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Remembering Russell Lees (1957 – 2022) In Memoriam Share 18 Jan 2022 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Today we remember the life of Russell Lees, who recently sadly passed away at the age of 64. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends during this difficult time. Russell worked on various AAA Ubisoft titles as a script writer, most recently as Lead Writer for Assassin's Creed Valhalla Wrath of the Druids and ACV's Sciropscire & Oxenefordscire arcs. He is credited as the author of The Tyranny of King Washington DLC for Assassin's Creed III, alongside contributions to the Assassin's Creed Unity Murder Mysteries/ Nostradamus Enigmas, Far Cry New Dawn and Assassin's Creed Origins. About: James Russell Lees was born in Salt Lake City on May 8, 1957. His father, Jay, was a theater director and college professor. He left Salt Lake City as a teenager to study computer engineering at Boston University, then got his master’s in computer engineering from Stanford University and, back at BU, his master’s in playwriting. Lees also co-founded the TheatreWorks/West production company in Salt Lake City, where he wrote and directed for the stage, and served as director of French-language plays at the University of Utah. Survivors include his his wife, Lisa; daughters Charlotte and Madeleine; siblings Mindy, Becky and Jay; brother-in-law Stan; and sister-in-law Julie. (Via The Hollywood Reporter) During his Ubisoft career spanning 13-years, Russell made many friends who remember him as a kind, passionate man who will be sorely missed. Below we have collected memories and tributes from those who knew him best. Rest in Peace Russell. " We lost a dear friend and brilliant colleague this week. Writer and Narrative Designer Russell Lees was a part of the Assassin's Creed and Far Cry families for over a decade. All who worked with him will attest to his patience, his generosity, his passion, & his bright spirit. He will be missed, and remembered always as the most ideal artist in this busy, hectic industry -- devoted, collaborative, patient, and kind beyond measure. from Montreal to wherever you are now, Russ. Rock on. " -Darby McDevitt (Valhalla Narrative Director) Today, I learned that I had lost a great friend. Russell was the Lead Writer on Wrath of the Druids. We walked hand in hand to make this story that I consider to be a turning point of my life. I can say that his presence, his passion and his kindness kept me going every day. When we parted ways, we were sure that our paths would cross again. Now, I can only look back at the time we spent working together. All my thoughts go to his family in these difficult times. Russell will be missed. - Hugo Sahuquet (Narrative Director for Assassin's Creed Valhalla's Wrath of the Druids DLC) I am just devastated about the news. I worked with him on AC3, AC Unity, and AC Syndicate. He was endlessly patient and kind, the level-headed writer who quietly got it done, even when the deadlines were short and we were all stressed and tired. He wrote the Dreadful Crimes on AC Syndicate, among other things. I still use those as reference today when I'm talking about writing for investigative gameplay. The past days I've had a flood of messages from Ubi and ex-Ubi writers who worked with him, everyone with fond memories. He worked with so many people, over so many years. We're all stricken and saddened by his loss. And a late addition - if you ever hear a character in a game say the words "dead as a mackerel", that was Russell. I found it amongst our guard patrol lines on Unity, and then Syndicate. He told me he tried to work it into every project. - Ceri Young (Former Senior Scriptwriter at Ubisoft Montreal) Still gutted by this. Russell was a great writer, friend and human. Contributed endlessly to AC and beyond as a playwright. Just a wonderful soul and will never be forgotten. - Alain Mercieca (Formerly lead on Assassins Creed Origins, Valhalla) Russell was a part of our dream team of writers on AC Syndicate. He helped make the impossible possible. He’s going to be missed. -Jeff Skalski (Assassin's Creed Syndicate Senior Producer) Photos of the AC Syndicate Writing Team Russell had a way of listening deeply, like he was seeing inside you, and a calm assuredness. He always knew what to do, on top of being an excellent writer and person. This is a tragedy and he will be dearly missed. - Jeffrey Yohalem (Former Lead Scriptwriter on AC Brotherhood & Syndicate) I didn't get to know Russell well, but as a newcomer, professionally, to Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft, its tools and processes, he was always patient, kind and happy to explain things to me. No question was too small, too unimportant. He was Good People. GNU Russell Lees. - Giles Armstrong (Senior Scriptwriter on ACV: Dawn of Ragnarok DLC) Russell was immensely kind. He was talented and humble. He was always there to support me, sometimes early in the morning when I needed to talk. He was one of the best person I ever met. I already miss him and his smile so much. - Sarah Beaulieu (Directing narration on an upcoming Assassin's Creed game) He was such an absolute pleasure to work with briefly on AC Unity. Even working between two cities, we had a great time working on the mysteries and he was always so kind, generous, and an incredibly sharp writer. Can’t believe he’s gone. - Navid Khavari (Additional Narrative design on AC Unity) Russ was the kind of guy who could teach you about life with just a silence. He had a wicked laugh, an open ear, and the best femme fatale table read voice in the biz. He was generous with his experience and a novel voice in the industry. Play his stories so he may live on. - Betty Robertson (Scriptwriter on AC Valhalla and Odyssey) My friend, you meant so much to so many people and I'm deeply grateful that I find myself among them. You were such a mentor to me. Such a shining light in this industry. You were the best of us. I'll miss you forever. - Christopher Grilli (Lead Writer at UbisoftMTL. Writer on Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Origins) Rest in Peace Russell (1957 – 2022) 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)

Starter Guide focussing on Norway for new players looking to begin their Assassin's Creed Valhalla adventure. Community Guides Assassin's Creed Origins: Starter Guide By Aaron Young 15/2/21 Share Top Stories The Assassin's Creed Community are raising money for Ocean Conservancy. Donate today Bayek is the protagonist of this story, an Egyptian Medjay, and the first location for you to explore is Siwa. This city is the home of Bayek and his wife Aya, and acts as the introduction to the game. There is much to do in this part of the map and I would recommend exploring it all. The main quests will act as the foundations of what is to come, however the side quests and extra locations will teach you the basics of what to expect throughout the game. Edited by Ashlea Buckley Bayek of Siwa Interview with Magnus Bruun - Eivor Assassins' Creed Valhalla Merchandise Guide Q&A with Abubakar Salim - Bayek of Siwa TOWCB Plans for 2021 Netflix announce upcoming live-action Assassin's Creed series Female Vikings: The Real History Building an Assassin's Creed Community: Getting Started Mentors Guild Announcement Interview with Benoit Richer: Valhalla Co-Dev Game Director Interview with Eric Baptizat: AC Valhalla Game Director Interview with Jordan Van Andel (JorRaptor) Colours in Assassin's Creed: A Short Review 6 ways to stay entertained in the Assassin's Creed Community during isolation Interview with Carlos Ferro - Da Vinci 5 ways you can support TOWCB Interview with Jesper Kyd Top Stories Origins introduces a levelling system that will define what you can do in the game. You will earn XP for completing activities within the world. By earning XP you will be able to level up and slowly become more powerful. Even in Siwa there will be areas that are initially too dangerous for you, which indicated by red skull icons above enemies. In some cases, it is possible to defeat them or just sneak past, but I highly recommend either matching their level or going just above. To do so you will want to find a balance between story, side quests and undiscovered locations. The main story will provide you with the most XP, however this will not be enough on its own. The game can restrict your progression if you do not deviate from the main story. This isn’t a bad thing as the map is full of interesting things to discover. If you open the map and check each area of Egypt, you will notice that it has been assigned a power level, and visiting there early can be a frustrating task. My advice would be to follow the organic path set out by the game. Ability Points and Playstyles Every time you level up you will be rewarded with an ability point. This can be added to your ability tree in order to gain new skills. It is a relatively common practice in games now, but at the time it took a bit of getting used to. Your ability tree is split into three playstyles. You can choose to master one, or split your abilities to allow for a more balanced experience. Either way, by the time you reach the conclusion of the game, the chances are that you will have all the skills. The three styles are: Hunter: Focuses on ranged abilities Warrior: The emphasis here is on melee Seer: This is for gadgets/perks that lend themselves to an Assassin’s playstyle Senu and Loot Combat is a lot more difficult in comparison to the blocking and countering of the old games. Now you can go all-out attack if you wish. Be warned though, that you cannot just button bash, and there is still the need to defend and this is where the shields comes in. Bayek’s shield will be your saviour when surrounded. Use it to parry incoming attacks, but also utilise it as cover from enemy archers. Senu is your eagle and companion as you travel across Egypt. You will not start with Senu but if you follow the main quest you will soon be reunited with your companion. Senu is easily accessible by pressing up on the D-Pad (console). From here you will be able to fly Senu around the map, with the option to scout areas in advance. Use Senu to discover and tag enemies, loot, resources and objectives, however if you over use this function the game can become less challenging. Sync points will give you a stunning view of the surrounding area, but most importantly increase Senu’s perception. In turn, this links to the loot hidden around the map. You will find a lot of chests hidden underwater and the better Senu’s perception, the more likely you are to find them. Just be aware of crocodiles and hippos, as fighting them off in the water can be challenging. The loot in Origins is critical to so many aspects of the game. Just grab as much as you can, and sell or dismantle it to fill your pockets with Drachma or crafting materials. Save 10% on officially licensed Assassin's Creed Origins merchandise with the code "TOWCB" Assassin’s Creed Origins is the first entry in the series to fully embrace RPG elements. Origins lays the foundations for both Odyssey and Valhalla, whilst acting as a prequel to Altair’s crusade. Origins alters the formula for the series as it ushers in a new player base, whilst trying to retain the magic of the original games. Origins is a visually magnificent game that will leave you in awe of both its beauty and size. Spanning across the whole of Egypt, you will embark on a journey of revenge to right the wrongs inflicted upon your family. You begin with one of my favourite cinematics in the series. The game will then throw you straight into the action. Origins is not a slow burner, and you will be fully involved from the start. This can lead to a steep learning curve, but one you will soon master. In this guide I will try to give you the best possible start to your Egyptian adventure. Levelling System Weapons and Combat AC Origins has a lot to offer in this department. There is a real magnitude of weapons available to choose from, and each weapon has a rarity ranking. Blue: Regular Purple: Rare Yellow: Legendary The rarer the item, the more you get from it. You can choose to sell these items for Drachma (money) or dismantle them for resources. I would recommend keeping your favourites from each category, and then dismantling any unwanted regular weapons and selling the rare ones. It is good to know that the rarity often links to stats such as critical hit bonuses. Always compare your gear to see which one offers you the best stats for your playstyle. Keep an eye out for attributes assigned to your weapons. Blacks are standard attributes, but gold will provide you with a nice little boost. The red ones (cursed) are the most interesting as they provide you with high damage but at the cost of reducing your health. Don’t worry if you find a weapon that you like but feel that it is too low a level. A trip to one of the many blacksmiths will provide you with the opportunity to boost it up to your current level in exchange for some Drachma. Crafting Crafting in Origins is all about 6 pieces of gear that you secure very early in the game. From this point on you will need to collect resources to upgrade them. When highlighting the gear you will be shown which resources you need to collect. Hidden Blade: Who does not like this, the staple for any assassin? You will get this once you arrive in Alexandria. You have 10 upgrade levels, each adding to the damage the blade can do. Essential for anyone wishing to play the way of the assassin. Quiver: You will only need to upgrade this 5 times, allowing you to carry additional arrows. A big favourite of mine as the introduction of the bow really mixes up the gameplay. Stabilizer Glove: This compliments the quiver, providing you with increased damage with the bow. Just like the Hidden Blade you will need to level the glove 10 times. Bracer: These can be upgraded 10 times for additional melee damage. Breastplate: Upgrade this to further increase your maximum health, there are 10 levels. Tool Pouch: Only 5 upgrades for this one, and one I did not bother with in the early game. If you follow the Seer abilities focus on this gear piece. If you are playing Origins after Valhalla or Odyssey then you may slightly be disappointed with the customisation options. There are many outfits in the game but they do not have interchangeable parts. Bayek’s clothing does come with the same rarity as his weapons but unfortunately they are purely for cosmetic purposes. The same can be said for the mounts, although you can switch out your horse for a camel if you wish. Do not be put off by this though as there are some very nice outfits in the game. Outfits and Mounts Thanks for reading our Assassin's Creed Origins Starter Guide. We hope that you found it useful! About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who recently joined TOWCB AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer. Throughout 2021, Aaron and other writers will be joining the admin team in a collaborative effort to create an Assassin's Creed Valhalla Guide Database, which you can find here . Twitter Aaron Young

