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Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 4th to 15th March Community Share 20 Mar 2024 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Colum Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the biweekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from the AC Partnership Program. Every two weeks we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. This theme has been run by the TOWCB VP team. We have been monitoring the hashtag and the community hub to see all your wonderful shots. Keep an eye on the site as more shots are added, we are looking for captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to #ACFirstCivVP for a chance to be featured. Theme: Assassin’s Creed Vikings Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ GwynVP The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Judge: @ TuridTorkil Looking at this shot feels like coming home. Fornburg is such a beautiful settlement and I really like to return to it in the game. Gwyn did a great job capturing the Northern Lights, the majestic mountains and the warm fireplaces. Aaron “It is easy to lose one’s way on the road to glory”. The magic of Norway will never get old. Eivor’s epic saga begins in the frozen north, which gives way to some awe-inspiring backdrops. The virtual photography opportunities are endless, that is one of the reasons we still see many shots from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla on social media. This beautiful capture from Gwyn really caught my eye. I just love the colours and the strong Norse vibes. Eivor looks great walking in from her longship, torch in hand. The lights in the windows of the houses look so inviting and the sheer scale of that mountain in the distance is incredible. A truly wonderful piece of virtual photography. Corner Swing Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ PodToGo “Once, I lived on the streets and answered only to myself”. The parkour opportunities in Assassin’s Creed Mirage are so much fun. The swing in this shot has to be one of my favourites, I am so glad the developers brought it back. Little moments like this really help to keep the flow when navigating the rooftops of Baghdad. I really like how Pod has captured this as a portrait, it allows for a fantastic composition. The lighting and shadow work is perfect, and Basim looks awesome swinging around the building. Action shots are extremely hard to achieve, and Pod has done tremendously well to align all the aspects in this capture. The Eyes Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ Murphys_Law_Vp “Do not let false victories blind you to what is true”. The Dawn of Ragnarok DLC is a long and sad tale, unfortunately after the length of the main game it can be a bit of a slog. However, it’s an expansion that is extremely picturesque to capture and there are plenty of Easter eggs to be found. Here we can see one of them, I never fully worked out who or what the creepy being is. I assume it is some Jotunn, but it sure makes for an impressive photo. I love the framing in this shot, the trees either side of the Jotunn and the autumnal red leaves on the floor add to the mystical atmosphere. Havi seems really badass just walking away from it without a care, very impressive photography. Reflective Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ RossHiroAsmara “I will walk behind you, every step of the way.” I have found Assassin’s Creed Mirage to be great for capturing silhouettes, and the whole atmosphere of the game lends itself perfectly to this. Basim is a character who has a lot of inner turmoil, he often finds himself reflecting on who he is and what role he plays in the world. Here we have Basim in a classic Assassin’s Creed pose. I love the cinematic style of this, with the noise of the shot mixing well with that beautiful sun set. The silhouette is perfect, I adore that the sword and totem are standing out with their respective colours. A magnificent Mirage moment. The Light Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ redmaiden_vp “And maybe someday you will find the light.” I am a sucker for a portrait with a black background. I think this style works so well in the Assassin’s Creed series, especially with the slogan ‘we work in the dark’. All the RGP games have exceptional lighting which makes taking shots like this a dream. We just had to feature this capture; it is so beautifully put together. I am a big fan of the framing, and how the saturation levels heighten the details on Basim’s face. You can see how deep in thought he is, almost poised for the assassination. The Red Maiden has only just started the Mirage journey and I already know I am going to enjoy seeing all the shots. And that sums it up for this Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out the photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next time keep those shots coming in! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

