeonCosplays as Faith Seed from Far Cry 5, UnknownWrench as Wrench from Watch Dogs 2, and last but not least our own Laury_Runs as Eïvor. New Additions to the TOWCB Team And last but not least, this year of course also saw us welcoming a number of new content creators of many talents to our ever evolving team. Our Art Team was brought new life and taken to completely new heights, with the addition of several new super talented artists; from Jebs’ manga inspired style, Aita_Sageblood’s unique 2.5D leaning style, to incredible portraits by Serajeddine who ultimately came and went, but left quite the enduring mark! On other fronts, our video team welcomed James Davis (TopChef1288) - video narrator/editor, streamer and secondary host of Rally The Creed Live - as well as mentioned multi-talent Charlie Cooper / TheAssassinLord , both key figures in helping our growing video venture further take off. We look forward to building our team even further in the new year, and we want you on it! Are you passionate about AC with a knack for writing, video creation, art or social media managing among other things? Get in touch with us by sending us a message on any of our social media platforms and we’ll take you into consideration, we are excited to hear from you! The TOWCB team, December 2025 And that more or less sums up the best and most significant highlights throughout 2025 for us here at The Ones Who Came Before. There are of course still a few days of the year left, and we still have bits and pieces of content we are excited to share before the new year. Once again, thanks to everyone one of our followers for supporting us yet another year! We look forward to welcoming new followers, team members and creating new content in 2026, maintaining our place as one of the leading fansites and communities for everything Assassin’s Creed. We hope everyone had a magnificent Christmas and holiday season, and happy new year Assassins! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Gustav / Gargudon is an active and versatile content creator, who started out in podcast hosting in 2016 - hosting the discussion based show “The Memory Corridor” - but today mostly specialises in video creation, interviews, writing and composing. He joined The Ones Who Came Before in 2019 for a merger, publishing new episodes - and reviving the show following nearly a year of inactivity - on our platforms, until phased out in 2023. Today, his landmark projects include the Sounds Of History project - an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental music project, featuring five tracks inspired by as many different games - other original fan themes plus covers of iconic AC tracks, as well as video interviews with a number of high profile names in the world of AC, from Roger Craig Smith, Jesper Kyd and more. Fun fact, among his growing colourful tattoo collection, Gustav is the only member of our team to have the TOWCB logo inked. Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon)

Assassin's Creed Fans Launch Isu - English Dictionary News Share 12 Feb 2021 Written By: Edited By: ActualSpider-Man Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Data compiled by Colum Blackett. Assassin's Creed fans have managed to crack the secret language of the highly advanced precursor race known as the Isu, and in the process, decode multiple hidden messages. A new Assassin's Creed Isu to English dictionary has been released thanks to a collaborative community effort to decode secret messages. Fans first noticed the strange symbols on the collector's edition of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, as well as in the game, and set about trying to decode them. The team over at Access the Animus managed to successfully crack the code, and in the process, discovered the legitimate way to unlock the Isu bow, which had been found in the game due to a clever save hack. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze-7t7TRjy0 The decoded messages led the team to an iron ore deposit on a small island surrounded by a lake in Northumbria, which could only be destroyed using the Excalibur sword at sunset! Following the discovery, the creator of the language, Antoine Henry (Associate director at Ubisoft Singapore) joined RockPaperShotgun for an interview detailing the creation process. ''The idea of creating a language for the Isu came about during a casual discussion with [narrative director] Darby McDevitt, where I was telling him about my passion for languages and creating them. When he mentioned creating one for the Isu, I thought it was just one of these crazy ideas you come up with in a discussion for the fun of it. Even though we were both excited, I didn't think he was serious at all. Months passed and I thought that would be the end of it. Then one day, out of nowhere, Darby contacted me to see how we could make it happen!" "The process of creating the Isu language was writing in reverse a history of how humans learned it from the Isu, and how it then evolved over time to become Proto-Indo-European. I started from old languages in that family (Latin, Ancient Greek, Sanskrit, etc.) and academic reconstructions of what Proto-Indo-European could have been like, and worked my way backwards from there." ''We completely intended for the community to decipher some of the language, but I would have never imagined that they would go as far as they did. They managed to break down words and rules that I didn't even think could be identified! I am amazed by their passion and dedication. As a creator when you see this, it really makes the effort worth it." It's fair to say that fans have impressed the Assassin's Creed Valhalla development team with their codebreaking skills, but the community has now gone one step further by compiling all of the translated words and phrases to form an Isu- English dictionary! This new community resource will no doubt be an indispensable tool for helping fans unlock even more secrets in future codebreaking efforts, and can be found here on Reddit thanks to the work of user IMHOZen1. '' Codex Transferendum is now a full-fledged Isu language guide, from writing, to translating, to now even speaking every single bit of Isu text we see in Valhalla!'' IMHOZen1 details in his post. With the help of Reddit user / bool0011 , the Isu vocalizations for each character were successfully decrypted. The 25 page document is available for free, and will no doubt be a central resource for all those wishing to learn the mysterious language of the Isu. We would like to extend our admiration to all the fans who helped in this incredible community effort. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Author of the all-encompassing timeline, Codex Temporis, and the Isu-to-English dictionary, Codex Transferendum, Your Friendly Neighborhood Mentor is here to help unweave the confusing web of AC! ActualSpider-Man

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 26th March -1st April 2022 Community Share 12 Apr 2022 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the new weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week, we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for capture across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. 1) Wildlife Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla This week’s first capture comes from @ GeeketteAna over on Twitter A first wildlife capture for our weekly roundup. I really like the Autumnal feel of this shot, with the fox as the main focal point. This truly is a beautiful photo. I feel like Valhalla really nails the design of foxes in the game. After playing Ghost of Tsushima I never thought this possible. 2) Cave Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Photo number two comes from @ _Jellybird over on Twitter. Sticking with Valhalla and we have a wonderful shot of Eivor exiting a cave ready for battle. I love the details on this one with the rippling water and the egg shaped cave entrance. The lighting is on point to, giving a window like feel. Not quite sure where this is on the game but I would like to find it. 3) England’s Beauty Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla This week’s third shot comes from @ Chris25551 over on Twitter. I picked this shot because of its beauty. Valhalla has such great scenery, and this showcases it. A fantastic, almost painting like capture that encompasses the range of colours in England. The sun breaking through the clouds creating a misty haze adds to the mystery of this shot. 4) Nefertiti’s Throne Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP number four comes from @ ophierian_vp over on Twitter. A change of game now for capture number four. This tilted image gives a great sense of depth to a sun-drenched imagine of Nefertiti’s Throne. It’s been a long time since I played the Curse of the Pharaohs, but I might just need to make a return after this. I especially love the small details in this shot. 5) Companion Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey The final capture of the week comes from @ Elvira04289 over on Twitter. I like this capture for two reasons: one it showcases Kassandra and Ikaros brilliantly, and in such fine detail. However secondly it made me smile. Ikaros definitely looks like he is photobombing here. I miss Senu and Ikaros so much, as they were great additions to their respective games. 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