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

Art Reveal: The Way To AlULa by Serajeddine Community Share 27 Oct 2025 Written By: Edited By: Serajeddine Hayden Bird Back To Database Check out this great new piece of artwork by our very own Serajaddine from TOWCB Art Team! The art is based upon the upcoming Assassin's Creed Mirage Valley of Memory DLC. It depicts the main protagonist, Basim Ibn Ishaq looking over the desert valley with large mountains around and under a beautifully drawn blue sky with a small layer of clouds peering in from the east. We especially love the part down deep in the canyon where Basim is looking over and to the dark green foliage that accurately represents the dry desert with hints of color in what we would see in the ancient Valley of AlUla. What are your thoughts? Let us know what you think in the comments below! Stay tuned for more exclusive and breathtaking art reveals here at The Ones Who Came Before! Valley of Memory launches November 18th 2025. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author In March 2025, Serajeddine joined TOWCB's Art Team just before the launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows, in a bid to re-energise the team with new ideas and projects. He is a digital and traditional artist with a special ink style, often resembling comic books, something which we have been searching for to bring something different to our content. Throughout 2025, Serajeddine worked be working alongside TOWCB's Art Team on a variety of projects which range from creating art for fundraising to live art creation watch-alongs! By joining the AC Partnership Program, we aimed to boost his profile within the community and create a meaningful relationship with Ubisoft. Seraj left the team in October 2025 due to a change in personal circumstances. Serajeddine

SisterlyThrower is a Twitch streamer who began streaming in 2019. While initially covering a variety of different topics and games, he eventually leaned into one of his first loves of modern gaming, Assassin’s Creed. While he was playing through the series much, much later than most everyone else, he quickly grew to love the lore, the gameplay, and yes, all those pesky achievements. This love for Assassin’s Creed has blossomed into his current suite of projects, lovingly entitled, “Assassin Academy”. Working to learn more about the Assassin’s Creed universe, Assassin Academy places SisterlyThrower into what will soon be a whole host of different themed videos and streams. Currently, SisterlyThrower is conducting a series of playthrough streams under different challenges (Assassin 1001 – Fundamentals of Assassin-ing). While not streaming or looking up achievement lists, SisterlyThrower spends most of his time with his wife, WifeyThrower and their two cats: Mary, who was supposed to be SisterlyThrower’s cat at first, but of course glommed onto WifeyThrower and won’t let go, and Jimothy, the quintessential essence of what happens when you give a cat only three brain cells and he loses two of them. SisterlyThrower also enjoys making videos under his other moniker, The Video Game Therapyst, where he utilizes his real-world expertise as a therapist to analyze the mental health messages found in today’s games. Previous Next SisterlyThrower Video Content SisterlyThrower is a Twitch streamer who began streaming in 2019. While initially covering a variety of different topics and games, he eventually leaned into one of his first loves of modern gaming, Assassin’s Creed. While he was playing through the series much, much later than most everyone else, he quickly grew to love the lore, the gameplay, and yes, all those pesky achievements. This love for Assassin’s Creed has blossomed into his current suite of projects, lovingly entitled, “Assassin Academy”. Working to learn more about the Assassin’s Creed universe, Assassin Academy places SisterlyThrower into what will soon be a whole host of different themed videos and streams. Currently, SisterlyThrower is conducting a series of playthrough streams under different challenges (Assassin 1001 – Fundamentals of Assassin-ing). While not streaming or looking up achievement lists, SisterlyThrower spends most of his time with his wife, WifeyThrower and their two cats: Mary, who was supposed to be SisterlyThrower’s cat at first, but of course glommed onto WifeyThrower and won’t let go, and Jimothy, the quintessential essence of what happens when you give a cat only three brain cells and he loses two of them. SisterlyThrower also enjoys making videos under his other moniker, The Video Game Therapyst, where he utilizes his real-world expertise as a therapist to analyze the mental health messages found in today’s games. Twitch | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | Tumblr Work

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This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 23rd - 29th July 2022. Black & White Special Community Share 30 Jul 2022 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, 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. This week we have a black and white special featuring 6 shots from the VP Community. 1) Elise de la Serre Game: Assassin’s Creed Unity This week’s first capture comes from @ JamesTiddlyQuid a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. First up we have an elegant photo of everyone’s favourite Templar. This particular shot comes from a stunning set of black and white portraits that showcase the details of Elise and her attire. I am loving the lighting and how it shows off Elise’s hair. As a character she is modelled so well and this shows how ahead of its time Unity was. this image conveys period drama vibes from the scenery, Elise's stance and the depth provided by the black and white filter, absolutely brilliant. Link to set 2) Eivor Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Photo number two comes from @ warriorqueenvp a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. Next up we have male Eivor looking quite vulnerable. The ability to customise your character is a major plus in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. From a VP perspective the option to add tattoos, beards, and hairstyles means many unique captures. Black and White VP is often overlooked but this shot shows the advantages to it. The way the tattoos pop against Eivor’s skin is just incredible. Check out the original tweets to see a comparison with the coloured version of the image. Link to set 3) Spartan Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey This week’s third shot comes from @ kingforever008 a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. Although photo number three has a slight blue haze it’s still qualifies for this showcase. What I love about this shot is how historical it looks. It reminds me of the pictures you see in museums next to exhibits. The shadows, especially across Kassandra’s face give off a mysterious, yet brutal feel. It could easily be mistaken for a statue you might find in London when playing Valhalla. Obviously the helmet gives away who this really is and RenanVP does a great job of showcasing it. 4) Amunet Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP number four comes from @ Subject_72 a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. Two weeks in a row for Subject_72 but how could I not feature this unbelievable shot of Amunet? Dressed for the kill, and wearing a stare that only Aya can pull off, this capture is an incredible achievement. I imagine this is what all her target see right before the blade is brandished. I am really enjoying the blurred out background because it lets Amunet shine, it also gives of the feel of a sandstorm sweeping in. 5) Hidden One Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP number five comes from @ petta_velan a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community . I wanted to include this capture as it’s a great representation of black and white VP. What’s confusing about Valhalla and this shot is how Eivor can look just like an assassin, but still have bulky armour on. The light shining off the armour plating brings so much light to the photo, you can almost see the colour. I think my favourite part of this capture would have to be the shadow covering Eivor’s eyes. Combined with the hood and the stance you can tell he is eavesdropping on a conversation. 6) Raven Clan Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Platform: PS5 The final capture of the week comes from @ Brentassins over on Twitter. We end the Black and White special with a stunning portrait of Eivor dressed in her black raven helmet. This piece of gear is one of my favourites in the game, it especially looks impressive when worn with a hood. You can see that look in the link below. Once again this is a capture that shows off the benefits of black and white photography. The way it highlights the golden patterns on the helmet and adds those menacing white eyes is perfection. 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! 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