Pitching an Assassins' Creed Game: Building the Perfect Game Wishlist Share 9 Nov 2024 Written By: Edited By: Hayden Bird Colum Blackett Back To Database For any fan of the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game series, there will always be a personal wishlist, whether it be hopes for new parkour elements, combat techniques, or a new story direction. I always found it fun to brainstorm ideas for a potential new game in the series with a list of additions I would love to see. I think fans can all agree that each and every ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game could have different features that could slightly impact the quality of the game. Ubisoft does an excellent job already in creating these games, and they do a fine job of taking fan feedback into consideration, so the realistic gap between anyone’s wishlist can be small due to the great response that Ubisoft offers its fans. As good as any game can be, no matter what it is, there is always room for improvement as it's how the gaming industry works. I am going to build an ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game that would satisfy my expectations as a long-time fan of the series. I hope other fans will do the same as Ubisoft may very well be listening to our feedback, and there's always a chance the suggestions you make may one day be implemented into one of their games. Image via Ubisoft. I will start off with the basics, which is the overall formula. ‘Assassin’s Creed’ , in recent years. Has undergone some very significant changes. This has divided some fans, as some prefer the way the old games used to be played. But now, there are plenty of fans who love and appreciate the new style the more recent games have taken. The newer ones have also done a great job at creating new fans to the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ series. There are many fans who never played any of the older games, that are now fans of the series thanks to the major reboot that took place back in 2017. I am a fan of both formulas, but I won't deny I see the appeal for each argument. I think there should be a balance of some sorts. Basically a bridge between old and new. I think combining both could easily satisfy both the older fans and the new ones. Doing this, however, would prove challenging to the developers at Ubisoft because they would have to sacrifice content from each different formula to mix them together. Meaning one aspect of the game would lack something important, which would impact both formulas in its own way. I think to find this ideal balance, there should be a mixture of these elements, but also something new and fresh, so that this hypothetical game would not only honor both the past and the present, but would also make an impact as a new and innovative game rather than feeling repetitive or recycled. This would prove quite the challenge creatively, and would take extensive research and brainstorming from the team at Ubisoft, but in the end, this company employs some of the best creative minds in the entire industry. Offering a new challenge for the team might prove beneficial in the long run. Promotional banner used to tease the reveal of Assassin's Creed Origins. Source: Ubisoft Next on the list, would be the parkour. Free-running and parkour have been a staple of this series since the beginning of its inception. Each game has always brought a unique aspect of the parkour that is so well known in these games, and fans often look back at different eras of the mainline games and how far the parkour has developed. For the original games, parkour was monumental at the time, now it's seen as an iconic part of gaming history. Looking back at how far the free-running and climbing has come, it's easy to forget all the fun parkour we have now, would not exist without the main inspiration of the original games. During the early days of the series, parkour was seen as basic, but effective. It was a treat for fans to be able to run across rooftops or scale the tallest building in the city in the beautiful settings all the games took place in. Many fans see 2009’s ‘Assassin’s Creed II’ as one of the best, if not the best game in the series for many reasons, and one of those would be the gorgeous setting of Florence and Venice in Italy in the 14th century. It was incredible to climb real life buildings and monuments that still stand in Italy to this day, and be able to look out to the city in either Florence or Venice. Parkour, of course, has changed a lot over the following years. Which also depended on the setting of the game. ‘Assassin’s Creed III’ , for example, took place during the American Revolution, and had to change some features in the parkour to match that of the setting. For example, the playable characters in the game were able to scale and climb trees, which was new and exciting for fans to experience, but also a great creative change from Ubisoft to adapt to that timeline, and not stick to only what they were familiar with, but to branch out and stay authentic to the time period in history. As a fan of the series since its creation, I think the ideal parkour would be to once more adapt to the setting of the game. Not every aspect of the new games that will follow a different time period will be the same as the last, some will have different terrains or cultures to adapt to. I think to match this authenticity, the team at Ubisoft will have to do what they do best. Study the era inside and out to come up with a solution that not only satisfies fans, but also matches the setting of that particular game. Capture from Assassin's Creed III by Col_96 The next bullet point to follow would be combat. I think Ubisoft has adapted the combat in the series very effectively. The original games had specific combat loopholes that made the need for the traditional fighting less important, where instead some fans could easily manipulate that feature by using the loopholes left in the games. Ubisoft has done an excellent job in cleaning that up and making the combat realistic to the era, and also mechanically fluent in terms of game development. I think Ubisoft would be wise to stick to the current style of combat, if I had a say in this, I would mostly leave it as it is. Ubisoft has perfected the art of combat in modern video games. Changing this would not make sense as it wouldn’t match that of today's standards. However, one thing Ubisoft could continue in its combat mechanics are the extended use of special abilities while fighting enemies. These abilities allow the developers to get creative. There's a lot of potential in creating these special abilities to give the player an aid in combat by having these unique skills be authentic to the game's time period. Ubisoft has already accomplished this in the past, for example in ‘Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’ , one of the special abilities you could use and equip was the infamous Spartan kick. The game was set in Ancient Greece, and this technique is well known today by being shown in different types of movies and TV shows, as well as the actual inspirations of Greece during that time period. The game adopted this type of ability specifically for ‘Odyssey’ as it fit perfectly in the Ancient Greek lore. Lastly, one thing I would add to create my picture perfect ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game would be the continued use of the skill tree. The universal use of skills in ‘Assassin’s Creed’ games only became a part of the series in more recent years. Almost all games created in today's era have adopted the same use of a skill tree. It has become a staple of the gaming industry. Any new ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game could further take advantage of this option by being “different” in their use of a skill tree. It will be creatively challenging, but if Ubisoft were to create a skill tree that looks and acts differently that the usual of what we see today, it would bring publicity to the game by having a unique aspect of it that so many other game developers have typically recycled this part of their game, which is understandable as most skill trees are supposed to be basic, as developers would not want to confuse fans with an overly complicated skill tree feature that could end up worsening the experience and creative gamble they would take. I think a good example of this would be what we saw in ‘Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’ where the skill tree was turned into a system that changed skills into “power”. This was a healthy change in what we are so used to in games today. ‘Valhalla’ did a great job at their attempt to be unique in the skill tree aspect of their game. Assassin's Creed Valhalla Skill Tree from TOWCB 'How to' Guides I think overall that these specific aspects, along with the great foundation Ubisoft has already built for the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ series, would create a game for everyone. I think blending the elements of both past and present could be a pleasant surprise for any fan of the games. These are, of course, hypothetical suggestions, as this is all a personal wishlist for me, but it is a wise thing to do as a fan of ‘Assassin’s Creed’ because one day, if enough fans were to create something similar, the creators at Ubisoft may very well take interest in our suggestions, and perhaps a new ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game could fit our personal wishes. Anything is possible in today's era of the gaming industry. Which is why the hobby of gaming so many fans enjoy, is the best form of entertainment in the entire world. Related Articles Aztec Empire: Pitching an Assassin's Creed Game Chinese Pirates: Pitching an Assassin's Creed Game comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Hayden is a passionate Freelance Writer based in South Carolina who joined TOWCB's Writing Team in 2020 during the Covid-19 Pandemic, writing articles on all things Assassin's Creed Valhalla. He left the group to focus on studies, joining our Alumni program, but triumphantly returned with fresh ideas in 2024 to pick up where he left off, only this time covering Assassin's Creed Shadows. In 2025, Hayden took on the position of Team Leader for TOWCB's Writing Team, overseeing article releases, assisting with recruitment and providing assistance with internal operations. Hayden Bird