Assassin's Creed News Recap: 7th - 20th August 2022 News Share 21 Aug 2022 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to a new Assassin's Creed News Recap series, hosted by Colum Blackett (Col_96) from The Ubisoft Star Players Program (Formerly Mentors Guild). Every week, we will be rounding up Assassin's Creed News and sharing it here on The Ones Who Came Before website. Keep an eye on the site every Sunday for more weekly recaps, or check out our social media links down below to stay updated on everything Assassin's Creed. 1) We have quite a lot to cover in this Assassin's Creed news round-up, this time spanning a fortnight instead of a week due to the launch of our Assassin's Creed Community Fundraiser! In collaboration with various community members and organisations, we here at TOWCB are raising funds for The British Heart Foundation and The American Heart Association, two incredible organisations providing critical cardiovascular medical research and education to facilities around the world. To increase donations, we are currently hosting an art sale! Lisa Zaman from the Assassin's Creed Partnership Program has kindly donated prints which we are selling via GoFundMe donations! To purchase a print, simply donate £15 for one, or £25 for x2, and message the admin team with your selections and details! Please donate if you can and help the fundraiser reach it's target of £1500! All donors receive a special thank you pack containing a surprise, and will be entered into raffles depending on donation amount. 2) Antheum Studios released new images of the Assassin's Creed Whisky, and it looks incredible! ''Crafted in the hill country of Texas and finished in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, this 4 year old straight bourbon whiskey carries a rich flavour with rye spice, wheat character, and hints of cherry, vanilla and oak. Appealing to spirit connoisseurs and fans alike, this iconic selection is a worthy addition to any bar. Game hard, drink responsibly.'' Look out for the Assassin’s Creed 15th Anniversary Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which is available now from various retailers in the US! 3) The teaser trailer for the Assassin's Creed event coming to PUBG Battlegrounds dropped! Never did we expect to see Master Assassin Ezio Auditore using a frying pan to knock out enemies, but here we are. In fairness, the crossover has done a good job at replicating Abstergo Industries and Ezio's robes. It also looks like the game features a number of core pillars sacred to the identity of the brand like the leap of faith and the Hidden Blade, so it'll be interesting to see how this plays out in-game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLKrYrcHi4Q 4) Mike Smith from the AC Partnership Program (Isu Network) released his fascinating new interview with Kate Heartfield, author of The Magus Conspiracy novel. In the interview, we discuss her book and working with publisher Aconyte Books on a new trilogy for the Assassin's Creed universe; The Engine of History. For the first time ever, we also released the interview transcript, so you can enjoy this interview on Youtube , or here in written form! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOTzu4g5P2E 5) We were happy to release a Q&A with Michael Doyle, an online article writer who recently joined the AC Partnership Program (Isu Network). Michael is a close friend of TOWCB admin team and has provided support behind the scenes for many years. In the interview, we covered everything from the Netflix Assassin's Creed TV show to the upcoming Ubisoft Forward Assassin's Creed event. Check it out here! 6) Ubisoft shared three new creations for the weekly social media series titled Wallpaper Wednesday. To mark the 15th Anniversary of Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft have been commissioning community artists. The first image, featuring an Assassin underneath the AC15 logo, and the second, showcasing settings from the games were created by artist Valorianru , formerly of The Mentors Guild! We love the use of colours in these two creations! The third image, by Assassin's Crweed , shows Desmond Miles in a powerful stance holding the Apple of Eden, surrounded by shattered glass fragments featuring the faces of Assassins. Look carefully and you'll notice that even the tiny fragment closest to Arno has an Assassin looking back. It's great to see community artists getting opportunities like this, and we are very much enjoying all of the creations. 7) We celebrated 8 years since the creation of The Ones Who Came Before. The main focus for this year's celebration was to launch the Assassin's Creed Community Fundraiser, but we still have one or two celebratory projects to release later on in the month. To mark our anniversary, we reflected on our history in a new article titled 8 Years of The Ones Who Came Before: Looking Back. Check it out here! 8) Hugo Sahuquet, Former Associate Narrative Director at Ubisoft Bordeaux shared some of his notes from the creation of the Wrath of the Druids DLC! We love stuff like this, showing the inner thought processes of the devs, and also how ideas change over time. Look carefully at the notes and you'll notice early dialogue ideas for a quest featuring Barid and Ciara! 9) Ubisoft shared a cryptic image featuring Morse Code on their Weibo account which reveals the phrase “coming soon” The second translation roughly says 'retrace the past, improve the present, define the future.' What do you think they are teasing? 10) Voice actor Roger Craig Smith (Ezio Auditore) shared an image of himself outside of the Ubisoft Montreal studio in Canada! This image sparked speculation that he could he be working on an Ezio project with Ubisoft, and we actually can't rule that out just yet. It could just be a fun tweet by Roger, but then again, it could be something more. The purpose for the visit remains a mystery, but with a new platform based Assassin's Creed project titled 'Infinity' currently in development, it may be that we start to see small chunks of content for older characters, so it may be possible to see Ezio again, or even get a conclusion for other characters such as Connor or Arno. Fingers crossed, the Mentor will return one day! 11) Several retailers including Amazon and IndieBound listed an upcoming novel titled 'Assassin's Creed: The Golden City', written by Jaleigh Johnson & published by Aconyte Books! The novel is set to release February 7th 2023! A young emperor’s life hangs in the balance, and only the Brotherhood of Assassins can save him, in this action-packed historical adventure from the award-winning Assassin’s Creed universe. Which Empire do you think it could it be referring to? 12) Ubisoft announced that CJ Allan (CJthegeek) would be host presenting the #AC15 Cosplay Competition by @CosXpo at Insomnia Gaming Festival! ''As a legendary host of past cosplay competitions, his expertise will benefit this amazing #AssassinsCreed event on Saturday 27th August'' Although we are unable to attend the event ourselves, we are very much looking forward to seeing all of the entries! Good luck Assassins! 13) Check out this incredible Assassin's Creed 15 Year Anniversary sand art project by @fallinginsand This impressive creation is one of many art projects commissioned by Ubisoft to mark the 15th Anniversary of Assassin's Creed It's interesting to see all the ways Ubisoft are thinking outside of the box to mark the occasion, and we love seeing unique creations such as this. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/06e6c8_ab23c8d43d6042dd9a85e0e197955572/480p/mp4/file.mp4 We hope that you enjoyed this Assassin's Creed News Recap! You can look forward to more articles like this, dropping every Sunday! What was your highlight of the week? Let us know in the comments! 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)