The Future of Assassin’s Creed at UbiForward 2023 Part 4 - Assassin's Creed Mirage Gameplay Trailer Breakdown Share 18 Jun 2023 Written By: Edited By: Michael Smith Colum Blackett Back To Database Banner by Thea Marie Rivedal (Moonchildgecko) from TOWCB Art Team. Welcome to the forth and final part in our series breaking down all of the Assassin's Creed content presented at Ubisoft Forward 2023. In part four, we take a look at Assassin's Creed Mirage Gameplay Trailer reveal! Related articles: The Future of Assassin’s Creed at UbiForward 2023 Part 1 - Pre-Show & Assassin's Creed Nexus The Future of Assassin’s Creed at UbiForward 2023 Part 2 - Assassin's Creed Codename Jade The Future of Assassin’s Creed at UbiForward 2023 Part 3 - Assassin's Creed Mirage Story Trailer The AC Mirage Gameplay Walkthrough opens above the streets of Baghdad with what appears to be the Great Mosque of al-Mansur. The developers show with this space alone that the map of the round city of Baghdad has been changed for the game from its historical reference. This is mainly due to the space in the center of the city around the building being a lot more dense with flora and gardens, where in historical images, the space around was much more empty. Basim looks at a Wanted poster for himself that reads “Cutthroat (Killer/Murderer) Wanted for Justice”. These posters are part of the game’s notoriety system and the first time since Assassin’s Creed Revelations that we have had the multi-tier system. With previous trailers also showing city criers, we should see a similar system with posters, payoffs, and dispatching authoritative figures being the way to lower your wanted level in game. A short montage of scenes follow, with Basim running from the Caliphate, and parkouring over a stack of wood. A corner assassination where Basim helps align this guard's neck and drags his body away from view. Lastly, we see the Assassin performing a Leap of Faith from within the second ring of the city walls. Basim on horseback galloping through a flock of ostriches, a new animal in the Assassin’s Creed series. Could these animals provide crafting or trade materials? Their features, meat, and bone could provide monetary gain or be used for the blowgun we see later on, similar to the blow darts in AC IV: Black Flag. Basim runs across a rope over the streets. The layered carpets over and under the awning of this building could represent a shop, possibly the tailors for new outfit dyes, or maybe to get decorations for the bureau, like how Edward and Ezio would purchase art for their own bases. Basim rowing a wooden boat through the city canals with nearby civilians going on with their daily tasks. This image alone provides a great sense of the life that we will see in this dense city. Who knows what kind of chatter we will be able to hear and learn from. Rumors, arguments, comments? I think of Origins and the lines of dialogue that were recorded to make the city stand on its own. Basim takes a pause in front of the ziggurat of Dur-Kurigalzu , west of the city of Baghdad. While this may appear to be a large landmass, it actually housed a city with temples before being abandoned in the 12th Century BCE. Could we have an opportunity to explore the ruins, or will they be occupied by factions, or even the Order of the Ancients? This set of shots could be from the same scene, where Basim and friend Nehal appear one after the other. Is this a reunion? Basim standing behind the flame of a brazier is drawing the attention to him. Did he just appear before Nehal, and if so, is she happy to see him, or upset at seeing his Assassin’s garb? Is this where she asks, “Swallow your questions. Serve without complaint. Who is she to tell you when to strike?” that we heard in the story trailer? More combat between Basim and the Caliphate guards. Kicking one away and countering another with a spin, kicking up sand. How many counter animations will we get to see? Will the sand be used to blind opponents like in AC II? More scenes of Basim with one where he rolls over the back of a Caliphate, the counter roll that we used in Valhalla and the Hook and Run in Revelations. Lastly, Basim releases his hidden blade before launching into a sprint assassination on a Caliphate guard from behind, ending the pre-roll before the gameplay begins. Gameplay begins in the streets of Baghdad. Basim’s current mission: Branching Out (located in the top left corner) is wrapping up and Basim must report to Roshan to complete it. The lush greenery and flowers are giving life to the brown and tan colored city. In the Developer Gameplay Breakdown (DGB) ( link ) Art Director, Jean-Luc Sala & Creative Director, Stéphane Boudon describe Baghdad as a “garden city”. Basim parkours across the balconies and beams on the right of the screen, stopping on top of a decorative rope to assassinate a target before sprinting from the nearby alerted guards. In the third image above, we see the player HUD for the first time. (From L-R, top to bottom) We see the mission details again, then the compass in the top-center, the player Health/Stamina bars and what appears to be this game's “rations” icon, a health tonic. Lastly, in the lower right we see the wanted system with three stages “Aware”, “Range Attack” and “Combat”. While these names are not the official titles for the system, it provides an idea of what we can expect. At Stage 1, enemies will be aware of you, the red “!” icon at the top of the HUD activating. At Stage 2, range based enemies will start looking for you and attacking, and at Stage 3, you will be hunted by the Caliphate. Basim makes a hard turn down a side street and pulls down a scaffolding, an obstacle that players may remember from previous AC titles. This results in a cinematic camera angle where the collapse kicks up a cloud of dust to hide Basim from the sight of the guards. While I do not believe that the camera change will be part of the game, and is used here for show, it would be interesting to see more cinematic angles if it doesn’t hinder the player experience or controls. Basim rushes up a stack of crates and uses the returning “corner swing” to turn without stopping, rushing across beams and up a roof where one of the new Marksman types sees the Assassin and draws his bow. Basim luckily drops out of sight and into the canal where he will jump to a zipline. Once he drops out of range, we get a better look at the compass and the various icons used to tell players where points of interest are. Before him we see the Assassin’s Emblem which indicates the nearby bureau within 43 m of Basim. To the far right we see two crossed swords, a blacksmith’s shop most likely as next to it are two sewing needles which have been used in the past for the tailors. To the right of the bureau icon and on the right of the screen we see an orange sun which is the marker for the current mission location. A classic way to locate an Assassin’s Bureau is the rooftop is the open air entry and nearby Assassin’s Emblem. Basim drops into the covered entry where we see multiple Assassins of different positions and a very lived-in environment. This is great for world building as previous entries felt barren. Basim enters the bureau to be greeted by Fuladh and Abu Jafar Muhammad with the Arabic greeting “Alhamdulillah” or “ praise be to God”. Abu Jafar is noted to be an historical figure in the DGB and from what I could locate, is most likely to be al-Tabari ( link ) a historian of the period. He will be in charge of your gear and creating new tools for players. Basim hands Fuladh the feather from his first assignment, the man who we saw him kill in the story trailer video; the man with the Golden Moustache Mask. In return, Abu Jafar provides a paper of some form, possibly further information on what they have learned in his absence, or possibly payment for his work as paper currency was used at the time in Asia. Basim joins Fuladh and Roshan at the map table where they inform Basim that they have been looking for new locations to erect Bureaus while he focused on Al-Ghul (the first assassination target, the Golden Moustache). Having found three districts that are unassuming. With this information, we now know that there are four potential bureaus minimum (including the one they are in) and four Order of the Ancient members (as we learned in the story trailer). It would be easy to suspect that we will have one OotA member per district, and I still believe that we will see at least eight members total. Two off-screen Assassins, Tabid and Rebekah have joined from Alamut and are splitting up to look into bureau locations in Al-Abbasiyah and Karkh. Al-Abbasiyah sounds like it may be home to the Abbasid Caliphate, and Karkh is western Baghdad. Fuladh also mentions traveling to Sharqiyah while Roshan goes to meet Rebekah in Karkh. Researching these names I got locations around the Middle East, but nothing definitive to Baghdad (except for Karkh). Abu Jafar invites Basim to look at his tools, where Basim is able to unlock the last of six tools. Starting from the highlighted orange tool, the Blowdart, in a clockwise order we have the smoke bomb, trap automaton, noisemaker, throwing knife, and torch at the top of the circle. The tutorial panel on the right informs you to wisely choose a tool to unlock, but that all tools can be unlocked later in the game. In the DGB we learn that each tool can be upgraded via a skill tree so there will be plenty of opportunity to strengthen your tools. Hovering over the Blowdart, we see a description of the tool, the ammo capacity, range, and duration. With the return of the tailors as seen on the compass, ammo patches will most likely be an upgradable option to purchase and unlock. Later in this trailer we see the sleep darts being used, from the DGB we know that damage darts (Poison) and Berserk darts will also be available? Once you select the tool to unlock, you will need to confirm your selection. After unlocking the Blowdart, Basim walks to the Contracts Board (labeled with a quill and parchment) where players will be able to find additional missions to unlock currency and materials to upgrade his tools. In the top left corner we see the three token types that are accumulated by completing these missions and their optional “Contractor Requests”. The pentagon bronze token is the “Power Favor Token” (as we see gained later on), the silver appears to be the “Assassin Favor Token” based on the use of a feather in its design, and the jade colored one the “City Favor Token” is assumed based on the building design. These lead me to believe we will have tokens for weapons, stealth, and environmental/social abilities or tool upgrades using them. One of our newest members @HiddenOnesN translated the text on the wall behind the contracts. Click her name to read the full thread on these. The highlighted contract, “The Bronze Mirror Heist” is presented with a hand reaching into a fortress with a silver color (as well as jade) as it is related to the Assassin Token. This appears to be the symbol for a stealth mission where you must steal an item, such as the Bronze Mirror. There is also a silver pair of swords over a pathway which is most likely an escort mission where we must defend a target. In orange we see the escort and the last contract type, a skull and Hidden Blade which is an obvious assassination contract. The reward for completing “The Bronze Mirror Heist” is 2x of a sword/bird icon (I assume ability points), 45x Components (crafting materials), and 1x Assassin Favor Token. IF the player also completes the mission without killing anyone, they meet the requirements for the Contractor Request and will unlock a second Assassin Favor Token as well as 65 Dirham (currency). We get a glance at the selected Assassination contract, “The Concubine” where Basim is tasked with killing whoever is holding one of the Caliph’s concubines, a rebel spy, hostage at the Prince’s Palace. This mission will reward a Power Favor Token, 45x Components, 135 Steel Ingots (materials to upgrade armor?) and if they do not take damage, additional rewards of a second Power Favor token and 65 Dirham will be provided. We transition to Basim using a bench to “Pass Time” as we have used in previous titles such as the RPG titles. He stands fromt he bench and moves forward to climb higher on the nearby wall to reach a vantage point over the city square. Basim calls Enkidu to look around the area, but his companion is shot down by a nearby Marksman and becomes unavailable until the enemy is removed from the area. This not only provides a challenge to the character, but is also a component of deciding how to complete a mission and which direction to take. After Basim performs a Leap of Faith to a haystack below, he crosses the square and climbs the second wall before him to activate his “Eagle Vision”. In Mirage’s style, the world is darkened in shadow while enemies are highlighted in red, and their vision cones are also displayed (a great addition as I always got confused on which way they faced). Treasure chests are highlighted in gold and hiding spots such as the haystack in the corner are shown in white (as all stealth options will be). Bassim drops down to a pile of flowers and walks swiftly to a group of civilians, telling them to act casual. This is a look at the return of Social Stealth, a key component that fans have been missing for quite some time. Outside of organic opportunities like this, we also learn from the DGB that you can pay merchants and groups to create additional stealth opportunities. As Basim hides we see the nearby guard walk past with a visible health and focus bar next to a difficulty indicator as we saw last in Valhalla. This guard appears to be inactive with the white diamond, but later we will see one that is on the offensive. Basim sneaks past the guard into a flowerbed where he equips his Blowdart and knocks out a nearby guard. We see from the tool wheel that players can track their ammo levels as well as assign three tools to “Quick Use” hotkeys on their keyboard/controller. This wheel will also slow down time to allow players time to make decisions (per the DGB). Basim dispatches the second guard and continues past the sandbags to another flowerbed underneath the Marksman that shot at Enkidu earlier. However, before he can reach the Marksman, he has a few more guards to take care of. Basim equips the Noisemaker and tosses it into the doorframe of the nearby entryway, the highlighted arch showing where it will land. The Noisemaker explodes with a loud snapping noise drawing the attention of the nearby guards. Basim kills the first and then a double assassination of the guard on the stairs with a throwing knife. We see here with the second guard, that there is a red bar under his difficulty indicator which shows that he is attacking. Basim climbs the tower, the wanted icon at the top now in yellow with a “?” showing that Basim’s location is unknown. The Marksman has a crossed out eagle icon (the Enkidu restriction) and a skull meaning that the guard is either a higher difficulty or still hunting for Basim. The Assassin performs a ledge assassination to kill the Marksman and is informed that Enkidu is available from use again. Enkidu takes off and shows Basim where his target is using the orange sun icon again as well as a gold chest icon on the right side of the roof. Basim reaches the ropes above his target and activates his Eagle Vision again, moving then into the new “Assassin Focus” where Basim can chain assassinate enemies. The gauge for this is shown with the five bars at the bottom of the screen. The controls will allow players to target up to five enemies and target them if needed before launching the attack. However, Basim must perform stealth kills to recharge it. This will trigger a series of ghostly assassinations as Basim movies like an apparition, teleporting to each kill. Basim arms and tosses a Trap automatron and then moves in for his assassination. Basim moves from the target kill to double assassinate a guard on the right before countering the guard on the left and breaking his focus. The heavy Caliphate guard at the entrance triggers the trap which appears to be poison. Basim runs past and turns at the staircase down towards two more guards and uses a smoke bomb to cloud the space in a red smoke as he escapes. Basim air assassinates a guard outside of the contract area, completing the Contractor Request of not taking damage and receives his rewards of a Power Favor Token, Components, Steel Ingots, and Dirham. The trailer ends with Basim blending into the crowd as the Caliphate hunts for him. We also see the red hand icon for Pickpocketing before the camera raises to the closing Mirage logo. This ends The Ones Who Came Before’s coverage of UbiForward. We hope that you have enjoyed these articles and are excited to discuss everything with our fans on our Discord and socials. 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 Symphonic Adventure London Photo Log Events Share 30 May 2024 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Colum Blackett Back To Database On the 29th and 30th May 2024, the Assassin's Creed Symphonic Adventure UK Premiere took take place in London. Representing The Ones Who Came Before were Aaron Young (FalconSwift87: Isu_Network Virtual Photography Team), Lisa Zaman (Art Team) and Louise Chase (TheNerdyArcher: Isu_Network Writing Team) on the night of Wednesday 29th May! Here are our photos from the event! Photos by Aaron Young Photos by Louise Chase Coming Soon Photos by Lisa Zaman Coming Soon comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author A collection of articles from The Ones Who Came Before team. TOWCB Team