What we want to see from the Assassin's Creed Franchise in 2020 Wishlists Share 29 Dec 2019 Written By: Edited By: Mieke Dix Ashlea Blackett Back To Database 5. Assassin’s Creed 1, Version 2.0 This is effectively a repeat from last year’s list which is why it’s first on this one, but it’s just as relevant. The game that started it all has yet to receive a remaster on current-gen platforms, unlike every other previous-gen title. Sure, there are plenty who dislike it due to its gameplay being simplistic and repetitive, particularly in comparison to the later games, but that doesn’t make Altaïr’s story any less compelling. It’s definitely a game that would benefit from a significant technical overhaul instead of merely an aesthetic one, which may well explain why they haven’t remastered it yet - or just won’t bother. However, whether we’ll be seeing this anytime soon or not is unclear, so all we can do is once again cross our fingers that it’ll feature in the upcoming UbiE3 lineup. 4. Next Instalment Announced With all the leaks and rumors that have been abounding on the internet this year, it’s somewhat inevitable that Ubisoft’s E3 press conference in June will feature a teaser trailer for the next game, at the very least. What’s less certain is whether Ubisoft will announce the game for release this year on current-gen only, or wait until 2021 when they can release it on the new Xbox and PS5, whether that’s a dual-release or next-gen only. This is where we can only hope that, if they are planning a dual-release, Ubisoft thoroughly learned their lesson following the disaster that was Rogue/Unity’s release. Whatever the case, we fully expect there to be a new main series title announced at some point in the coming year. 3. The Symphony on CD The Assassin’s Creed Symphony was a wonderful celebration of the many composers who have been a part of the franchise since its inception and their beautiful, emotive music. I personally attended the performance in London (and probably cried 90% of the time). Each game’s soundtrack was arranged into an excellently-composed suite which showcased the music at its best. What would be greatly appreciated, doubly so by those who couldn’t get a ticket for whatever reason, is an album of the arrangements for us to enjoy at our leisure. Of course, what would also be appreciated is an announcement that the Symphony will become an annual event visiting more locations worldwide, or even a series of concerts that would allow for even more arrangements of each soundtrack….! Wait, where was I? 2. Creed-Con 2020? (Confirmed 12/4/20) Something that was evident by the response to the Symphony - mainly the rapidity at which it sold tickets - is that there really is a market for official Assassin’s Creed events and experiences. That’s not to say that we demand an official Assassin’s Creed convention or anything, but there is plenty of scope for other events. (I mean, a convention also sounds freaking awesome). The community already organises a fair amount of events of their own accord, but to be able to pull all that passion under one, officially-endorsed roof would be grand. For example: the Symphony becoming a regular event could be a good start. It could be the perfect headline act of a convention, or even a one/two-day festival of celebration for the franchise, especially if it was then streamed live for all to enjoy. 1. A Return to its Roots I plan on getting a bit more in depth about this at some point, but let’s face facts: the series is nothing like it was in the beginning. This isn’t actually a bad thing, and Origins and Odyssey are both fantastic games. However, the criticism that neither game feels like Assassin’s Creed is entirely fair, and there is a good deal of worry that the series will just continue to stray further and further from where it began, until it’s purely Assassin’s Creed by name only. Hopefully we can see a return of the rooftop-skulking, shadow-lurking assassins that we all came to love, and less of the colossal maps half-full of empty space. We love naval combat because it’s fun, fast-paced and exhilarating, but we also love balancing precariously on window ledges four storeys up as we stalk a Templar far below, ready to dive gracefully into the nearest hay bale and wait for the perfect moment to strike. Now that is Assassin’s Creed at its heart, and we desperately want that back. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Mieke is a huge fan of the Assassin's Creed franchise, and is looking forward to creating regular content for the AC community as an online article writer. She has previously written articles for Cultured Vultures and currently runs an online gaming blog. By joining the program, Mieke will be able to write articles on a wide variety of topics for the community. Mieke Dix

In late 2024, Taylor (TMAC) joined The Ones Who Came Before's social media team as a guest moderator, providing support to re-energise our Discord server. Taylor is a long-time fan of the series who has spent many years as a moderator on the official Assassin's Creed Discord server. In 2025, the social media team will be working with Taylor to improve engagement on our own Discord server, and learn from his many years as a community moderator. Previous Next Taylor McKay (TMAC) Social Media Team In late 2024, Taylor (TMAC) joined The Ones Who Came Before's social media team as a guest moderator, providing support to re-energise our Discord server. Taylor is a long-time fan of the series who has spent many years as a moderator on the official Assassin's Creed Discord server. In 2025, the social media team will be working with Taylor to improve engagement on our own Discord server, and learn from his many years as a community moderator. Twitter Work