Searching for the Creed: Assassin's Creed Florence Landmarks Other Share 18 Feb 2024 Written By: Edited By: Yasmin Page Colum Blackett Back To Database Banner by Thea Marie Rivedal ( Moonchildgecko ) Florence. The 15th century. The cobbled streets are bustling with merchants selling their wares — wools and silks dyed in bright colours, cheeses and breads, carpentry and armour. Bankers and nobles dressed in the finest velvet pass shops displaying artworks painted in the studios of the masters. Doctors call out their cures, masked in white and smelling of herbs and spices. This world comes alive half a century later in Assassin’s Creed 2. As the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, Florence was a city of economic and cultural development, but hiding behind the mask of wealth and beauty was the political tension and violence of medieval Italy. Through Ezio, players get to interact with key figures (Leonardo da Vinci, Caterina Sforza, and Rodrigo Borgia, to name a few), experience historical events (such as the Pazzi Conspiracy, the Siege of Forlì, and the Bonfire of the Vanities), and explore Florence as it would have been in the 15th century. The Assassin’s Creed series has always done this well; weaving the war of the Assassins and Templars into the game’s chosen time period to create an exciting narrative. History is rich with stories — with intrigue and murder, betrayal and honour — and through the medium of gaming we are able to experience them. It is as close as you can get to time travel. Although some important locations in Assassin’s Creed II don’t exist, such as Leonardo’s Workshop, La Rosa Colta and Palazzo Auditore, many of the locations that players can visit exist in real life. Here are several of the real/modern day versions of those places! Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore/the Duomo The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, known as ‘The Duomo’, is the most famous landmark of Florence. It looms over the city, the gold tip of the dome peaking over rooftops and between buildings, a constant reminder of its presence. Construction on the cathedral was begun at the end of the 13th century. The next hundred years saw it pass between several architects, who enlarged it from the original design and began planning for the dome. There was a problem however: the technology hadn’t yet been invented to build and support a dome of that scale. The city’s leaders decided to hold a competition to find an architect willing to take on the challenge and it was won by Filippo Brunelleschi. Considered an unconventional choice, both in how he was primarily trained as a goldsmith and sculptor instead of an architect, and for his unique suggestions of how to go about the construction, Brunelleschi’s design was nevertheless successful and has since been considered one of the greatest feats of engineering. The dome was finally completed in 1436, 140 years after the cathedral was begun. In Assassin’s Creed II, just like in real life, the cathedral is a central part of Florence’s history and culture, and as such it’s fitting for there to be a story section set here. As Ezio, players have to try to stop the Templar plot to assassinate the Medici brothers. Lorenzo and Giuliano de’ Medici really were attacked during Mass by the Pazzi conspirators, Ezio’s Templar targets in game, who wanted to the Medici family out of power. The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore also holds one of the game’s six Assassin tombs. Ezio has to navigate the scaffolding inside the unfinished cathedral and climb high inside the dome to reach the tomb of Iltani. The Cathedral is free to enter, but visitors can also buy tickets to climb the bell tower, the dome, and visit the the museum and baptistry, starting at €15. Palazzo Vecchio/Piazza della Signoria For Ezio, this is where everything goes wrong. The tower prison cells that historically held people such as Cosimo de’ Medici and Girolamo Savonarola, now trap Giovanni, Federico and Petruccio. In the morning they are executed. It is here, standing in the Piazza della Signoria, that Ezio sees the darkness his city is capable of, and it is here, that he is set on his journey of revenge and justice. Originally called Palazzo della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio was where the governing body of renaissance Florence (the Signoria, or Priori) ruled from. The name was eventually changed to what it is today (“the Old Palace”) when the Medici family who were living there at the time moved their primary residence over the river to Palazzo Pitti. There are a several story points set here. The murder of Ezio’s father and brothers is the most poignant, but Palazzo Vecchio is also where Ezio assassinates Francesco de’ Pazzi, and where part of the ‘Bonfire of the Vanities’ DLC is set. In-game, Francesco de' Pazzi is the only one of the Pazzi conspirators Ezio assassinates in Florence, but historically several of the other conspirators were captured and executed at Palazzo Vecchio alongside him. The rest were hunted down and killed in the years that followed — some were hiding as far away as Constantinople. The old stone building has an imposing presence, towering high over the piazza in front of it. It’s easy to imagine it being a place of power all those centuries ago, a place that inspired fear in those who rose up against the city, and a place that gave hope for change to others. The Palazzo Vecchio museum is €17.50 to visit, plus an additional €12.50 to climb the tower and battlements. Ponte Vecchio Ponte Vecchio is easily another of Florence’s most famous landmarks. So much so that when the German army retreated from the city at the end of the Second World War, it was the only bridge that wasn’t destroyed. This is where players are first introduced to teenage Ezio, as he taunts, then fights, Vieri de’ Pazzi’s gang and gains his signature lip scar. During Ezio’s time Ponte Vecchio would have been lined with butchers and fishmongers, but nowadays the shops crossing the bridge sell jewellery. Another feature of the bridge is the Vasari Corridor, which the Medici family commissioned Giorgio Vasari to build in the mid 1500s. They wanted a way to travel safely between Palazzo Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti without having to ride through the city streets. The resulting passageway stretches one kilometre, crossing Ponte Vecchio and the Uffizi Gallery on the way to its destination. Ponte Vecchio is free to visit. Palazzo Medici Riccardi Palazzo Medici was the primary residence of the Medici family in the 15th century until it was bought by the Riccardi family in 1659. The Medici were one of the prominent banking families of renaissance Florence. Their power grew through the success of their bank and their involvement in the city’s politics (after the time period of Assassin’s Creed 2 some of the family members were even elected as Pope, as well as marrying into royalty), until they were the rulers of Florence in all but name. As a result, there were many attempts through the decades to remove them from power. As well as being key figures in Florence’s leadership, the Medici family were passionate patrons of the arts, commissioning works by artists such as Sandro Botticelli, Michelangelo Buonarotti and Leonardo da Vinci. Their support of artists was one of the reasons that Florence flourished as the cultural centre of the Renaissance. There is a Templar side quest set in Palazzo Medici where Ezio has to save Lorenzo from the soldiers who have invaded his home. The quest gives players a glimpse into the interior of the building, including the courtyard, gardens, and several rooms. Nowadays the palace is a museum, displaying some of the many artworks owned by the Medici. Palazzo Medici Riccardi costs €11.50 to visit Basilica of Santa Maria Novella Built in the mid 13th century, the church of Santa Maria Novella is home to sculptures and frescos by some of the most renowned Renaissance artists (such as Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Filippo Brunelleschi and Giorgio Vasari.) In Assassin’s Creed II it hides one of the Assassin tombs (the tomb of Darius), and is also where Ezio overhears the Templars’ plan to assassinate the Medici in Sequence 4. Tickets cost €7.50. Basilica of Santa Croce Another of Florence’s churches, Santa Croce is the burial place of some of the most famous figures of the renaissance. Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli are all buried here. In the game, this is where Ezio kills his first target: Uberto Alberti, the Gonfaloniere of Florence, Templar, and the man responsible for the murder of his father and brothers. Tickets cost €8. Church of Santa Trinita The church of Santa Trinita is a far smaller church than the others on this list, but no less important. This was the church that featured the opening credits sequence of Assassin’s Creed II, when Federico challenges Ezio to race him up the bell tower. Looking out at the city in front of them, the world at their fingertips, anything feels possible. And for us as players, it is. Santa Trinita is free to visit The Uffizi Gallery Another place that may be of interest is the Uffizi Gallery. Originally it housed artworks from the Medici family’s private collection, including a wide selection of Roman sculptures, and it has since expanded to become one of the most famous art galleries in the world. Nowadays the gallery is home to more than 300,000 artworks, including several by Leonardo da Vinci such as the Annunciation (1472-1476) and Adoration of the Magi (1481). Leonardo’s Annunciation is one of the paintings players can buy for the Auditore Villa in Monteriggioni. Also, the gallery’s courtyard is lined with statues of key figures from the city’s history, several of which Assassin’s Creed fans will recognise — Leonardo da Vinci, Lorenzo de’ Medici, and Niccolò Machiavelli. While the Uffizi Gallery doesn’t feature in the game — it was built almost a century after when Assassin’s Creed 2 is set — it is definitely worth a visit. Tickets are €12, or €18 for combined access to the Boboli Gardens and Palazzo Pitti. Conclusion This is by no means a definitive list of all the Florentine landmarks that are featured in Assassin’s Creed, but these are the most important to Ezio’s story. Fans can walk the streets Ezio walked, steal through the narrow alleyways, climb the towers he scaled (albeit not throw themselves into a conveniently positioned hay bale) and enjoy the stunning views of Florence and the surrounding Tuscan landscape that Ezio scanned from his vantage points. Ubisoft has done a wonderful job of re-creating renaissance Florence, leaving fan’s eager to trace Ezio’s steps. Rich with history, culture and beauty, Florence should be at the top of the list of places to visit for every Assassin’s Creed fan. Sources: Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore: Vasari, Giorgio, and George Anthony Bull. The Lives of the Artists . Penguin, 1971. “ The Duomo. ” Encyclop edia Britannica , https://www.britannica.com/topic/the-Duomo “The Brunelleschi Dome.” Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, https://duomo.firenze.it/en/discover/dome Ponte Vecchio: “Ponte Vecchio.” Visit Florence, https://www.visitflorence.com/florence-monuments/ponte-vecchio.html “The Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) in Florence.” Flanigan, Theresa. Smart History, https://smarthistory.org/ponte-vecchio-florence/ Medici family and Palazzo Medici Riccardi: Hibbert, Christopher. The Rise and Fall of the House of Medici . Penguin, 1979. “ The Palace.” Palazzo Medici Riccardi, https://www.palazzomediciriccardi.it/en/the-palace/ Palazzo Vecchio: “The Palazzo Vecchio Museum and Tower.” Visit Florence, https://www.visitflorence.com/florence-monuments/palazzo-vecchio.html Santa Croce: “Tombs and Memorials.” Santa Croce Opera, https://www.santacroceopera.it/en/themed-tours/tombs-and-memorials/ “Santa Croce.” Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Santa-Croce Santa Maria Novella: “Santa Maria Novella & Museum.” Visit Florence, https://www.visitflorence.com/florence-churches/santa-maria-novella.html Other articles in the series: Searching for the Creed: Assassin's Creed London Landmarks Banner by Thea Marie Rivedal ( Moonchildgecko ) comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Yasmin is a Digital Artist based in Melbourne, Australia who discovered the Assassin's Creed series in 2019. Since then she has fallen in love with the franchise and created beautiful realistic digital artworks of several of the main characters. By joining TOWCB, we hope to introduce Yasmin to the AC Community by collaborating on a number of exciting projects such as art releases and podcasts. Yasmin Page