What happens when the world goes into lockdown and comic cons around the world are postponed? The actor Paul Amos known as the voice of Jacob Frye from Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (also Lost Girl and The Murdoch Mysteries ) teamed up with his friend Rachel Skarsten (Lost Girl, Reign, Batwoman) to c The Assassin's Creed Community are raising money for Ocean Conservancy. Donate today Community Articles HomeCon 2020: Bringing the Comic Con to your Home. Share Save 10% on officially licensed Assassin's Creed Origins merchandise with the code "TOWCB" Top Stories What happens when the world goes into lockdown and comic cons around the world are postponed? The actor Paul Amos known as the voice of Jacob Frye from Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (also Lost Girl and The Murdoch Mysteries ) teamed up with his friend Rachel Skarsten (Lost Girl, Reign, Batwoman) to create their very own and unique, stay at home Comic-con, the aptly named HomeCon which debuted on April 10th-11th 2020. Back to Database From the moment Paul Amos went live on Instagram on the 30th March and declared a new project he’d created alongside Rachel Skarsten, we knew he had something big up his sleeve and it would be a game changer. A few days later via Instagram Live HomeCon was announced and a comic con like no other had been born. With the world on lockdown and comic cons being postponed or cancelled left right and centre, Paul and Rachel had the genius idea to create HomeCon, as the name suggests a comic con at home. But how would it work? What would it entail? And who would be there? With everyone at home, HomeCon literally had a captive audience and with many of the voice actors in the same boat as the fans, they were available to participate. Like with any Comic-Con, there would be panels, Q&A’s and the chance to have 1to1’s with your favourite actor. So with less than two weeks Paul, Rachel and many other incredible people behind the scenes pulled an incredible feat and HomeCon was ready to go live. HomeCon would take part on April 10th and 11th. All panels would be live via Twitch and with a subscription of $4.99 (or free of you had an Amazon Prime account) you could view it all. HomeCon’s Social Media platforms ( Twitter , Facebook & Instagram ) informed us frequently with panel information and guests. As the HomeCon website went live, it provided fans with schedule’s and allowed them to book their 1to1 sessions. Of course, there were a few teething problems, as there always is with technology and the rapid interest in HomeCon meant that the website traffic sent it into a mini meltdown. With all new ventures, there were a few teething problems, but personally speaking I felt that the HomeCon support teams did a phenomenal job in handling issues prior and during the event. 12/4/20 By Lisa Zaman Edited by Ashlea Buckley References Assassin’s Creed Panel (Twitch) Voice Acting in Video Games Panel (Twitch) HomeCon website Paul Amos Twitter Support TOWCB By using our Amazon Links The Assassin's Creed Community are raising money for the Italian Red Cross! Donate here Save 10% on officially licensed Assassin's Creed Origins merchandise with the code "TOWCB" A few questioned the cost ($53 for 5 mins) for the 1to1, some feeling that they couldn’t justify the spend during these uncertain times, but as Paul explained very diplomatically that many actors had dedicated their time free of charge to be available and that 10% of proceeds were going to the charity First Responders First . What I felt was impressive it that they devised an almost perfect timetable, the different time zones taken into account, allowing those around the world to tune in. Day 1 started strong, with a live introduction and welcome by Rachel and Paul. Assassin’s Creed fans eagerly awaited the AC panel at 6pm BST. I noted as I tuned in to watch that over 26,000 people were watching. Suddenly all the familiar faces (or should that be voices) appeared on screen and the discussions began. I felt the moderator Ming Chen did a great job in keeping the pace and allowing each person to talk. However, as is the way with this incredible bunch of people, the conversation steered off course in the best possible way, usually led by Paul himself. It was great to see the interaction between them all, each one giving a little insight into their character and sharing anecdotes. As the hour long panel continued it was a joy to see fans sending questions and even communicating with one another as the message board scrolled furiously. Image source: Cas Anvar Before Day 1 came to an end, Paul popped back on to Instagram to send love and thanks to all involved and teased us with the hint that there could be a HomeCon 2.0. Victoria Atkin (Evie Frye) also hosted a quick Instagram live with Melissanthi Mahut (Kassandra), and then siblings Alexios and Kassandra did the same over on Michael Antonakos’s Instagram. It was evident at this point that everyone was having the best time and that HomeCon really was bringing everyone together. Day 2 and Assassin’s Creed was represented in the Motion Capture Panel which featured Elias Toufexis (Federico Auditore da Firenze - AC 2), Melissanthi Mahut (Kassandra - AC Odyssey) and Kris Holden-Ried (Crawford Starrick - AC Syndicate), alongside Greg Bryk (Joseph Seed - Far Cry 5) and Adam Croasdell (Ignis Scientia - Final Fantasy XV) The panel was insightful and again thoroughly amusing. Meanwhile remaining AC actors were busy meeting and greeting fans via the 1to1’s. I myself had the pleasure of talking with Victoria Atkin all whilst being photobombed constantly by my excited son! Image Source: Lisa Zaman As Day 2 drew to an end for the Assassins Creed fans, Michael Antonakos went live on Instagram with HomeCon’s co creator Paul, who we discovered, was sat in his shower with a beer and a box of kitty litter. Would we have expected anything less from the Welshman? As the conversation passed between the two it was obvious that there had been another lightbulb moment for Paul and that perhaps another HomeCon would focus solely on Assassin’s Creed. As HomeCon came to an end it became clear that it had been a great success. Not only in bringing excitement and entertainment to the fans at such a tumultuous time, but it allowed those who have been unable to participate in Comic cons previously (be it mentally, physically or simply geographically) to enjoy and embrace the atmosphere that so many of us cherish. Yes, it was a fabulously entertaining 2 days, but what I took away from this experience is, as Paul highlighted, it allowed us as humans, to connect with others, something that is so important in these current times. More information on the Assassin's Creed Comic Con event coming soon Lisa is a talented portrait artist specialising in graphite work. Back in May of 2019, she turned her attentions to the world of Assassin's Creed art, and began creating lifelike portraits of key characters. You can follow Lisa and her projects on Twitter Lisa Zaman About the Author 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

Q&A with with Thibaud de la Touanne (Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice) Interview Share 10 Aug 2019 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Assassin’s Creed®: Brotherhood of Venice is a tabletop board game with miniatures aiming to capture the essence of Assassin's Creed® and turn it into a fun, fully cooperative game for 1 to 4 players. It is played in a campaign spanning several months in 1509 in which you play a small team of Assassins in charge of developing the Headquarters of the Brotherhood of Assassins in Venice, after Ezio Auditore has defeated Cesare Borgia and his allies, between the events of Assassin’s Creed®: Brotherhood and Assassin’s Creed®: Revelations. Players will use their Assassin's skills, equipment and their own sense of tactics to complete various objectives while evading detection from the Guards. The campaign will pit you against Templars, let you explore unknown events of the Brotherhood in Venice, and determine the fate of the Brotherhood in the famous City of Masks. Our Community Admin Col_96 sat down with Thibaud de la Touanne, Founder of Triton Noir, the Montreal based studio behind Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood of Venice. Col: Welcome Thibaud, thank you for taking the time to talk with me today. How are you? Thibaud: Working on the game’s development, so very good, thank you! Col: Fantastic. I understand you’ve been very busy recently. How would you describe the project, and how did it all start? Thibaud: Our first tabletop game V-Commandos was inspired by the fun gameplay of some famous stealth-based video games such as Metal Gear Solid, the Commandos series, and obviously Assassin’s Creed. As we thought about our next game, it struck us that the gameplay of V-Commandos could be a good inspiration for an Assassin’s Creed game. What’s more, our Story Designer Fabrice Lamidey was Creative Director of Assassin’s Creed Initiates. His knowledge was crucial to start developing the board game because he gave us a great insight on both the passion and diversity of the fans as well as on the way the universe and franchise work. Actually, a big part of the whole team has been into those video games for quite a long time, which makes it very easy and natural for us to develop an Assassin’s Creed board game. Having kept great relations with Ubisoft, it felt natural to talk to them about the idea of making Assassin’s Creed®: Brotherhood of Venice. Col: This is one of the first ever crowd funded Assassin’s Creed projects. How does it feel to know that it has been a huge success, and to see that over 7100 people have backed the project? Thibaud: We are very proud of such a success. With a license deal signed with Ubisoft Montreal, Triton Noir has been developing Assassin’s Creed®: Brotherhood of Venice for months. The first public demos and the campaign indeed received a warm welcome from both the press and the players. Like we said already, behind the new game, there is a whole team of veterans from the board and video game industries. To ensure a top-quality Assassin’s Creed tabletop game, we made the call to go on Kickstarter. Having financed the first development steps, we needed the support from the backers to make sure the project was to be fulfilled with all the cool stuff we wanted to implement – fans of the famous Assassin’s Creed® franchise, but also players who were convinced by our first game V-Commandos, and those who are into cooperative and/or infiltration games in general. Anyway, with thousands of people backing the projects on Kickstarter, we are the happiest board game developers! Thank you all for making it possible! Col: How has the development process changed since the financial backing? Has the project become more ambitious at all? Thibaud: We had very high expectations in terms of quality and quantity. We wanted to create a collector game. The campaign just allowed to do it as we planned. Well, that said, we could not resist adding some new features or improve some assets for the game… We also decided to rework some of the assets shown during the campaign, such as the tiles which were entirely redesigned, or Dariâ’s miniature. Col: How much freedom do the team in Montreal have over the creative direction of the project, and are Ubisoft overseeing its development? Thibaud: Ubisoft is working closely with us on every aspect of the game. We are checking every single asset, character, miniature use in the game, getting sure that everything is up to the Assassin’s Creed® standards. That said, the trust between our team and Ubisoft allows us to be creative too, which is, to us, very rare in a license deal. It’s a blast to work with those guys that have been friends for years, and former colleague as well! Col: Are there anyone individuals at Ubisoft who have really helped to make this project a reality? Thibaud: Yes, let’s give a warm thank you to Transmedia & Business Development Director at Ubisoft, Aymar Azaïzia! Col: The game has been available to play at several events. Have you had any feedback from fans, and has anything been changed/adapted at all? Thibaud: We definitely run tons of playtests during conventions since the game was ready to test, about 2 years ago. Quality Assurance playtests have been part of the video games development, and we work the same way. We get lots of positive feedback and the fans of the licence tell us that they find the spirit of the Assassin’s Creed® video games. This is great for us, but what we are looking for most of all are all the feedback allowing us to improve the game by any way (cards, icons, rules, etc.). Col: Does the game add new characters to the franchise, and if so, can we consider them canon in the AC Universe? Thibaud: Yes! The narrative set in the past, is canon with what happened during the Italian Renaissance and deals with the Brotherhood established by Ezio Auditore da Firenze. The narrative set in the present will also be canon and we are working on it now! Col As the miniatures all come unpainted, are the team encouraging players to paint them? If so, will guides become available on how to do this successfully? Thibaud: Definitely! Check out the awesome work of Angel Giraldez on Facebook and YouTube. He had our minis painted and the results are amazing! Col: You can see the intricate detailing of each miniature, and it’s clear that lots of time and effort has gone into making this project a reality. What’s the next stage of the project, and how are the team preparing for launch? Thibaud: All the minis sculpt are done now; it was a huge amount of work that required up to 7 artists. What they did exceeded our expectations! We are currently working the illustrations and tiles, designing the remaining Memories (missions) and cards, the Assassins hideouts, the rules and balancing these Memories difficulty. Launch is planned for June 2020, so we still have time to think about it :). You can now pre-order Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice! Links: Brotherhood of Venice: Facebook Page Twitter Triton Noir website Pre-order Kick Starter Giveaway Finally, to conclude our 5 year anniversary celebrations, we are giving you the chance to win an exclusive Follower of Romulus miniature figure from the Brotherhood of Venice tabletop board game! Ends 30/8/19 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)