Michael is a close personal friend of the admin team who has worked alongside TOWCB for many years, lending a hand behind the scenes who is best known for his time leading the Rally the Creed video-podcast. In 2022, Michael stepped out of the shadows and joined TOWCB's Writing Team, where he explored game journalism by expanding TOWCB database, filling it with guides, tips and tricks and more. After a series of article launches, he joined TOWCB's Core Team, where he now works as a Strategist, overseeing major campaigns, establishing internal systems and managing charity efforts for the group. Previous Next Michael Doyle Writer Previous Partner Michael is a close personal friend of the admin team who has worked alongside TOWCB for many years, lending a hand behind the scenes who is best known for his time leading the Rally the Creed video-podcast. In 2022, Michael stepped out of the shadows and joined TOWCB's Writing Team, where he explored game journalism by expanding TOWCB database, filling it with guides, tips and tricks and more. After a series of article launches, he joined TOWCB's Core Team, where he now works as a Strategist, overseeing major campaigns, establishing internal systems and managing charity efforts for the group. Twitter Work The History of Baghdad during the 860's (Anarchy of Samarra) History

In June 2025, Aita_Sageblood (Nathan) joined TOWCB's Art Team in an effort to widen the variety of art styles on the team. He is known online for his vibrant digital artworks, bringing colour and energy to each and every project. Throughout 2025 and beyond, Nathan will 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 aim to boost his profile within the community and create a meaningful relationship with Ubisoft. Previous Next Aita_Sageblood Art Team In June 2025, Aita_Sageblood (Nathan) joined TOWCB's Art Team in an effort to widen the variety of art styles on the team. He is known online for his vibrant digital artworks, bringing colour and energy to each and every project. Throughout 2025 and beyond, Nathan will 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 aim to boost his profile within the community and create a meaningful relationship with Ubisoft. Instagram │ Twitter Work AC Community Questions: Aita_Sageblood (Nathan) Interview

Frame Hold Photography is a passionate Virtual Photographer who joined our Video Content Creation Team in Summer 2022, as we began our efforts to break away from solely written content. During a period of uncertainty for TOWCB website, FHP stepped up and took on the role of Site Manager, overseeing our restoration efforts. Our website today now sits at the top of many Google searches📈 Outside of AC, she is also a full time editor and visual effects artist on TV commercials, and has been putting her skills to use in the community by creating epic Assassin's Creed tribute videos, miniature figure painting videos and editing episodes of our Rally the Creed podcast! Previous Next Frame Hold Photography Video Content Frame Hold Photography is a passionate Virtual Photographer who joined our Video Content Creation Team in Summer 2022, as we began our efforts to break away from solely written content. During a period of uncertainty for TOWCB website, FHP stepped up and took on the role of Site Manager, overseeing our restoration efforts. Our website today now sits at the top of many Google searches📈 Outside of AC, she is also a full time editor and visual effects artist on TV commercials, and has been putting her skills to use in the community by creating epic Assassin's Creed tribute videos, miniature figure painting videos and editing episodes of our Rally the Creed podcast! Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Work Assassin's Creed Mirage DLC Wallpaper Collection Released by Frame Hold Photography Community Assassin's Creed Shadows Claws of Awaji Wallpaper Collection Community Assassin's Creed Shadows Wallpaper Collection Released by Frame Hold Photography Community Product Review: MADRINAS x Assassin’s Creed Shadows Boba Teas Review Madrinas Reveals Assassin's Creed Shadows Inspired Boba Tea Collection Merchandise Product Review: GravaStar’s Mars Pro Limited Edition - Assassin's Creed Apple of Eden Speaker Review Assassin's Creed Shadows Phone and Desktop Wallpapers released by FrameHoldPhotography Community Assassin's Creed Mirage Concepts by FrameHoldPhotography Art Load More