Product Reveal: Secretlab Unveil Stunning New Assassin's Creed Collection News Share 15 Jul 2022 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database JULY 15 2022 - Secretlab have today unveiled the incredible new Assassin's Creed Collection, a collaboration between the award-winning gaming chair designers and Ubisoft, marking the 15th Anniversary of the iconic AAA fan-favourite franchise. The stunning collection features the Secretlab TITAN Evo 2022 Assassin's Creed Edition gaming chair and MAGNUS desk accessories, created with fans in mind, paying ultimate homage to the series. Press Release: Inspired by the Animus and the characteristic colours of the assassin's robe, the Secretlab TITAN Evo 2022 Assassin's Creed Edition is upholstered in Secretlab Neo Hybrid Leatherette and features a tonal red checkered pattern and futuristic Animus detailing on the side wings. The sigils of the Assassin's Creed series are embroidered on the backrest as a timeless ode to its legacy, designed specially for fans who have followed the series since 2007. Built on the award-winning Secretlab TITAN Evo 2022 series and available in sizes Regular and Xl, fans can enjoy world-class comfort as they revisit their favourite elements of Assassin's Creed or take a deeper dive into the lore of the highly-acclaimed series with the ongoing 15th Anniversary celebrations Alongside the Secretlab TITAN Evo 2022 Assassin's Creed Edition gaming chair, Secretlab are also launching MAGNUS desk accessories, which contains the following products, created specially for the Secretlab MAGNUS Metal Desk. Secretlab MAGPAD Desk Mat Assassin's Creed Edition. Secretlab MAGNUS Cable Management Bundle Assassin's Creed Edition. Alaric Choo (Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Secretlab) ''The compelling plotlines, stunning visuals and unique soundtracks have earned Assassin's Creed its countless awards and nominations. As one of the best-selling games of all time, we wanted to create something timeless to celebrate the 15-year legacy of the franchise by integrating its most iconic elements into the chair. With numerous new titles coming up, I can't wait to jump into the Assassin's Creed universe and this time, in my own Secretlab Assassin's Creed edition chair.'' Addie Dorsey (Global Consumer Products at Ubisoft) ''The 15th Anniversary of Assassin's Creed is a huge milestone for us. We wanted to make it extra memorable for fans in every way, and creating a real-life chair inspired by the Animus ticked all the boxes. We've always admired the attention to detail Secretlab puts into their chairs, and with over 50 awards under their belt, they were the obvious choice when it came to bringing this idea to life. This chair, along with the MAGNUS desk accessories, is a must-have for any fan to complete their Assassin's Creed set up'' Available now for pre-order now from Secretlab.com , estimated release date 9th September. The Secretlab x Ubisoft collaboration brings to life a dream for many fans. To own an Animus. The TITAN Evo 2022 Assassin's Creed Edition gaming chair acts as the ultimate form of escapism, providing award-winning comfort and support for players as they lean back and follow in the footsteps of Desmond Miles and dive into history. We are also excited to announce that we here at The Ones Who Came Before will soon be teaming up with Secretlab! Keep an eye on our social media accounts (listed below) for more information! 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)

UbiCypher (Joe) is an Assassin's Creed Transmedia expert who worked as the Lead Admin for the Isu_Network social media team, providing consistent social media content in the form of Assassin's Creed lore trivia, puzzles and news coverage, spending countless hours researching the series and real history. In 2025, he stepped back from his social media duties to pursue other opportunities. Previous Next Social Media UbiCypher (Joe) Previous Partner UbiCypher (Joe) is an Assassin's Creed Transmedia expert who worked as the Lead Admin for the Isu_Network social media team, providing consistent social media content in the form of Assassin's Creed lore trivia, puzzles and news coverage, spending countless hours researching the series and real history. In 2025, he stepped back from his social media duties to pursue other opportunities. Twitter | Instagram Work

Assassin's Creed Valhalla Officially Announced News Share 29 Apr 2020 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Ubisoft have officially announced Assassin's Creed Valhalla, the next game in the series set during the Viking era. The reveal was in the form of an 8 hour long art demonstration, an innovative and creative way of showing fans the setting of the next Assassin's Creed game. For the project Ubisoft hired talented concept artist BossLogic to create something special, which he did exceptionally well. Although the reveal took 8 hours to complete, it's fair to say that it was one of the most unusual game reveals of recent times, showing incredible initiative during lockdown. Below you can see the finished piece in HD. New wallpaper perhaps? We can't wait to learn more about the next game, and you can stay up to date on everything AC with our social media accounts! 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)

Merchandise Guide: Assassins Creed Funko Pop! Vinyls By Ashlea Buckley Updated 11/1/21 Share This article looks at the wide range of Assassin's Creed Funko Pop! Vinyls currently available. The majority of these Pop! figures are widely available to purchase, however there are several Pop! figures which are more rare and can be priced much higher than standard Pop! figures. Aguilar de Nerha Pop! Figure This pop figure is among some of the easiest Pop! figures to get hold of. It is accessible in most Pop! stores and online through sites such as Ebay and Amazon. Amazon: Link Assassin's Creed Movie Callum Lynch Pop! Figure As with the Aguilar Pop! Callum is fairly easy to find in stores and online from Ebay, Amazon and Pop In A Box. Amazon: Link Maria Pop! Figure Maria can be found along with other Assassin's Creed Movie Pop! vinyls in stores such as Forbidden Planet as well as online from Pop in a Box, Ebay and Amazon. Amazon: Link Ojeda Pop! Figure Ojeda can be found in pop stores and online from Pop in a Box, Ebay and Amazon. Amazon: Link Crouching Aguilar Pop! Figure This Pop! figure is becoming increasingly more accessible. This figure was initially released as a loot crate exclusive, however the number of these Pops being sold through platforms such as Ebay and Amazon is increasing. Amazon: Link The Games Ezio Auditore da Firenze (aka Col_96's main man) Pop! Vinyl This pop figure is fairly accessible online from Ebay and Amazon which is unsurprising due to the popularity of the character. However, as seen below, the different variations of this pop vinyl are more rare. Amazon: Link Merchandise Ezio Pop! Figure - Eagle Vision This Ezio Pop! shows the use of eagle vision and therefore is a little more rare than the Original Ezio Figure. However it is still fairly accessible on Ebay and Amazon, and the average price does not appear drastically more expensive than the standard Pop! vinyls at around £15-20. Amazon: Link Ezio Pop! Figure - Black Robes This Pop figure is much less readily available and therefore would be a prize piece in any avid Assassin's Creed fan's collection. However having this gem in your display will not come cheap as this Pop! figure sells for anywhere between £70-£130 on Ebay, and cannot be found on many other sites. Plague Doctor Pop! Figure This is a rare figure from the Assassin's Creed multiplayer mode in Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. Due to the niche nature of this Pop! there are fewer available to buy. This pop is often only found on sites such as Ebay and for prices around £35-70. Connor (Ratonhnhaké:ton) Pop! Figure Connor's Pop! figure is a little more difficult to find on main sites such as Amazon where the figure will cost around £50-60. However more appear to be available on Ebay for a slightly lower price of around £20-40. Amazon: Link Aveline De Grandpré Pop! Figure This Assassin's Creed Liberation figure is again a little more difficult to locate and will often fetch a higher than standard price. This figure can be found on Ebay for around £30+ and on Amazon for anywhere between £40-£120! Amazon: Link Edward Kenway Pop! Figure This Pop! figure is one of the more difficult to obtain, Edward can be located on sites such as Pop in a Box, Amazon and Ebay however for a high price. Amazon lists this Pop at around £90 whilst on Ebay it can be found for closer to £60. Amazon: Link Arno Dorian Pop! Figure This figure is much easier to access than those from AC3, however it is priced slightly higher than a standard pop vinyl at around £18-27 on both Amazon and Ebay. Amazon: Link Élise de la Serre Pop! Figure Again, as with Arno, this figure is not too difficult to find but the price is a little higher than the average Pop vinyls on Amazon at around £23. However, Ebay does show some pops priced at closer to £10 as well as some at £20-25. Amazon: Link Evie Frye Pop! Figure This pop figure is easy to find and reasonably priced at around £10-15 on both Ebay and Amazon. Jacob Frye Pop! Figure As with Evie, this Pop! figure is easy to locate on both Amazon and Ebay, as well as sites such as Pop in a Box and in pop stores. This figure is usually sold for around £10-£15. Amazon: Link Jacob Frye - Uncloaked This Pop! figure is harder to locate than the standard Jacob Frye Pop and as with the variations of Ezio, this pop fetches a higher price than the original model but the price is still only slightly higher than standard at around £20. Amazon: Link Which Pop! Figure would you like to see next? Bayek concept art by Deviant Art user Undi3sss Eivor Standard Edition This Funko Pop was revealed during the virtual FunkoFair 2021 that aired during the annual ToyFair event. It features one axe and a hidden blade, so you can summon your inner Viking, or work alongside the Hidden Ones for a stealthier approach. Amazon: Link Eivor (Gamestop Edition) The double axe variant of Eivor is exclusive to Gamestop, and was also revealed at FunkoFair2021. This version of Eivor demonstrates the duel wielding ability, that was a key focus of the game's marketing campaign. Two axes are better than one!