Let's Talk Assassin's Creed: Valhalla #2 ft Col_96 Podcast Share 1 May 2020 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Back To Database In today's special epsidoe we take a look at asassins Valhalla news, in also joined by a Community admin from the ones who came before comunity group. https://twitter.com/ACFirstCiv?s=09 Spotify Link 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)

TO BE COMPLETED The Story of The Underrated Assassin’s Creed Rogue Share Written By: Edited By: Reporter Name Back To Database comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author This is placeholder text. To connect this element to content from your collection, select the element and click Connect to Data. About the Author

AC Movie Press Event London (First 20 minutes (From Memory & Notes) Events Share 12 May 2016 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database I recently attended The AC Movie Press Event in London, and saw the first 20 minutes of the upcoming Assassin's Creed Movie (Amongst many other things). This article is written from my memory and a few notes. (MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE ASSASSIN'S CREED MOVIE) So the movie begins with an Eagle soaring over New Mexico, showing us a high angle shot of the sand below. After flying over several isolated buildings, we zoom in on a small town. The music playing is Young Dead Men by The Black Angels , a song that I thought worked very well with the scene. The lyrics especially made it work. "Run for the hills, pick up your feet and let's go" The Eagle flies off, and we focus in on a hooded young boy riding his bike through a quiet, dusty town. After several cinematic shots showing the boy biking, he bikes towards his home and gets off the bike. The lively introduction music that was playing fades out, and we the boy slowly enters his home. A new song starts playing through a record player, creating a creepy atmosphere. The boy calls out for his mother as he comes in through the back door. The next shot we see is of a woman sitting in a chair, staring across the room. Blood can be seen on her chest, and it becomes apparent that she has been stabbed. The camera slowly pans across her body, and we see that she is holding a strange looking necklace with the Assassin insignia. The necklace is wrapped around her hand, and is covered in blood. The boy walks towards his mother slowly, looking at the injuries inflicted on her. The camera pans towards the right hand side of the room, and we see a hooded man facing the other way. Whispering to himself he says "Laa shay'a waqi'un moutlaq bale kouloun moumkine." (Nothing is True. Everything is Permitted). It was nice to hear the Maxim of The Creed again, but this was a super creepy scene! He turns around, and the camera zooms in on his face. He is a bearded man, and looks like he is possessed. The boy nervously says "Dad", and the man begins to walk towards the boy. The camera focusses in on his hidden blade, dripping with blood. His dad, looking menacing in a dark green hoodie, walks towards his son. In the distance we hear sirens approaching, and Joseph says to his son "Your blood is not your own Cal." As the police cars slowly pull up, Callum runs out the door as his father is arrested. As the cars pull up, we see a Templar Cross Necklace (The Ubiworkshop one) danging from the inside car mirror. (It was the exact same one that I was wearing at the time, and Justin Kurzel had actually noticed we wearing it earlier that day) As the police enter the house, the camera pulls away and focusses on Cal, freerunning accross the rooftops. We see several slow motion shots, as he jumps from roof to roof. As the sirens fade away, we cut to present day, and Lynch is now sat in a prison cell drawing. We see his wall, and the entire segment is filled with dark sketches. several seconds of watching Cal sketch away in his cell, we see a guard talking to a priest. "All he does is draw. It's against the rules, but what can we do. Man likes to draw" says the guard, looking at Cal on the CCTV monitors. We are then told by the guard that Callum beat someone to death. The priest enters the cell to speak to Cal, and sits down beside him. Lynch looks at the priest and says, "Are you here to save me". The priest asks Cal if there is anything he can do to bring him comfort. Cal says that there is a poem that his mother used to say to him as a kid. (It's an extract from " After Apple Picking" by Robert Frost) . The priest and Cal recite the poem together, and then we see Cal being taken to the Execution room. In the room Cal is strapped to a machine that will give him a lethal injection. Lynch appears to show no remorse, as he looks at the family members of the person he killed through the glass. He is asked if he has any final words and he says "Tell my father I'll see him in hell". With this the clock hits 18.00, and we see the liquid being pumped into his arm. This is quite a horrible scene, as Lynch realises that he about to die. Bits of this execution scene can be seen in the first 30 seconds of the trailer . As Callum falls asleep, the camera goes blurry then dark. He then wakes up next to a woman, who tells him that her name is Dr Sophia Rikken. He's in a hospital bed, and is extremely weak. "Where am I" he asks. "At 6pm yesterday evening, you were executed, and pronounced dead. You no longer exist". She tells him that he needs to take some time to recover, as they have to use a liquid so strong that it makes the prison guards think that the convict is dead. "It's the only thing strong enough to get past the guards". She tells him that he is now her patient at an Abstergo facility, and she is going to help him get better. Cal gets out of the chair and tries to escape. As soon as he gets up, his legs give way and he falls into the corridor. Sophia says that it's okay to the guards, and Cal slowly limps around the facility. He sees many other patients wearing the same white outfits that he is wearing. The Abstergo Facility looks like a hospital, and is extremely white and clean. Cal slowly runs underneath the Abstergo logo, and stumbles onto the floor. Getting back up, a little girl says to him "Your blood is not your own". This is the same line that his father said to him earlier in the movie. Cal gets up and continues his slow run around the facility. He enters a room that is filled with trees and plants, being attended to by other patients in the facility. Cal slowly walks towards the edge, where he bumps into Michael K. Williams who says Nothing is True. Everything is Permitted. (In Arabic) Cal walks towards the ledge, and we are shown the building that he is being kept in. The Abstergo facility is in an old church in Madrid. Cal looks out at the city and he is told that there is only one way to escape this facility. Cal gets up and continues his slow run around the facility. He enters a room that is filled with trees and plants, being attended to by other patients in the facility. Cal slowly walks towards the edge, where he bumps into Michael K. Williams who says Nothing is True. Everything is Permitted. (In Arabic) Cal walks towards the ledge, and we are shown the building that he is being kept in. The Abstergo facility is in an old church in Madrid. Cal looks out at the city and he is told that there is only one way to escape this facility. Sophia enters the room with Abstergo guards and Michael K. Williams says "The walls have eyes". Cal looks at the guards, and at the height below, considering whether to jump or not. "You are not a prisoner here" Sophia says to Cal. "You can leave whenever you chose". We are then shown Alan Rikkin, watching the entire thing. Panning across his office, we see the Aguilar's crossbow on his desk. We also see a vast collection of weapons, including hidden blades. Cal looks around the room, and is hit with a tranquiliser dart. Sophia is furious that her patient has been subjected to violence already, but the guard replies tells her that her father ordered it. We are then shown Aguilar and Maria running away from a group of Templars. The fight through several buildings, using several weapons including throwing knives and bow and arrow. Maria is especially talented with hidden blades.The fight breaks into several houses, and after killing many enemies, the two Assassins take to the roof tops. We see several long jumps across buildings, as the Assassins are chased by their enemies. They both jump into a tunnel, and kill the remaining Templars with hidden blades. The fighting is quick and clean, something that can be seen in the trailer. We then cut back to modern day as Callum wakes up. Sophia says "Prepare the Animus" and Callum is strapped in. This scene needs to be edited digitally, as it currently just shows Cal climbing wooden planks. It's like an indoor freerunning course, but with editing, will probably look more like the structures that Aguilar is actually climbing. I really enjoyed the event, and the footage was amazing! Images from UbiBlog comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

This Week in Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 24th to 30th July Community Share 1 Aug 2023 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Colum Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week I will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. This week’s theme: WIGVPAC Leap of Faith Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ alisjansendotir “This gift we call a Leap of Faith. It is one of our Brotherhood’s most sacred rites.” A staple of Assassin’s Creed right from the start. The leap of faith is an integral part of the brotherhood and forms part of the initiation process. Despite being a hugely dangerous thing to do it is loved by the fans and is essential to any Assassin’s Creed game. Eivor isn’t really an Assassin but still learns this flamboyant manoeuvre. This shot is actually both epic and daunting, as it seems as if Eivor is jumping into the abyss. It is also remarkable how beautifully lit up Eivor is despite all the darkness around her. In that sense this shot makes for the perfect Assassin’s Creed photo. The Hyena Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ _Virtualtourism “When the Order wants something, as in Siwa, it does not hesitate to crush all in its path” When travelling around Giza, Bayek reveals that the order member known as the Hyena is close by. He discovers that her name is Khaliset and confronts her in a tomb. Her story is tragic and I do not believe she was completely evil. Both characters had suffered a loss and reacted not too dissimilarly. I feel this capture represents Khaliset in a better light, although the sadness in her eyes says otherwise. I am loving the colour tones here with the sandy background and that incredible red from the scarf. The white face paint just explodes, giving her a warrior look. Aya of Alexandria Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ MissEvieFrye “The irony of freedom. We are free of each other, yet it brings me no happiness.” One of my favourite characters in the franchise. My hope is one day we may get a Basim style game for her. Once Aya joined the Hidden Ones she travelled to Rome where a new bureau was set up by her. In doing so she changed her name to Amunet. This would make for such a great game. Miss Frye always captures portraits in such a unique manner and it is a pleasure to see them on my timeline. This shot stood out for me due to the gorgeous tones and the heroic stance. I love the details on show and seeing Aya with her hood up is so cool, and those eyes look fantastic under that hood. Artwork Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ ISNAK3I “Humanity’s fate will be decided by the choices you make” It is often said how much Kassandra looks like Wonder Women, and I am getting that vibe again from this capture. Kassandra maybe a daughter of Sparta but she spends most of the game conflicted as to where she belongs. I loved this aspect of the game, and I liked how you could pick which side to represent. This capture is so different, and stands out amongst the crowd. I like that it has an artwork feel, almost as if it has been painted in her honour. I adore the positioning and the choice of outfit, they work so well with the blackout background. Taking Aim Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ giraph_1 “Beware, the snakes in the grass” Kassandra’s travels across the Greek world saw her come face to face with many a foe. The most secretive of those are the Cult of Kosmos. Hunting these order members down was a real highlight of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. This capture reminds me of the many times I put an arrow into these evil cultists. The warm colours of the shot are so inviting, and the fire on the arrow blends beautifully into the background. I like that Kassandra is covered by a shadow representing one of the assassin traits, but equally it works as a contrast to the light of the flame. The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Judge: @ Defalt368 I selected this shot because I like the warm colours of the shot, and the way the bow breaks up the orange from the darker reddish orange. The darker colour is a nice contrast to the flame, allowing it to stand out. I also like how the shadow is cast across Kassandra. 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