Product Review: MADRINAS x Assassin’s Creed Shadows Boba Teas Review Share 6 Nov 2024 Written By: Edited By: Frame Hold Photography Colum Blackett Back To Database Experience a taste of Assassin's Creed Shadows with two new boba teas from MADRINAS! Thanks to MADRINAS for sending me this item to review! MADRINAS, an online specialty coffee and tea brand, recently released its collaboration with Assassin’s Creed Shadows on October 17th. This drop includes two boba tea flavors–cherry blossom fruit tea and strawberry matcha milk tea, and a limited-edition Collector’s Box. MADRINAS sent me a Collector’s Box to review, so let’s jump into everything that’s included! The Collector’s Box has one tub of cherry blossom and one tub of strawberry matcha tea mix. Each tub can make eight drinks (1 scoop of mix per drink). Each tea comes with its own boba pearls. For the fruit tea, you receive four packets of Honey Popping Boba Pearls, and for the milk tea, you receive four packets of Brown Sugar Tapioca Pearls. The Collector’s Box also includes a super awesome Assassin’s Creed Shadows shaker cup, which is exclusive to this box set. The shaker cup features the MADRINAS logo and the Assassin’s Creed logo alongside silhouettes of Naoe and Yasuke. The Japanese text featured on the cup are Naoe’s and Yasuke’s names. I absolutely love the artwork on this shaker, and I will happily use it as I count down the days to Assassin’s Creed Shadows' release on February 14th, 2025! Lastly, the Collector’s Box includes eight plastic boba straws and easy-to-follow instructions on how to make your teas. Instead of single-use straws, it would have been nice to have a reusable Assassin’s Creed Shadows-themed straw to go along with the shaker cup, but the provided straws work well to suck up the boba pearls. I have had boba tea before but have never tried a product from MADRINAS, so I was very excited to try their boba teas! First, I tried the cherry blossom fruit tea. To make the tea, pour one scoop of mix into 13 oz. of ice-cold water and shake. After about 20 seconds of shaking, the powered mix dissolves quickly into the water. I then added some ice and a whole packet of Honey Popping Boba. I have never had popping boba before, so trying them was a super fun experience! The tea has a pleasantly light cherry flavor, and the popping boba provides small, sweet bursts of honey. Since the drink is quite sugary for my taste, I found making it with half a scoop of mix and 13 oz. of water to be to my liking. I encourage anyone who purchases this set to play around with the ratios of mix to water to find what you enjoy most! Next, I tried the strawberry matcha tea. To make this tea, you follow the same steps as the fruit tea. However, to prepare the Brown Sugar Boba, you must open the packet and cook it in the microwave for 40 seconds. Despite the short time in the microwave, these boba pearls get very hot, so it is best to let them cool down for several minutes before handling them and adding them to your drink. Since this is a milk tea, it gets surprisingly frothy once you shake your drink! This tea has a strong matcha flavor, and the tapioca pearls are sweet and chewy. Like the cherry tea, I found adding half a scoop of mix to 13 oz. of water to be the better ratio for me. When diluted, the green tea notes become much lighter, allowing the strawberry flavor to come through more. If I had to pick a favorite between these two, it would be the cherry blossom fruit tea! I love its light fruity flavor, and the popping boba is so much fun. Overall, this is a lovely, high-quality Collector’s Box of boba teas, and the shaker cup is an awesome Assassin’s Creed collectible! Thanks again to MADRINAS for sending me the Assassin's Creed Shadows Collector's Box to review! To pick up your own limited edition Collector’s Box or one of the two boba tea mixes, visit MADRINAS’ website at: https://madrinas.com/products/assassins-creed-shadows-collectors-box And follow MADRINAS on socials: Facebook Instagram X (Twitter) YouTube TikTok Check out our video review of the MADRINAS x Assassin’s Creed Shadows boba teas here! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Frame Hold Photography is a passionate Virtual Photographer who joined our Video Content Creation Team in Summer 2022, as we began our efforts to break away from solely written content. During a period of uncertainty for TOWCB website, FHP stepped up and took on the role of Site Manager, overseeing our restoration efforts. Our website today now sits at the top of many Google searches📈 Outside of AC, she is also a full time editor and visual effects artist on TV commercials, and has been putting her skills to use in the community by creating epic Assassin's Creed tribute videos, miniature figure painting videos and editing episodes of our Rally the Creed podcast! Frame Hold Photography

6 ways to stay entertained in the Assassin's Creed Community during Isolation Other Share 14 Apr 2020 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Buckley Back To Database Self-isolating can be draining, leaving you feeling unmotivated and bored. Thankfully, members of the Assassin's Creed community have been coming up with ways to keep us all entertained during these difficult times. Here are six things to do in the Assassin's Creed community during isolation. 6: Support Streamers A number of streamers are playing Assassin's Creed games on a regular basis, giving you the chance to return to the series. Even if you miss a stream, you can still watch it at a later date. Here are a number of channels providing regular streams. Did we miss you? Send us a message , and we'll add you to the list! Phantom Blade Cosplay Fizhy KingZeke92 LazerzZ 5: Assassin's Creed Board Games Board games are a great way to pass the time and can provide hours of entertainment for all the family. Our fan Stuart has been playing Assassin's Creed Monopoly, but a number of games are available. You can even pick up a pack of Assassin's Creed Top Trumps if you're looking for something simple! 4: HomeCon 2020 HomeCon 2020 may be over, but you can still watch all of the panels on Twitch for £4.99 or free with Amazon Prime. It really was a fantastic event, and you can learn more about it here. Paul Amos has also announced that 'Creed-Con', an online Assassin's Creed event will be happening next month, so stay tuned! 3: Fanart Community members have been producing a ton of fan art, and it's a great time to hone your skills and perfect your techniques! Here are some of our favourites so far! 2: Assassin's Creed Jigsaws Jigsaws are another great way to pass the time, and can keep you entertained for days, possibly even weeks! Our fan Vale has been piecing together Connor from Assassin's Creed III, but a number of puzzles are available. 1: Play the games Assassin's Creed is a huge series, and there's a ton of content you may have missed upon release. Now is the perfect time to purchase that DLC, pick up the spin-off games you never had time to play, or just fill the gap in your collection. Who knows, you might even pick up another language and learn some history! Most importantly though, it's something to keep you entertained during isolation. 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)