Sopphi (@Sopphiasco) (she/her) is a variety Twitch streamer who first began streaming as a casual hobby during lockdown (2020). She generally covers a variety of different topics and games, but joined The Ones Who Came Before in September of 2026 to take her passions for content creation and Assassin’s Creed to the next level. Self described as a 'yappy ADHD streamer from the UK', Sopphi was first discovered by TOWCB when she released the second part of her 'I 'scientifically' ranked my Assassin’s Creed husbands and now I have opinions...' series, a fun but detailed analysis overview outlining potential love interest candidates. She also spent many hours streaming Black Flag Resynced after launch, building a self described little chaotic corner of the internet to unwind and explore new games. In 2026 and beyond, we look forward to working with a number of projects connected to the Assassin's Creed series, starting with a fundraising campaign! Interests: Video games, Fantasy book lover, PLANTS, Marvel, LOTR, The Legend of Zelda, and Assassin’s Creed Jobs: Ex Archaeologist, now Marketing (lol) Zodiac: Sagittarius Sun, Cancer Moon, Capricorn Rising Fun facts: I’m 5’7, an introvert and BIG homebody. I love a good yap, especially about food! Previous Next Video Content Creation Team Sopphi Sopphi (@Sopphiasco) (she/her) is a variety Twitch streamer who first began streaming as a casual hobby during lockdown (2020). She generally covers a variety of different topics and games, but joined The Ones Who Came Before in September of 2026 to take her passions for content creation and Assassin’s Creed to the next level. Self described as a 'yappy ADHD streamer from the UK', Sopphi was first discovered by TOWCB when she released the second part of her 'I 'scientifically' ranked my Assassin’s Creed husbands and now I have opinions...' series, a fun but detailed analysis overview outlining potential love interest candidates. She also spent many hours streaming Black Flag Resynced after launch, building a self described little chaotic corner of the internet to unwind and explore new games. In 2026 and beyond, we look forward to working with a number of projects connected to the Assassin's Creed series, starting with a fundraising campaign! Interests: Video games, Fantasy book lover, PLANTS, Marvel, LOTR, The Legend of Zelda, and Assassin’s Creed Jobs: Ex Archaeologist, now Marketing (lol) Zodiac: Sagittarius Sun, Cancer Moon, Capricorn Rising Fun facts: I’m 5’7, an introvert and BIG homebody. I love a good yap, especially about food! Twitch | TikTok | YouTube | Instagram Work

Valley of Memory Art Released Community Share 15 Jan 2026 Written By: Edited By: Aita_Sageblood Colum Blackett Back To Database To celebrate the launch of the Assassin's Creed Mirage Valley of Memory DLC, our very own Aita_Sageblood from TOWCB Art Team released two new pieces of artwork inspired by AlUla and the journey Basim must take to search for his Father. The first piece of artwork has has many layers to it. The shape in the centre mirrors the pendant from AC Mirage which contains a piece of Basim's childhood home that his father designed, and acts as one of the triggers in the opening scenes of the DLC. It is one of the only possessions Basim has left belonging to Ishaq. In the centre of the pendant we see travel, which is the theme which connects both of the pieces created by Nate. Although Basim travels alone in this piece of artwork, we know that in canon he was accompanied by his friend and employer Dervis, but the piece reflects that the DLC is indeed a solitary journey for Basim. He travels a great distance of over 800 miles looking for answers. The blue inside the pendant contrasts to the dull desert landscapes which are almost blurred to focus on the centre-point, but the fuzziness of the desert could also reflect a loss of senses such as vision, which heat stroke can induce after prolonged exposure. The blue sky could also be a mirage in the distance, and the dull tones of the desert outside of the pendant represent reality. To me, it looks like one of the landmark recreation photos, where people go to sites of significance and hold up a photo of the past, or for Assassin's Creed, travel to a historical site and hold up a screenshot from the game. Finally, I particularly like the golden Assassin insignias which can be found on the handles of the pendant, with the larger one dangling beneath it. This is a really focussed piece of artwork with a story to tell. The second piece of artwork also reflects the theme of travel, and a solitary journey. I am immediately drawn to the clever use of silhouettes in this picture, which implies that the light is low and the sun is setting. To me though, the silhouettes also resemble shadows, gone from the modern world, only existing now as echoes on the sand. I love the shape of the camel, and the shadows cast by the cacti. This is a really creative and expressive piece which uses colours, blending and shadows to its advantage. What did you think of the artwork? Let us know in the comments below! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author In June 2025, Aita_Sageblood (Nathan) joined TOWCB's Art Team in an effort to widen the variety of art styles on the team. He is known online for his vibrant digital artworks, bringing colour and energy to each and every project. In January 2026, Nate was promoted to Art Team Leader, and throughout 2026 will be working alongside TOWCB's Art Team on a variety of projects which range from creating art for fundraising to live art creation watchalongs! By joining the AC Partnership Program, we aim to boost his profile within the community and create a meaningful relationship with Ubisoft. Aita_Sageblood

Community Assassin's Creed: 10 Year Anniversary Hub 17/11/17 Share Learn about how the 10 year anniversary of the Assassin's Creed Franchise is being celebrated around the world. (List in no particular order) Ubisoft released an updated Assassin's Creed Character image, featuring Bayek from AC Origins! Download it as a wallpaper here Four more images were also released, including a character image featuring Aya. Ubisoft commissioned artist Dino Tomic to create an Assassin's Creed image out of salt! Facebook Page Bioworld released two special t-shirts to mark the occasion. "Celebrate your love and passion for the Assassin's Creed franchise with this amazing 10-Year Anniversary Commemorative T-Shirt. Featuring a front design sporting all the logo's from the history of this popular series, whilst the reverse displays the names of all the main protagonists from across all the Assassin's Creed games." A 10 year edition T-shirt was spotted in Primark. Source GB Posters released a 10 year edition mug. GB Posters released a 10 year edition mug. BPR Gaming put together a video to mark the occasion. EB Games gave away 10 year anniversary pins as a pre-order bonus for Assassin's Creed Origins Release of Assassin's Creed: Reflections. To mark 10 glorious year of Assassin’s Creed, Titan Comics are bringing together the franchise’s best-loved characters for a celebratory series like no other! Get ready for four brand new adventures starring fan favorite Assassins like Edward Kenway and Altair, along with the series’ celebrated Renaissance roof-crawler, Ezio Auditore de Firenze! Four-part mini series written by Ian Edginton and illustrated by Valeria Favoccia! We collected stories from the Assassin's Creed Community! Zing Pop Culture have listed a 10 year anniversary Assassin's Creed snapback! Link IGDB created an image showing every game in the Assassin's Creed Franchise. See it here: Link Article Decalcomania released a range of Ten Year Anniversary Stickers. See them all here Merchandise Product Marketing Manager Andrien Gbinigie revealed an upcoming range of collectible pins.