Breaking News: Assassin's Creed Shadows Trailer Coming May 2024 News Share 13 May 2024 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) TOWCB Team Back To Database After 20 months since the original reveal of Assassin's Creed Codename Red, Ubisoft has finally announced that the game is officially titled 'Assassin's Creed: Shadows'. A reveal trailer is due to launch on May 15th at 5pm BST according to a short countdown teaser video that has been posted on social media platforms and also sent out on multiple accounts via Ubisoft's mailing system. According to former Assassin's Creed Community Developer Sebasteann , the hourglass is located in Shinsekai, Osaka. '' Assassin's Creed Codename Red becomes Assassin's Creed Shadows. Tune-in for the Official Cinematic World Premiere Trailer on May 15, 9 AM PT. #AssassinsCreedShadows '' Ubisoft also revealed the new logo and branding for Assassin's Creed Shadows. The official Assassin's creed Twitter accounts changed their banners to this image, containing a secret message which can only be decoded using a cypher, available on the Ubisoft website . Good luck Codebreakers! Another code sent out by the Assassin's Creed mailing list. Teaser for an upcoming Cinematic Trailer. Ubisoft also announced a new season of the Echoes of History podcast. ''Introducing a new chapter of Echoes of History, the podcast that explores the incredible real-life stories and events that inspire the locations, characters, and storylines of the legendary Assassin’s Creed. Join your host, historian Matt Lewis, and regular contributor Holly Nielsen, as they guide you into the worlds of Assassin’s Creed, talking to historical experts to uncover the secrets of the past before stepping ‘into the Animus’ to delve into how these moments are recreated. New weekly episodes every Monday. Echoes of History - a Ubisoft podcast brought to you by History Hit. Music by The Flight.'' The floodgates are about to open on all things Assassin's Creed: Shadows, so stay vigilant Assassins! 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)

AC Community Questions: The Ælchemist Interview Share 5 Feb 2025 Written By: Edited By: TheÆlchemist Colum Blackett Back To Database Hi The Ælchemist , thank you for joining me for this introductory interview. Please could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your role within the Assassin's Creed Community. Col: In January 2025, you joined The Ones Who Came Before's Assassin's Creed Partnership Program, known as the Isu_Network. Are you looking forward to working alongside the team during the launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows? The Ælchemist : : Yes! I'm very much looking forward to working alongside the team. AC Shadows will be a lot of fun. I've been waiting for this instalment since I first started playing Assassin's Creed. Col: How excited are you to get your hands on the upcoming instalment? The Ælchemist : As a person born and raised in the region where the game takes place, that has only increased my hype further. Col: Which Assassin's Creed game have you been playing recently, and which game are you playing next? The Ælchemist : I'm currently playing Syndicate on my Xbox due to its 60 FPS update. I'm having a lot of fun with it and will likely play AC Shadows next. Col: Have you visited any of the locations from the games? The Ælchemist : I have visited London many times and love the Elizabeth Tower. I enjoy visiting historical locations. Col: Which Assassin's Creed game is your favourite and why? The Ælchemist : don’t really have a favorite AC game, but the closest to my favorite is Black Flag, as I love the naval combat and the Moby Dick mission. Official Promo Image for Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag Col: Have you attended any events within the Assassin's Creed Community? The Ælchemist : I haven’t attended any AC events specifically, but whenever there’s a convention I’m at, I make sure to check out their displays. Col: Do you have a favourite Assassin's Creed community moment/ story you would like to share? The Ælchemist : My favorite moment was meeting Desmond's voice actor, Nolan North, and hearing him talk about voicing Desmond Miles. Col: What would be your dream setting for the upcoming AC Netflix TV show or future game? The Ælchemist : My dream setting for upcoming AC content would be WW2 or the Inca empire. Col: Do you have any personal AC goals you would like to achieve? The Ælchemist : My personal AC goal is to someday become involved in some way with the making of a AC game, (voice actor, writer, Mocap Actor etc). Animus Hub: The new home of all things Assassin's Creed Col: What would you say is your most significant community achievement to date? The Ælchemist : My most significant community achievement would probably have to be, becoming a partner with, The Ones Who Came Before. Col: What is your favourite part of being a community member? The Ælchemist : My favorite part of being a community member is being able to talk to and make friends with people who have similar interests. Col: Do you collect AC merchandise? If so, what is your favourite item? The Ælchemist : I do collect AC merchandise, mostly books, but my favorite is a behind-the-scenes book of the movie. Col: What advice do you have for people looking to get into social media management? The Ælchemist : My advice for people looking into social media management is: Work hard, show kindness to your community, and never take anything personally. As long as you work hard and are kind, good people will follow you. Sadly, there will always be bad people on the internet. Don’t engage with them—they want a reaction. Ignore them, and either they will go away, or if they don’t and start talking about you on their accounts, it’s free advertising. As an Asian person on the internet, I’ve seen my fair share of racism. I strive to keep my communities free from discrimination and racism, and I have a zero-tolerance policy for it. So in short, just be nice, be kind, be smart, and work hard—you will grow as a person as well as your following. It’s always slow in the beginning, but once you get things rolling, it will start to pick up speed. Never give up and always work hard. Col: Where can our community members find you online? The Ælchemist : You can find me on: Youtube: @ TheÆLCHEMIST Twitter: Master Shinobi comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author TheÆlchemist is a passionate social media manager based in Japan who joined TOWCB's Social Media Team in January 2025 to help the team prepare for coverage of Assassin's Creed Shadows news and updates. He is known for providing in-depth detailed analysis on all things Assassin's Creed, something which we here at TOWCB always strive to provide. He is also a keen video creator, a skill which we hope to nurture through collaborations with our video content creation team. By joining the partnership program, we will be sharing content created by TheÆlchemist with a larger audience, and he will help our fan community surpass 70,000 followers across all platforms. TheÆlchemist