​Thea is a full time student studying archaeology at the University of Bergen in Norway. She is a huge fan of the franchise and enjoys writing both fictional and academic texts. In her spare time, Thea is a passionate artist, creating detailed pencil sketches and watercolour/acrylic paintings. She has even created tattoos and replica historical props/ clothing before! ​In Summer 2022, Thea joined TOWCB's art team, where she will have the chance to work on a variety of projects and expand her art portfolio. Previous Next Thea (Moonchildgecko) Artist Thea is a full time student studying archaeology at the University of Bergen in Norway. She is a huge fan of the franchise and enjoys writing both fictional and academic texts. In her spare time, Thea is a passionate artist, creating detailed pencil sketches and watercolour/acrylic paintings. She has even created tattoos and replica historical props/ clothing before! In Summer 2022, Thea joined TOWCB's art team, where she will have the chance to work on a variety of projects and expand her art portfolio. Twitter Work 2024 The Ones Who Came Before Logo Designs Revealed News Assassin's Creed Day - The 21st of December Analysis Assassin's Creed I: Gilded Altaïr Fanart by Thea Marie Rivedal Art Colours in Assassin's Creed - a short review Analysis

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

Gallery: Assassin's Creed Mirage Trailer Concept Art Other Share 4 Apr 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database The first wave of concept art created for Assassin's Creed Mirage have been shared online by Roman Popov and Salvo Lo Iacono, two senior concept artists at Digic Pictures. The concepts were created as inspiration for the team, and were used as references when producing the Cinematic World Premiere Trailer, which released back in September of 2022. It's clear that these particular artworks acted as a storyboard, laying out the events which take place in the trailer. Check them out below, and be sure to follow Roman on Instagram should he happen to release more incredible pieces of Assassin's Creed artwork in the future. Street thief chase. Bird's-eye view. No entry. Basim Training with Roshan Alamut, the Mountain Fortress Hide in plain sight No escape. Initiation Nothing is True Sacrifice Sacred Ritual Guarded Street Thief Assassination Merchants Freerunning That's it for now. We hope that this little taster of Assassin's Creed Mirage has you excited for the game. Keep an eye on The Ones Who Came Before social media channels (listed below) for updates on the game and everything else Assassin's Creed. Safety and Peace 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)

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 19th -25th March 2022 Community Share 4 Apr 2022 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the new weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week, we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for capture across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. 1) Dawn of Ragnarok Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla This week’s first capture comes from @coalabr14 over on Twitter. Our first Dawn of Ragnarok shot to be featured. I am yet to play the DLC myself, however this picture inspires me to give it a go. I love the statue of what looks like Thor in the centre, with the steaming cauldrons either side. I am definitely getting God of War vibes from this. 2) Havi Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Photo number two comes from @Toringtino over on Twitter. Again I think this capture comes from Ragnarok, especially with how Eivor looks. This is a great portrait of the main man himself. He is fully armoured up and ready for battle, with a stare like that I would not want to get in his way. I really like how this shot showcases that epic beard. 3) The Revolution Game: Assassin’s Creed Unity This week’s third shot comes from @Zorik323 over on Twitter. A stunning black and white portrait of Arno. I particularly like how he is stood in an archway with the blurry background. The detail on the building in front of him is excellent. I am loving the pose more than anything though, classic Assassin. 4) Twilight Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP number four comes from @dpruttz_vp over on Twitter. This shot is too good. I love it when a portrait of the lead character comes off like this. It feels like a painting more than a game capture. The Twilight armour really is on show here, and the sparks behind Eivor just amplify it. Really enjoying the turned head look, showing off the eye patch, nice little touch. 5) Stones Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla The final capture of the week comes from @PodToGo over on Twitter. An amazing bird’s eye view of Aveberie Megaliths Standing Stones. There are so many of these picturesque locations in the game. What I adore about this shot is the camera angle, it really plays tricks on your mind. The white 8 with the stones all around looks very mysterious. 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

Preston is a long-time Assassin's Creed fan of both the games and the soundtracks. He works as a primary school educator, and is also a part-time actor. ​He takes a keen interest in mythology, symbology, codes and puzzles. Some of his passions include writing, reading, art, gaming, football, and music. Previous Next Preston Carbonaro Writer Previous Partner Preston is a long-time Assassin's Creed fan of both the games and the soundtracks. He works as a primary school educator, and is also a part-time actor. He takes a keen interest in mythology, symbology, codes and puzzles. Some of his passions include writing, reading, art, gaming, football, and music. Twitter Work Cracking the Isu Code: Part 1 Analysis Cracking the Isu Code: Part 2 Analysis The AC Experience: Being a Background Actor in the Assassin's Creed Movie Events Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe Teaser Analysis Analysis