The Perfect Protagonist: Edward Kenway Analysis Share 7 Nov 2025 Written By: Edited By: Hayden Bird Colum Blackett Back To Database When Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag released in October of 2013, the game was a huge success and many fans pointed to the cast as a key aspect in the game being a huge hit for Ubisoft. Many loved the main protagonist, Edward Kenway, partially due to his major difference to past main characters and also his connection to the same bloodline that Ubisoft had created for several games in a row. The connection to past installments and an overall satisfaction for Edward was a huge factor into why the game became such an instant classic. His charismatic personality and the great story that accompanied him is a strong reason why many fans see this game as the best in the entire series. Promo image for Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag (2013) Many loved the main protagonist, Edward Kenway, voiced by actor Matt Ryan, because of how different he was as a character compared to previous leads. Edward was simply a very different protagonist, and still remains an outlier for the standard of all the great main heroes we have gotten in the series over the years. Edward was different because he was not a typical Assassin. In fact, he wasn’t really an Assassin at all, he was first and foremost a pirate in the West Indies who cared about nothing more than himself and personal gain. The Assassin’s Creed games had yet to feature a true protagonist that had basically zero ties to the famous Assassin Brotherhood. It was certainly a gamble from the developers, as they couldn’t have been sure that a character so far off from their standards would translate well to the fans. Some could see his resentment towards the main faction in the entire game as an insult. Some may have seen this as disrespectful to the main story, but that was far from the case, as instead it turned out to be a massive success despite taking a risk. Edward’s story followed a path of a husband who lives an unpredictable and albeit selfish lifestyle and goes to chase riches in the Golden Age of Piracy. Edward goes through a serious transformation from being a person who only cares about himself to a man who could leave behind a life of notoriety to become a loving father and devoted master of the Assassin Brotherhood. Edward showed he could be so lost and self-centered but still turn his life around and make his impact on the world. Edward meets many characters along the way in Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag that both help or deter his life and choices. In the end of his story, Edward shows one is never too far gone. Edward Kenway in Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag Edward Kenway was proof that the Assassin’s Creed series could branch farther beyond the expected. Edward did not even join the Assassin Brotherhood until basically the final 45 minutes of the game. That means for almost the entire story he resented the brotherhood and even mocked them. It very easily could have gone sideways for Ubisoft, but their execution with storytelling made the difference. Many gamers like to see characters with development. Not just a protagonist that starts as a proven hero and ends as one. Instead, watching a character being so far from the expected that eventually turns into the hero, most gamers like to see. Unfortunately, writing a story for a game is much easier when you don’t have to add any character development, as it takes way more work to come up with a great character arc that eventually comes full circle. Ubisoft and the developers of Black Flag had an opportunity to turn a reckless and selfish pirate into a Master Assassin that we all know to expect. There was a challenge in creating that true character arc, and Ubisoft aced the chance at creating a memorable character with a memorable story. Many gamers loved the connection Edward Kenway had with past games and past characters. The Kenway family line went farther back than most would expect. Most of the family were the main focal points of the previous game, Assassin’s Creed III , and showed the main two playable characters as ancestors to Edward. His son, Haytham and grandson, Connor, were the two protagonists in the past game. Gamers enjoyed seeing a connection between games and bloodlines. Even the epilogue of Black Flag had a cameo of the young version of Haytham Kenway, who is the initial playable character in Assassin’s Creed III . Many enjoyed such a connected family line distributed among consecutive games in the series. Connor in Assassin's Creed III, Grandson of Edward Edward Kenway was loved for his differences and that was shown evident in Black Flag . The Assassin’s Brotherhood was mentioned and featured quite a lot in the game, but Edward the protagonist never joined or paid them any attention until the very end of the game. It was the first Assassin’s Creed game that was willing to take such a large risk and create a protagonist that had no initial resemblances to the main characters all the main games had seen over the years. The fan feedback could have gone either way, and potentially become an issue to the public opinion, but Ubisoft doubled-down on their storytelling ability and showed the players that they could create a protagonist so different and so unlike previous heroes the series has featured and still successfully pull it off. Much of the success Ubisoft found with their main protagonist owed credit to the story of the game, that showed anyone, no matter how different or how self centered, could come through in the end and make something of their life. Ubisoft showed that Edward, a man so occupied with personal greed and carelessness for those around him, could come home and turn his life around before it was too late. Giving him a true success and redemption arc all together. Ubisoft found true success by taking a risk to go out of their comfort zone and creating a character so unlike what the games in the past have featured, and for it to pay off shows how impressive the writing of the game, and the protagonist Edward truly was. Even today, many consider Edward Kenway to be the best main character of the entire series, and that says a lot given the fact the game is over a decade old and there have been many main protagonists before and after Edward’s story was told. Fans of the franchise consider Edward to be the main star of the franchise aside from the most popular and well known character, Ezio Auditore, who received three mainline games, which shows how good Edward truly was to only have had one game to tell his story and still be so fondly remembered even so many years later. It is safe to say Ubisoft knew what they were doing when taking a risk that they hadn’t attempted before and turning it into universal acclaim. The writing that Edward Kenway received was some of the best the entire gaming world has ever seen, and he remains such a fan-favorite main character to this day. Edward Kenway wearing the Mayan Outfit in Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag 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

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: Jan 31st - Feb 4th 2022 Community Share 7 Feb 2022 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the new weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week, we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for capture across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. 5) Roman England Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla This week’s first capture comes from @SignorAlexander over on Twitter. An amazing shot of Roman England crumbling under Saxon rule. I really like how there is a dull emptiness but at the same time colour and vegetation. In a game that is relatively sparse the cities really do stand out. 4) The Field of Reeds Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey This week’s second capture comes from @GioWayne86 over on Twitter. A great capture of the sun setting over ancient Greece. I get Gladiator vibes with the hero walking through the reeds. I really like the use of the trees and the building far off in the distance. It would make a great picture on the wall. 3) The Beginning Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins The third capture of the week comes from @BolukbasiGuner over on Twitter. An epic conclusion to a truly wonderful game. Bayek and Aya the founders of the order. A fantastic shot showing off the powerful couple after their fight for justice across Egypt. 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