Answers Lost in Time: A Review of Assassin’s Creed Escape Room Puzzle Book Review Share 17 Feb 2023 Written By: Edited By: Michael Smith Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Banner Art by TOWCB Artist Thea Marie Rivedal (@ Moonchildgecko ) This article contains amazon affliliate links which help to financially support TOWCB #AD Glyph Puzzle from Assassin's Creed II (image by ActualSpider-Man) Stealth, combat, parkour, and puzzles have all been staples of Assassin’s Creed since the first game, but more so since AC II. Clay Kaczmerek was the first puzzle master that we unknowingly followed as we solved his clues to find “The Truth” of the Isu and the core of the Assassin’s Creed story. Solving the various glyphs that were sprinkled around Italy brought a logical aspect to the games that players hadn’t experienced in the first instalment. With each release after AC II, puzzles of some sort have been included to reward the player with additional stories or physical rewards (in-game) that we could use with our character. Author James Hamer-Morton Influenced and crafted by the mind of Escape Room artist James Hamer-Morton, comes a new experience for puzzle enthusiasts and fans of Assassin’s Creed titl es ' Assassin’s Creed Escape Room Puzzle Book .' A new adventure that traverses previous locales of the games as the reader follows an original character Joey through the ages, solving puzzles to stop an impending vision of the future, where a mysterious new villain uses an Isu Artifact to control the masses. Through the use of various puzzle types, readers of this book will pull at the threads of the interwoven story and have an experience similar to that of an escape room themed within the AC Universe. The escape room company that James co-founded “James Hamer-Morton is one of the masterminds behind UK boutique escape room chain 'Deadlocked' - the pioneering powerhouse behind hit episodic online escape rooms 'The Insiders' and 'The Cyphstress'. He was created in a lab specifically for the world of immersive experiences - whilst cutting his teeth starring in art house films and moonlighting as games level designers, he soon turned their hand to the world of 'alternative reality games' -devoting his life to transporting their audiences into the centre of their own artisan adventures. From this he came up with the 'Escape Room Puzzles' series, of which there are now four books.” (Quote provided by the author) The third Escape Room book by James Hamer-Morton I learned during a chat with James that he was approached by Ubisoft as they wanted a similar book for the Assassin’s Creed series to that of his previous works; something he was very excited to do being a fan of the series himself. Having a chance to write an original story for Assassin’s Creed and injecting the pages with puzzles, guiding the reader from one era to the next via the use of the Animus, is a dream for any author and fan of the series. The print error from the end of Chapter 3 While I will be breaking down the contents of the book fro m the story to the dificulty of puzzles, I must start this review with a note for anyone that is planning on picking up this unique entry to the transmedia line; the book has a handful of editing errors that resulted in a broken progression half way through the book. At the end of the third chapter, the Assassin that Joey is controlling within the Animus is provided incorrect information by the target of the confession room. This incorrect information, which is a puzzle itself, provides a list of numbers that are clues to the letter placement of the various identifiers of the target “My name 4, my location - 3,...” This will lead readers to a collection of letters that do not solve the puzzle, in turn stopping them from progressing without looking at the answer section of the book, or turning the page and disregarding the error. The answer section is the correct answer to the puzzle but due to a change of Editors and the publishing of a draft that James had provided to show what he would do, before making the actual puzzle (which changed the order and numbers used in confession), the book in the English version was printed with this broken experience. The correct solution from Chapter 3 James shared his annoyance with this issue as, before I reached out to him about it, prior to our chat he was not aware that his latest work was released with such an error. He shared his process of how he will write the story of each chapter and decide the puzzles he wants to use before sending them to the puzzle checkers and editor to make sure that they will work in all translations. For example, if the phrase “Leaving something up to chance” is said for a puzzle that uses directions such as up, down, left , and right, you can’t use that clue as in another language the key word “up” would not translate in the context that he was using. This is why puzzles that use names or deliberate translations are used. So when he was sent the copy for the test read, it was the correct version, but unfortunately the printing did not follow that same copy and was released incorrectly. He also informed me that he did not write the Answer section of the book, but thankfully the answers are correct so the reader can progress with its assistance. So knowing this, please keep in mind that the current English publication has this error, but can be solved via the Answer section or by just continuing to read the story. The story is a great read and worth purchasing the book for this alone. It fits well within the confines of the series’ lore without damaging anything. Both the author and myself consider it canon, but there isn’t a hard yes to the question of if it actually is. When asked about it by another fan, Aymar Azaïzia (Transmedia and Business Development Director for Assassin’s Creed) stated in his response, "It’s a puzzle book! It’s full of riddles inspired by our lore and characters. It’s definitely not bi[n]ding and would not affect our games with crazy twist that would jeopardize the universe" ( Source ) Readers complete puzzles as they work through the story The story follows a new character Joey (an easter egg to fans of the game Tunneling Through Time , another Deadlocked creation), a museum security guard that notices an artifact having moved when watching the CCTV feed. What is really cool about Joey is that the author deliberately did not gender the character so that the reader could give their own choice to the protagonist much like how you can choose your gender in some of the most recent titles in Assassin’s Creed. This leads to the book’s first puzzle (a letter organization puzzle based on the sides of dice) and the introduction of the Isu Artifact (a double bladed dagger ) which the adventure is shaped around. In this prologue, and the following first chapter, Joey meets the Assassin’s Brotherhood and begins to learn about the opposing Templar Order and the use of the Animus. From here, each chapter takes place in both the modern (day for story progression) and a genetic memory for the bulk of the puzzles, as well as exploring the mystery of the artifact that Joey found. The Animus revisits Ancient Greece, Egypt, Viking London, Damascus, and Venice, with cameos of main characters such as Bayek and Altair, but also supporting characters like Leonardo Di Vinci and fan favorite Markos from Kefalonia. With this and the addition of a new Isu who influences Joey and acts as a sort of AC III Juno (another Isu) with each page turn. Each memory fits within the timeline of their respective game which provides the story the possibility of being canon. However in certain chapters such as Chapter 4 where the Animus Avatar and Masyaf Assassin, Faisal watches Al Mualim give his speech to the attacking Templar forces as his three Assassins take their Leap of Faith from the fortress above (the opening scenes of the original Assassin’s Creed), to then read that Faisal is assisted by a horse riding Altair is a bit confusing as the time frame of making said jump and getting to the gates seems possible but out of place. However the speech Al Mualim is giving is cut directly from the game; another point towards the book being canon in my opinion. The first puzzle of the book The puzzles progress in difficulty and as the story moves forward and each will provide solutions for other puzzles in the chapter. So while in the first chapter, the reader will find a solution to every puzzle when they complete it, later chapters won’t give clues for a puzzle right away, but the solution to a later one will provide what is needed to complete said challenge. This is clearly explained in the “How to Use This Book” section in the opening pages. The reader is directed to read the story up until a labeled stopping point and then review the content of the story up until that point to gather what is needed to solve the forthcoming pu zzles. However, the story does not have false answers, or dead ends like similar books of this type that would make the reader restart an area in the chapter. This is something that I shared with James, about being a cool idea to improve on replayability. We also discussed how some of his earlier books had suggested time frames for puzzles, but that was not something the publisher wanted going forward. Additionally, some of the puzzles can be answered just by knowing the history of the games and which genetic memory follows the current one depicted in the chapter the reader is on. Puzzle 1 Difficult Hint If the reader still has issues figuring out a solution, the answer section is broken up into 4 levels of hints and solutions. Difficult Hints for inspiration on how to approach the puzzle. Puzzle 1 Medium Hint M edium hints prov ide pointers for those that are stuck. Puzzle 1 Easy Hint Ea sy hints provid e help to those that are truly lost, and the final section contains the actual answer to the puzzle. I myself had to reference all of them at some point for individual puzzles either due to being stuck, just wanting to see what the hints would be for a puzzle, or due to the unfortunate misprints in the text. So every level of puzzle lover should get a fun experience from the book and the challenges it presents. One of the various cut-out sections of the book Discussing the physical book itself, I mentioned the fact that while only a $15 USD book, being informed that certain pages would require you to cut out sections to make things like a cipher disk or sliding items into place to get a phrase, is hard for myself and a lot of other collectors who do not like to damage their items. I had made suggestions on adding additional pages that are left blank on one side or even having sliding pieces like those used in a children’s book would be nice. Understandably though, this would add to the production cost of the book and raise the cover price. James shared that in his other titles, a QR code is provided for all of the pieces that need to be removed for puzzles on a printable document so the reader didn’t need to do this to the book itself. When reading, I used a combination of a document software on my phone, a notebook, and scraps of paper to make what I needed to solve the puzzles without making marks or cuts. It was also mentioned that Jame’s bio or “About the Author” page was not included in this book unlike his previous releases, which is sad as it would be a great insight into who this author is to the series, learning that he is a master at his craft in escape rooms and puzzles. Luckily, the publisher is aware of the various errors I brought to his attention and will hopefully print a revised edition in the future. An addition that I will easily repurchase to have a complete and working copy of this enjoyable experience. I hope we get a sequel to Assassin’s Creed Escape Room Puzzle Book as I loved this entry to the series and, now knowing the level of care the author puts into his work, makes me want more. In addition, compared to the VR Escape Rooms that Ubisoft has released in the past, this is something that requires no physical and expensive hardware which means anyone and everyone can pick up a copy and “play” this title at their own pace no matter where they are. For fans of the series and those that enjoy the escape room experience, this is worth picking up and spending an afternoon with. Currently the book has only been published in English (from what I can find) and is available from various bookstores at an MSRP of £14.99/$16.95. Amazon US: Amazon UK: 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

Marc-Alexis Côté and Assassin’s Creed’s narrative paradigm shift Analysis Share 3 Dec 2024 Written By: Edited By: UbiCypher (Joe) Colum Blackett Back To Database The Vice President Executive Producer of Assassin's Creed, Marc-Alexis Côté, has stepped out into the spotlight on the BAFTA Youtube channel at an event a few days ago giving off a curated speech commenting on Ubisoft's flaws and the intended direction the franchise will follow for the foreseeable future upon the release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows serving as the inflexion point for such a change in the narrative direction. Describing his trajectory as a rookie game developer all the way to his actual status as Executive Producer for the overall franchise, he presented the audience with a complete breakdown of the core values of “What Assassin’s Creed should be” in other words, he transparently commented on the way they develop each iteration via their “Brand Framework” which is basically a codex under the form of internal documents given to the devs from which they need to base their work and efforts for the continuity of the Lore. Breaking the Framework into the following aspects; Identity: Immersion, storytelling and thrilling gameplay. Intentionality: Every creative decision made by the devs ought to reflect the shared vision and values of the Framework to ensure that the identity is not diluted and continuity is strong footed. Official promo image by BAFTA showing Vice President Executive Producer of Assassin's Creed, Marc-Alexis Côté, Prioritizing direct and selected feedback over the community as a means to an end. “Putting the player at the center of our creative vision” is also one of the substantial statements issued by Côté which clearly shows that they are aware of their position with the fanbase that nurtured the franchise for so long and are willing to turn the tables in their favor bringing new experiences in the good old Assassin’s Creed fashion applying the aforementioned “core values” described in their “Brand Framework”. These “core values” will not only restructure their approach to how an Assassin’s Creed game is made, but from now on, they will also implement new data collected by their new initiative that aims to “involve their most engaged fans into the early development cycles” with the intention to listen to a much more direct feedback instead of “actively listening to general community feedback and running large scale studies” which is yet another example of Ubisoft going all in and taking the helm, considering the hard working fan communities and content creators that adhere to what the franchise was originally praised for in the past first and the public that spawned with the latest iterations second. A slide from the BAFTA presentation Or so it seems, given another pungent declaration in which Ubisoft now seems eager to “restore the balance” in terms of narrative both past and present as he acknowledged that “15 years of Lore has made the approach to newcomers difficult to approach”, however, the downside to such a bold move can lead to even more division, to which we can all agree; the fanbase is in a very dire situation. But fear not! Because this means that a great change in how the future instalments will be crafted will come out of this, presenting the “Vertigo Of History” initiative as a new way to develop the Assassin’s Creed games by focusing on the idea that “Past, Present and future are connected” therefore, how the past defines who we are and how it will affect our future. Emotional wording aside, this will basically mean that the way Modern Day and the Historical storyline will be designed will be completely overhauled; by pretending to “place history back at the center of the player’s experience”, which is a bit contradictory to what you just read, I know, but the trade-off is that when Modern Day will be tapped into, they will explore “deeper themes regarding genetic memory, identity and autonomy” which is until now, left to the interpretation of the public and not very clear. In any case, Modern Day will be explored deeper so that’s a good step toward restoring that “balance” if true. Original image source: Assassin's Creed Initiates Balance, accuracy and diversity victims of hate. With this in mind, it is important to note that Côté also openly stated that “Absolute accuracy is not our goal, it has never been and never will” of course referring to the historical aspect of the game the franchise is notoriously known for, for the first time clarifying their intentions when making their games reminding us that it is a “Historical Fiction” at the end of the day in response to the previous months of continuous attacks via their Social Media and even directly to the developers themselves who saw their work tarnished by mentally draining and smile-erasing comments completely destroying their work due to the appearance of anachronistic or plain out non-existent elements in the latest RPG trilogy and most recently, the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows which, dare I say, has suffered from one of the most hateful waves of backlash the internet has seen in the past 4 years for very miserable reasons; from fruits appearing in the wrong season in one of the trailers to plain out racism towards Yasuke because of his African provenance hiding behind pathetic ill-crafted shields of “It’s not me who says it, it’s history!”. Of course, we are not going to deny the fact that they made some inexplicable mistakes that are obviously due to a lack of professional consultation by actual Historians and experts -which were brought in much later into Shadow’s dev cycle according to insiders who have reached out to the renowned leaker and French Youtuber j0nathan- or the scandal over the insensitive design of PureArts promotional figures which displayed the two protagonists, Naoe and Yasuke posing over an iconic Japanese Torii gate, which, was one-legged and very reminiscent of the S annō Shrine, a real life Torii Gate which was left partially destroyed by the bombing of its hosting city, Nagasaki during WWII. In any case, online crusades and Scandals behind, around the 36:00 mark, Marc-Alexis Côté concluded his speech on the attacks to the company by claiming that “Our commitment to inclusivity is grounded in historical authenticity and respect for diverse perspectives, not driven by modern agenda” Image by TOWCB showing the similarity between the AC Shadows prototype by PureArts prototype and a broken Torii gate located in Nagasaki From now on until February 15, 2025, it is but a waiting game to see if all of this turns out to be true or if it falls down to the pile of broken promises. Personal Commentary: Listening very carefully to what Côté openly said during the conference; I realized just how grand this franchise is and how far it has come. I remember the very first time I played Assassin's Creed II -my entry point- back in 2011 and the insta-love that struck my prepubescent brain. These feelings of discovery, wonder and diversity that are constantly talked about throughout the presentation are real, they were there when we first picked up the controller and began exploring the Genetic Memories of Altaïr and Ezio, as the years passed, we eventually discover more and more of this franchise and eventually witness its fall down the rabbit hole of corporate greed and uber-rich execs that would do anything in their power to drain you until your last cent. So it feels refreshing to see such transparency from Ubisoft and from the one that is supposed to be the closest thing to a lore master no-less. All in all, these are just promises and embellished corporate slang to make it more appealing, plus he contradicted himself by claiming that they aim to restore the balance only to say that they will basically put Modern Day on the backburner 5 minutes later... My best guess is that they're attempting to suffocate the fire and make up for their mistakes now that they realized we never were the "Ye Olde Nostalgicus" pricks most of the community and newcomers to that extent make us to be, simply because we don't follow the same opinions, ideas and tastes as them, who are fruit of a modern generation of gaming that, similarly to movies and music is utterly decadent with no more interest behind what is shown at first glance and no self-pondering of things with very few exceptions. This also applies outside of entertainment as well, the masses are somewhat dullified by mainstream and geopolitical engineering crafted by our governments who only want to see us fight each other for the skin tone of a character or goddamned fruits popping up at the wrong season all the while entitled nobodies destroy entire communities and groups of joyful people who just want to love, share and enjoy the experiences this franchise gave them in the first place. But I digress. I'm not very hopeful in terms of Modern Day and it is at this point, for me, the true narrative of the franchise, take it or leave it, up to you of course, but it was once integral and as Côté said and I also think it to be true: "Assassin's Creed is more than just a game, it can be a platform for meaningful exploration and reflection". Question everything. -Joe (Ubicypher) signing off. Images from the original Isu_Network thread by UbiCypher comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author UbiCypher (Joe) is an Assassin's Creed Transmedia expert who worked as the Lead Admin for the Isu_Network social media team, providing consistent social media content in the form of Assassin's Creed lore trivia, puzzles and news coverage, spending countless hours researching the series and real history. In 2025, he stepped back from his social media duties to pursue other opportunities. UbiCypher (Joe)