PureArts reveal incredibly detailed Assassin's Creed Revelations Diorama Merchandise Share 9 Feb 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database PureArts have revealed a new product on their social media channels. The officially licenced Assassin's Creed R.I.P. Altaïr 1/6 Scale Diorama is a 1/6 scale masterpiece, recreating arguably the most iconic scene from Assassin's Creed Revelations. There's no mistaking the high quality of this product, as PureArts once again deliver on their pledge to deliver premium quality collectible figures. Numbers: The Exclusive Edition is limited to 250 units, (which have all sold out already at the time of writing this). The PureArts Exclusive Edition includes a wearable Memory Seal pendant. 1250 Non Exclusive units are also available via the PureArts website. The diorama is slated for a Q1 2024 release, with the non-exclusive edition costing $499.00 USD. For some, the high price point may be a turn-off, but to own this diorama is to own a slice of Assassin's Creed history. It really is the pinnacle of collectors' items, and we can't wait to see more! “I have lived my life as best I could, not knowing its purpose, but drawn forward like a moth to a distant moon. And here, at last, I discover a strange truth.” – Ezio Auditore Ezio Auditore entered the Library of Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad expecting to find books. Instead came face to face with the remains of Altaïr himself, seated in a chair and holding a Memory Seal in his hand. Kneeling before Altair to pay his respects, we’ve captured the pivotal moment when Ezio discovers his life’s purpose! Re-live this unforgettable moment in Assassin’s Creed Revelations with our Assassin's Creed R.I.P. Altaïr 1/6 Scale Diorama rendered in exquisite detail and care. 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)

Check out the latest Assassin's Creed news, updates and projects! Latest FAQ What is The Ones Who Came Before? The Ones Who Came Before is an Assassin's Creed Fan Community established in 2014. We provide news, theories and updates to fans of the franchise around the world. Can I join the admin team? Keep an eye on our social media platforms for advertisements. During busy periods such as E3 and Gamescom, we may advertise for a new role. All applications are taken in to consideration. For example, during E3 2019 we advertised for an E3 content specialist. This led to a number of interesting articles being produced. Although we are currently not recruiting for the admin team, we are always looking for new members to join the AC Partnership Program. Learn more here What hours do the moderators work? Although we don't have set hours, we are most active during the day (UK Time), and always do our best to respond as quickly as possible. Is there anything I can't say in the comments? We ask that all members of our community abide by our code of conduct and community standards. The comments feature has been added to our pages in order to encourage discussion and debate, and we welcome relevant contributions. Misuse of this feature will not be tolerated. Will comments be moderated? All interactions by community members can be seen by admins, and may be moderated if necessary. Breaking the code of conduct, or failing to follow the community standards may lead to actions being taken. For example, comments being removed or bans from our social media channels (if necessary). Is joining the community free? Absolutely! We will never charge members of the community. You can however make a donation if you wish to make a contribution to The Ones Who Came Before. All donations go towards costs such as giveaways, website maintenance and shipping fees, creating more opportunities for our community. Can I submit ideas? Of course! If you have an idea and want to see it happen, don't be afraid to message us! We'll do our best to make it a reality. Can I post in my language? Yes! We will use google translate to respond to you if necessary. I'm new to the Community. Can you help me? First of all, welcome to the Assassin's Creed Community! If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch! I have a complaint. What should I do? First of all, we are sorry to hear that you are unhappy. Please use the Contact form so that we can resolve the issue. I've just finished an Assassin's Creed Project. Will you share it please? Sure! Send us some details and we'll do our best to get it online. Look out for our weekly showcase of fan content, known as TOWCB Community Corner. You can find all our entries here on Twitter . Can I use your content for my own projects? We're flattered that you like our content and wish to share it. All that we ask is that you leave a link to our social media platforms or website when using our content. This could be quotes, photos or anything else we have produced. Please credit our community. How many people are members of TOWCB AC Fan Community? We currently have around 60,000 followers in total on all social media channels (March 2021) Are you affiliated with Ubisoft? We are an independent news outlet/ community, operated by fans of the franchise. Although we are not officially affiliated with Ubisoft, we do have a strong relationship with the company due to our position within The Mentors Guild community program, making it possible to coordinate projects such as interviews, giveaways and more. Ubisoft have always been extremely supportive of The Ones Who Came Before, and we seek to maintain a positive union. How can I help The Ones Who Came Before? There are many ways you can help TOWCB: Share our content Follow our social media platforms and turn on notifications Leave comments/feedback Join the AC Partnership Program Message us if you find something AC related you think the community would be interested in. Make a small donation Use our Amazon Affiliate Links (More info) Leave a review on Facebook