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Orlog Dice Game Review Reviews Share 7 Mar 2022 Written By: Edited By: Michael Smith Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Assassin’s Creed has been a staple for the modern gaming community with its mixture of stealth, combat, and story driven gameplay. Players are immersed into history via interactions with important figures and landscapes, giving a large world to explore and learn about alongside the Assassin vs Templar storyline. Within these worlds players are exposed to the art, language, and culture of each location from Ancient Greece to Victorian London. To better influence the player’s experience of being in the Golden Age of Pirates or Revolutionary America, the design team included playable iterations of historical games such as Liar’s Dice and Dead Man’s Morris. The latest example of this is in the 2019 release of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla where players were introduced to a new and original competitive dice game known as Orlog. Promotional image by PureArts Players are introduced to this game via protagonist Eivor and meet various characters across Viking-era England that challenge her to this game consisting of alternating dice rolls, resource management, and the power of the Norse Gods. A game that can turn its favor in an instant of luck and strategy. Orlog became an instant success with the player base as fans began replicating the game in the real world. This showed Ubisoft that they had an opportunity to create an actual version of the game and via the help of the gaming statue company PureArts this became a reality. In the Spring of 2021, an exclusive limited Deluxe Edition of Orlog was created. A combination of wood, metal, and linen were used to design a tangible game, of which a limited 500 units were sold within Northern and Southern America. This did not take long to sell through and those that were lucky enough to claim one (myself included) would receive one of the most unique real world replicas of a video game asset. However, fans from around the world who missed out on this purchase were upset that they were unable to buy this themselves and voiced their opinions across social media. With this spike of global interest, the PureArts team opened a Kickstarter to fund a retail version of the game for all fans regardless of geographical region. On July 13, 2021, the Kickstarter for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Orlog Dice Game was launched and within 35 minutes met its goal of CA $75,000. By the end of the campaign, a total 12,409 backers had funded the campaign for a total of 1.1 million Canadian, unlocking multiple stretch goals and enhancing the base game (for the Kickstarter) to be nearly identical to the Deluxe Edition that had been sold earlier that year. After a lengthy production process due to issues with materials, transportation, and the COVID-19 virus, PureArts began shipping Orlog to players around the world. I myself received mine within a few weeks of each other as they were shipped separately, the Deluxe Edition first and later the Kickstarter “Tavern Edition”, which included an exclusive resin replica of Eivor’s horn, used to call her raiding party as they invaded England. The game is played in three phases after a coin-flip to determine the first player. In the first phase, much like the dice game Yahtzee, players alternate rolling six dice and selecting dice to attack, defend, or steal God Favour Tokens (GFT's) from the opponent in the hopes of lowering their opponent’s fifteen stone health pool to zero. This is followed by the players being able to use their collected GFT's via gold bordered dice sides and stealing from the opponent to activate a God Favour Card (GFC's) that can deal damage, heal, or even duplicate the dice they rolled to give a better advantage in the round. Once this is selected and the priority of the GFC's is played, the players enter the final round, the Resolution phase where the outcome of their dice rolls are matched against each other in a battle of axes, armour, arrows, and shields. The player that has depleted their opponent’s health to zero is declared the victor. I played both iterations of the Orlog release with my family to compare the quality of the Kickstarter enhanced retail version and the Deluxe Edition. Gameplay was easy to explain with the included instructions and a variety of game modes to alter the difficulty of the game. Within a few rounds, my fiancée, who is not a heavy gamer, shared how much she enjoyed the game. I found myself surprised by my comparison and which aspects of each version I preferred over the other. So let's compare the Deluxe and the Kickstarter Editions as I determine which is the best Orlog release. Packaging To start, let's compare the boxes. The Kickstarter Edition was the standard Retail release of the game but with enhanced materials included (such as stones, tokens, and cards). The box itself has nice official game art and is themed to the Valhalla standard teal and black, detailing the contents of the game and a synopsis of how it is played; a traditional game packaging. The Deluxe Edition came in a carved, individually numbered (1-500), wooden case that shows the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla logo within an intricate etched border and secured by a metal clasp. There is no further information on the game displayed on the box as it is a designer piece. WINNER: Deluxe Edition - the beautiful wood box looks great on the shelf for collectors. Storage The Retail Edition has a traditional plastic tray that houses the materials of the game. Each area is designed to hold half of the pieces divided between the players with a shared coin in the centre, making distributing the game pieces quick and easy. The Deluxe Edition does the same but in a much more snug foam material. WINNER : Retail Edition - the plastic, while a lesser quality than the foam, is much easier to remove the components from, as it has space to grab the pieces, whereas it takes more time to remove the wood and metal pieces from the foam of the Deluxe Edition. Dice Bowls The dice bowls in the Retail and Kickstarter versions are made of plastic and detailed to look like wood. Due to the Kickstarter reaching a stretch goal of CA $575K, they were able to add a felt liner, as backers were concerned with the sound of dice hitting the plastic. While this is a nice addition, it is visible that the felt was not cut to size and looks poorly installed. The Deluxe Edition bowl is real wood and has a great quality but doesn’t appear as defined in the detail as it was carved by machine and not by hand. WINNER: Tied - While the wood of the Deluxe Edition is higher quality, the plastic bowl and felt liner have nice sound and feel when rolling the dice. I prefer the wood myself but wish it had the detail of the plastic. Coin The Retail Edition of Orlog will include a cardboard coin (not shown) to determine player order. Both the Kickstarter (after meeting the CA $200K stretch goal), and the Deluxe Edition have a metal replica coin designed after the Silver from the game. WINNER: Kickstarter/Deluxe Edition - The metal has a very nice weight and feel to it over the cardboard that I could compare from other pieces in the game. God Favour Cards In my opinion, this is the biggest comparison between the game pieces of different versions of Orlog. In the Retail Edition, the GFC's are printed on cardboard showing great detail of a carved wood design and a cheat sheet of what each god does on the back. For the Deluxe Edition, wooden GFC's are included to mirror those which are used in the video game version. Kickstarter backers were able to upgrade their GFC's to wood (CA $35) after feedback from the players influenced PureArts. WINNER: Retail Edition - While the wood is nicer than the cardboard, it is very hard to see the image of each god in the Deluxe Edition, and requires the use of the included detail card that shows each GFC and what it does. Being able to flip over the card and read right away what it does is a plus. God Favour Tokens Unlike the GFC', the tokens are instantly identifiable regardless of edition. The Kickstarter backers upgraded (CA $42) the Retail Edition’s cardboard tokens to the Deluxe Edition’s metal tokens. The only drawback to the metal tokens is that they have a finish to them that make them oily and hard to stack at times. WINNER : Deluxe Edition - While the finish can be annoying at times, the metal tokens are very nice and look great. I love clinking them like poker chips when I play. Dice Now this section isn’t as much of a comparison as both the Retail and Deluxe Editions of the Orlog dice are sold with the Bone Die option. With the Kickstarter, a stretch goal at CA $300k allowed backers to switch the base dice to a glow-in-the-dark option for free, or add them on at the end of the campaign for CA $15. However these dice though are difficult to read because of the golden borders. Alternatively, the green glittery dice or “Valhalla Dice” were sold as an add-on for CA $25. WINNER : Kickstarter - Due to the options available, the Kickstarter was the best way to get dice. My personal favourite were the Valhalla Dice. Health Stones & Rules The original plan for Orlog was to include cardboard counters to track the health of each player, however after the Kickstarter reached its first stretch goal of CA $100K, the counters were upgraded to the higher quality polished stones of the Deluxe Edition. This success also allowed the retail edition to be shipped with these stones. The linen bags with the Valhalla logo were included with the Deluxe Edition as well as the Kickstarter after its CA $250K stretch goal was reached. These are used to house the health stones in the packaging. All versions come with an Instruction Guide and God Favor Cards Reference List. Kickstarter Exclusive Items With the exception of the play mat that was included in the Deluxe Edition, the Kickstarter campaign for Orlog offered multiple items for purchase via stretch goals or included with the Tavern Edition. The playmat (55 cm x 86 cm) was expanded in size after the CA $850k stretch goal and sold (for those that just backed the base game or wanted multiple mats) for CA $30. This is a beautiful mat that feels fitting for the historical setting. The main draw for the Tavern Edition of the Kickstarter campaign, and the reason I decided to purchase the game after buying the Deluxe Edition, was an exclusive Horn Replica from the game. Valued and sold for CA $185, the horn made the purchase of The Tavern Edition at $200 great value for money. Its quality of resin, cloth, and wooden base not only look fantastic on my shelf but actually allow you to blow the horn and call your party to the table. At CA $400K a tournament bracket and Orlog Champion Coin (based on the in-game achievement art) were provided to all backers. Edition Winner The best value and version overall in my opinion would be the Kickstarter. Being able to upgrade the various game pieces on top of the Tavern Edition with the horn replica and playmat included, allowed users to have everything that the limited Deluxe Edition had except for the wooden box and bowls. This game as a whole is easy to play and easy to learn. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Orlog Dice Game can be purchased from PlayArts, Ubisoft, and various retailers. 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