From the Desk of Hytham the Acolyte - A Review of AC Valhalla: Journey to the North Review Share 26 Jul 2023 Written By: Edited By: Michael Smith Colum Blackett Back To Database Banner by Thea Marie Rivedal (Moonchildgecko) from TOWCB Art Team. Deluxe Edition photos by Aaron Young (Falconswift87) from TOWCB Writing Team. Article contains Amazon affiliate links that support TOWCB. One of the current discussions that has been prevalent in the past few years is the lengths of the RPG line of Assassin’s Creed titles vs those of the “classic” games. AC Valhalla being the latest entry in the series (as of this article) was well known to require hundreds of hours for players to dig in and experience the full story of Eivor and her Raven Clan coming to England with a pair of secretive warriors known as The Hidden Ones , to search for their shared enemy in The Order of the Ancients . Eivor traveled across the English countryside, the shores of Ireland, and the streets of Paris while also exploring the influences of Norse Mythology throughout this epic tale of starting over in a new land. However, unlike previous entries which documented the game, such as novelizations, strategy guides, or outside publications. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla was expanded upon via multiple pieces of transmedia, but never provided an overview of the complete two-year content line. Even the art book that was released after the game only covered the main game and was more concept art of the landscapes and character types, but not every aspect was represented. Cover Art of Journey to the North In July of 2023, a new transmedia artbook/journal was released for what appears to be the end of the Valhalla story as we begin to transition into Assassin’s Creed Mirage. In The World of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Journey to the North - Logs and Files of a Hidden One, fans of the series are provided a complete overview of the AC Valhalla story and updated art book told through the eyes of Hidden One, Hytham the Acolyte. This 208-page book is the ultimate text of the story of what occurred in the main game and the paid DLC expansions. The Deluxe Edition photos provided by Aaron Young Deluxe Edition Spine Deluxe Edition Art Prints Journey to the North (as it will be referred to for the rest of this review) is available in two versions as many of the previous art books have been: The standard hardback for $49.99 USD and the Deluxe Edition for $99.99 USD. The deluxe edition comes in a special brown leather style cover contained in a teal slipcover with a folio featuring two art prints. I had originally planned on purchasing this one, but decided to get the standard one for now as I just wanted to read the book and didn’t see a personal value in the double price deluxe option. However, after seeing the images from fellow The Ones Who Came Before writer, Aaron Young, I wish I had. Yet, it is nice to have the concept art cover that I have shared in the image above. The book opens on an overview of what is to follow from the in-world author Hytham. The book is divided into five sections, each one having a vast amount of content organized in such an easy to read format that I applaud the book’s author Rick Barba for. Rick is a well known video game author with over 130 publications to his name including books and guides for series including Assassin’s Creed, God of War, GTA, Red Dead Redemption, and Star Trek to name a few. Previously he wrote Assassin’s Creed: Through the Ages for Scholastic Books during the content window for AC Syndicate. If you collect video game books, you most likely have something of his work without even knowing it. Entry on Sigurd Styrbjornson The first section which covers the Viking Lifestyle gives a history of the Vikings compiled through Hytham’s research and time with the Raven Clan. Speaking with and learning from the people of Ravensthorpe as well as information provided by Jarlskona Eivor Varinsdottir via the plot of Valhalla, Hytham spent time understanding the history of the people that he now considers family, the Viking people. It is in the first pages of the book that I recognized that Hytham was constantly busy while Eivor was progressing through the story of the game. I always felt that Hytham seemed static like a set-piece outside of the mission lines he would provide players, but this book gives him a life that the game was lacking. Having a detailed, but short history of the Vikings and how the Raven Clan came to England is a strong start for the book. Hytham's notes on Odin and Frigg In the second chapter, the full mythos of the Norse gods are presented, both in the story of the Dawn of Ragnarok expansion and the history of creation in the Norse myth and the gods that are worshiped by those around Hytham. Each of the Aesir is described and most of them are presented with the game image from the character’s Codex entry in the game. This is expanded on with the stories of the myths from the creation of everything to Ragnarok itself. It is also here where we can learn Hytham’s thoughts on the Viking beliefs and on the gods, including Loki whom fans know to be the Isu that is hosted by Sage Basim Ibn Ishaq, Hytham’s Mentor. A few of the buildings in Ravensthorpe The Viking Settlement is explored in the third section of the book and this is broken down as a tour of the Ravensthorpe settlement, with each building and citizen of the home to Eivor and Hytham discussed. What I liked most about this section is that each shop is very detailed in what it does and what it offers the people that live there, but also as what it does for players of the game. Knowing that the tanner, Wallace in the Hunting Hut can provide you with trophy mounts for completing special hunts, or that Yanli at the Trading Post can sell you decorations for the settlement, and tattoos for Eivor makes this section not just a travel guide for the settlement, but a guide for players to know who to see about their in-game needs. Eivor sitting with Oswald of East Anglia The last section before the Epilogue is The Viking Age, which is the full story breakdown of the main game, Wrath of the Druids, and Siege of Paris. Hytham describes the region, the Major Factions & Sects, and the Key Events for each “sequence” of the game. It is because of this section that I highly suggest this book for anyone that wants to revisit the game or read through the story without the required playtime. While everything recorded is from Hytham documenting Eivor’s recollection as she turns in the Order Medals from her clearing England from the Order of the Ancients, and later from her informing Hytham of what happened in other countries, his detailed writings of the events of the game provide more than enough information to understand the story without the traveling distance, filler content, or unnecessary dialogue. This is the closest that we will get to a novelization of Valhalla. Eivor (Male) in Concept Art for Seige of Paris The book closes with the Epilogue which is a closing entry from Hytham as he thanks Eivor for her efforts in riding England of the Order of the Ancients, and that his biggest regret is that of his mentor Basim, whom he still cannot believe betrayed the Norse siblings Eivor and Sigurd. He then gives half of the page to speak on Basim’s past which is a heavy reference and transitional text to Assassin’s Creed Mirage. Learning about Basim’s swift rise from street thief to Mentor and how Hytham was tasked with his first mission in Constantinople to keep an eye on Basim and report back to the Brotherhood. Yet, while Hytham understands that Basim’s actions drove him out of the light of his teachings, he hoped that he found the peace he was looking for. Basim Ibn Ishaq from Assassin's Creed Mirage While there isn’t a large amount of direct references to AC Mirage outside of the book’s final page, the written thoughts of Hytham reacting to Basim’s betrayal, of Basim having a son, and on Loki (not knowing the link to his mentor), there is enough to excite players for the next entry in the series. The epilogue alone made me more excited for October 12, 2023 when we will be able to play the new game. Hytham in The Golden City by Jaleigh Johnson I’ve said it multiple times in the past when talking about the transmedia for AC Valhalla and some of the 9th Century content, that Hytham is the anchor for the Valhalla epic. Yes players control Eivor, but outside of the game, Hytham is present in six titles (including the game and this book) and has interacted with multiple storylines and characters. He’s been a guiding hand for all of the transmedia characters in the Valhalla story, Niamh in Sword of the White Horse, Geirmund of Geirmund’s Saga , and in The Last Chapter content update for Valhalla (which is not covered in this book) he takes in a new class of Hidden Ones from the members of Ravensthorpe. Many argue that Valhalla had no Assassins (much like Origins and Odyssey), but I argue that we do have an Assassin in Hytham as the underlying focus of the entire story for this game linking lead characters together like Agent Coulson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I do wish there was more coverage of the free content updates like the Mastery Trials, The Forgotten Tombs, and The Last Chapter, but I can understand that not all of this content was available for this book at the time of release, or even when it was being written by Rick Barba. Some of the region overviews felt a bit short and not all characters were presented with an image and to agree with fellow TOWCB writer, Aaron, not all of the character shots from the game are the best composition or option for a profile photo. I would be curious to know if these were taken by the author, or provided from Ubisoft. I was happy to see game images with concept art, but do wish there was a higher quality at times. Concept Art of Bárid mac Ímair, King of Dublin My bottom line with The World of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Journey to the North - Logs and Files of a Hidden One is that it is a must have for fans of the game or the series in whole. I could even suggest it to fans of history as this is a fun historical fiction journal from a character in that time period. Nothing is incorrect historically, but may not be something that actually took place in the 9th Century Viking Expansion of England. The additional artworks for the DLC that we didn't have with the original Art of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is something that I would love to see from future games that offer DLC, and hopefully we can see something for older titles if they get remasters. With Mirage around the corner, I’m hoping additional transmedia is provided as it is my favorite aspect of the series by far. The book is available now in the US from publisher Dark Horse Books for the Standard Edition at $49.99 USD, or the Deluxe Edition for $99.99 USD. If you have interest in purchasing the book, consider using our affiliate link with Amazon to help support articles like these and The Ones Who Came Before. 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