Assassin's Creed Mirage Virtual Photography Hub

Hidden Blades outside of Assassin's Creed Other Share 11 May 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database From time to time, eagle-eyed fans of the Assassin's Creed franchise spot similarities between the series and other TV shows or movies. In particular, weapons which carry a likeness to the iconic signature blade of the Assassins, The Hidden Blade. In this article, we will be looking at various concealed weapons outside of the Assassin's Creed series, some of which may have taken inspiration from the Assassin Brotherhood. Star Wars: Bo - Katan Kryze and the 'Gauntlet Blade' First introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Bo - Katan Kryze sports a 'Gauntlet Blade', which will no doubt be familiar to fans of the Assassin's Creed series. Her movement is swift and clinical, as she takes down Imperial guards with ease. Of particular note is her ability with the weapon in Season 2 Episode of The Mandalorian titled ' The Heiress'. The Punisher: Billy Russo's Retractable Wrist Blade (Jigsaw) A former Marine and close friend of Frank Castle ( The Punisher ), Billy Russo is an interesting character who goes on to become 'Jigsaw' in the Marvel Cinematic Universe., a mask-wearing vigilante. His many betrayals lead to a life of pain, which eventually come back to haunt him. Working as a private contracter that specialises in weapons and training facilities, Russo fashions himself a silent weapon, The Hidden Blade, for stealth assassinations. He uses the blade to murder Morty Bennett , with a clean surprise attack. R usso was an expert at brutal hand to hand combat, making him a deadly foe for The Punisher to eliminate. Man of Steel: General Zod kills Jor-El Jor-El, a Kryptonian scientist is killed at the start of Man of Steel (2013), a scene which has a huge impact on the DCU, as it allows Kal-El (Superman) to escape Krypton and go on to live a life on Earth. In a thrilling chase by House El to escape the Kryptonian Military, Jor-El is killed by General Zod for breaking the rules of Krypton by bonding the cells of his child with tthe stolen Kryptonian Growth Codex, which contained the genetic makeup of Kryptonians prior to the introduction of a predetermination system which produced citizens fit to benefit society. To say that Kal-El is the physical embodiment of freewill due to his genetic makeup is a theme that certainly resonates with the Assassin's Creed franchise. The tragic introductary scene sees Jor-El relieved that his son Kal-El escapes Krypton, which he and fellow scientists theorise will be destroyed due to an unstable core. His relief is cut short though, as his former friend executes him with a retractable wrist-blade, leading to his arrest and imprisonment off-world, ultimately saving him from the fate of Krypton. Gotham: Talon members from The Court of Owls and the Wrist Blade In the Gotham TV Series, 'Talon' is a rank given to deadly assassins who act on the orders of a powerful elite shadow group known as The Court of Owls, who manipulate events from behind the scenes. Appearing throughout Season 3, only two members of the Talon wield the wrist blade, suggesting that it may only be given to high ranking members of the group, or to those who at excel at hand to hand combat. Deus Ex: Adam Jensen's Nanoblade Deus Ex: Human Revolution acted as a reboot for the franchise, taking players to a futuristic cyber-industrial world filled with corruption and social division. Through the use of augmentations, humans willingly select enhancements, upgrading their physical bodies by merging with technology. The main character, Adam Jensen is a security officer working for Sarif Industries , where he begins to uncover a conspiracy at the heart of the growing opinion that augmentations benefit society, orchestrated by the Illuminati acting through global megacorporations. After an attack leaves Jensen for dead, he is revivied by Sarif and his team who surgically install advanced augmentations, resulting in him becoming more cyborg than human. One of these enhancements is the Nanoblade: a deadly retractable blade installed in Jensen's arm p rostheses which can be used at close quarters to trigger special killmoves. It is long reaching and efficient, making it a useful took for Jensen as he investigates a disturbing secret hidden at the heart of society. Dr. Christian Szell's wrist knife from Marathon Man Dr. Christian Szell, known as Szell, or The White Angel of Auschwitz (played by Laurence Olivier) is the primary antagonist of the 1976 film Marathon Man. He is former Nazi scientist who used to torture the prisoners of Auschwitz through dental surgeries, but since leaving the camp went on to pursue international diamond dealing. After being recognised in the street for his crimes, Szell uses a weapon known as a 'wrist knife' to silence a man by slicing his throat. He then pretends to have simply found the man in an injured state, and calls for help from the crowd. In an effort to help the man, people approach hoping to assist, providing the perfect cover for Szell to leave the scene in a Taxi. Later in the film, Szell uses the blade to kill Henry 'Doc' Levy after suspecting that Doc is planning to steal his diamonds. This may be the first known use of a hidden blade outside of the Assassin's Creed series, as the Marathon Man conspiracy thriller novel by William Goldman released in 1974. Did we miss any Hidden Blades? Let us know in the comments below! Look out for Part 2 of our Hidden Blades outside of Assassin's Creed article, which will release end of May 2023! comments debug Comments (4) Write a comment Write a comment Sort by: Newest Nic Sep 13 The man who knew to little? Bill Murry Like Reply Guest Sep 16, 2023 Saw 1 Like Reply Guest May 11, 2023 In Twin Peaks https://i.imgur.com/ap8JvrP.jpeg Like Reply Guest May 11, 2023 In Iron Man 3, Tony Stark uses a hidden blade. Like Reply About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

This Week in Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 27th to 2nd April Community Share 4 Apr 2023 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week I will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. This week’s theme: Assassin’s Creed Shadow Walker Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ TuridTorkil We start this week’s showcase with a menacing shot of Eivor in a tree. You have to admire the use of vignette here as it adds great mystic to the capture. I especially like how it frames Eivor along with the tree. The whole ambiance of this shot screams Sceadugengan as Eivor becomes a creature of the night. The hood and tattoo combo really intensify this feel, and the shadow across her eyes is just phenomenal. Peaceful Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ SelkaPlays Photo number two is all about relaxation. This beautiful shot from Valhalla reminds me of the many hours I spent roaming England’s countryside. I love the balance of nature and the old Roman buildings, coupled with the sun breaking through the windswept tree. There is such a richness of colour in this shot. Hopefully we will get images such as this in the upcoming World of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla book. Elysium Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ guyinspacesuit Up next this week we have Ikaros scouting the immediate area. It never gets old using our bird companions to see what wonders or dangers lurk ahead of us. For a VP artist it’s even more satisfying as you are able to produce spectacular shots such as this one. I adore the colours in this capture, from the blue of the waterfall right to the purples of the flowers below. Every inch of this photo is magical. Modern Day Assassin Game: Watch Dogs Legion VP Artist: @ Syntia_BH Mixing it up a little for photo number four, as we enter the world of Watch Dogs. I love this shot of Darcy on a motorbike patrolling the streets of London. Epic blur effects in the background add so much to this capture. When I see photos like this it makes me long for a modern day Assassin’s Creed. Darcy was so well received by the fans and with Aiden’s connections to Assassin’s Creed, it would be a shame if the developers never get to expand on it. Link to set: Athenian Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ kingforever008 We end this week’s showcase with a beautiful shot of Kassandra exiting the water. She looks so good in this armour set, the owl on the hood is a real standout. The blurred background is used to great effect as it bolsters Kassandra’s presence. You cannot get away from that incredible water effect though, along with the light reflecting it is visually spectacular. The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week: Judge: Colum Blackett // Col_96 (TOWCB Community Admin) This shot really stood out to me as it perfectly resembles 'the calm before the storm'. The ripples of the water and still nature of the shot give it a peaceful aura, something rarely seen in Assassin's Creed. Kassandra looks like a completely different character to the one we know, and could easily be mistaken for the leader of a nature worshipping cult whilst wearing this armour set. I think @ kingforever008 did a great job with this capture, as the picture feels alive. 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