Mentor Memories: Remembering the Mentors Guild In Memoriam Share 19 Jul 2022 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Just before the unexpected closure of The Mentors Guild program, members of the Assassin's Creed community shared their favourite memories in the now deleted Discord server, all of which we saved just in time. A huge network of AC Community members came together to reflect on their fondest moments and accomplishments. In Part one of this two-part series, we share with you some of those wonderful memories so that TMG is never forgotten. Many members of the Mentors Guild (TMG) have now been moved across to the Star Player 2.0 Program, which is set to be bigger and better for community members, increasing opportunities by merging several Ubisoft community programs together. It's clear that TMG meant a lot to the AC Community, and its closure leaves a huge gap. We here at TOWCB will miss The Mentors Guild, especially what it became in its later days, where it opened the doors to hundreds of community members around the world, but we also look forward to seeing what comes next with the creation of the Star Player 2.0 program, which will hopefully be just as rewarding for content creators and community members. LOADING FIRMWARE..... ANIMUS 2.02....... MEMORIES SYNCHRONISING...... Memory by Kim Beacham from Assassin's Creed United Kingdom ''I have started getting voice actors from the AC series to sign my Mentors Guild T-shirt that we got last year with their favourite quotes or character names. Only a few weeks ago added to it, were Nolan North (Desmond Miles) and Matt Ryan. I'm going to get it signed by as many Assassin's Creed voice actors as I can by attending events and cons to then frame it once full, front and back!'' By Dave Woodward from Assassin's Creed United Kingdom My fondest Mentors Guild Memories. ''Getting the opportunity to represent the AC brand through The Mentors Guild and wearing the t-shirt with pride, and letting people in our amazing community know what TMG is and what we do as fans. I got to meet the amazing members of our community. I was invited to London to see the AC Symphony and had the opportunity to go an amazing tour of London with my fellow UK member, enjoying the scenery and the company. To top the evening off, through TMG, an Assassin's Creed meet-up in a local pub was arranged before the start of the London premier of the AC Symphony, which saw Alexios himself, Michael Antonakos as a surprise guest, which made everyone attending really happy. Being able to see the AC Symphony live was something which I'll never forget. Also through myself and our Mentors in the Assassin's Creed United Kingdom group, we arranged several cosplay meet-ups which saw members of our community attending and getting the chance to meet the stars of AC franchise such as Matt Ryan (Edward Kenway), Abubakar Salim (Bayek) and Paul Amos (Jacob Frye).'' 13/7/22: '' Today marks the sad day that the Mentors Guild program will close after 5 years, I am truly grateful to have been apart of this program for the last 2 years, thank you to the Com Devs for everyone you've done Looking forward what we can do in the Star Player 2.0 program'' Memory by Louise Chase (TheNerdyArcher) from Assassin's Creed United Kingdom ''I think the Weapons Workshop last year was so much fun and it was great to work with some of the other Mentors! Also it got me set on the idea of making prop weapons and cosplay so I have it to thank; maybe one day I'll reveal the final piece.'' 'So you've seen the Mentor's Guild weapons which will be added into AC Valhalla - but what about the other concepts? Presenting: Viggo's Brandr'' Memory by Declan from Let's Talk Assassin's Creed ''I had no idea what to send at first but then I remembered this moment that still makes me laugh. Attending a Discord call with the epic UK Mentors in my blanket as I had Covid, and now it's become standard for me to arrive in any Discord Call wearing the blanket.'' ''I learned a lot from The Mentors Guild and made a ton of amazing friends and I hope to continue to do so with fellow Star Players'' Memory by Siobhan from Assassin's Creed United Kingdom ''So many memories to chose from! Up in the top few moments would definitely be getting our Christmas Jumpers'' ''Absolutely delighted to announce I've been invited to join the Star Player 2.0 programme! I've had a blast as part of the Mentor's Guild so I'm really looking forward to where this leads. Thank you @Ubisoft_UK and @Assassins_UK for this amazing opportunity.'' Memory by Anastasia Neuer ''I've always really liked the modern-day storyline of AC and it's a huge inspiration for my art. The majority of my AC art is dedicated to modern-day characters and Sofia Rikkin in particular. This fan art of her is the most important one for me. I want modern-day characters to get more recognition within the AC community and I'm so happy to be a part of the Mentors Guild for the chance to share my love for these characters with more people.'' Memory by Mikael from Assassin's Creed France ''Shortly after the official release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, we were offered a pack with several objects including the French press kit and the AC Valhalla face masks. It was a great moment. We opened our packages at the same time on a video call. I loved seeing the reaction of my Mentor friends when they opened and discovered their package. Fun fact: I had fun putting the AC Valhalla mask on my life-sized statue of Arno'' Memory by Kangarrru (Valorianru) Although I've only been with the guild a short time. It's been an incredible privilege. I'm from a small town outside Melbourne so the opportunities in gaming are few and far between. Joining the Guild was the biggest opportunity I'd ever received. The Guild encouraged me to create, to make new friends and engage with a community. TMG got me through the longest lockdowns in the world and gave me a support network across the world. Being able to talk with people who love something like I do. It's been an incredible opportunity and I wish I had the headspace to express just how something like this has meant to me. Thank you to all the Ubisoft team and thank you to each and every Mentor. Safety and Peace. Gratitude by GronnUlv ''Thanks to Ubisoft for their support, nothing like this has ever happened in my life before. Thank you so much for this opportunity to be a part of the Mentors Guild. I'm sad that I didn't have the opportunity to do more. But I hope that someday in this life something will get better and I will be able to return to drawing fanarts for Assassins Creed. Still, this universe occupies an important part of my life and without it I wouldn't have met many wonderful people'' We would like to say a huge thank you to all the Mentors who shared their touching stories. Do you have any Mentors Guild Memories you would like to share? Get in touch with The Ones Who Came Before ( @ACFirstCiv ) on Twitter to be featured in part 2 of this mini series dedicated to The Mentors Guild! 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: 31st to 6th August Community Share 8 Aug 2023 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Back To Database Welcome to the weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week I will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. This week’s theme: Assassin’s Creed Let’s Dive In Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ISAchan_97 “To perform the leap of faith, you must give yourself over to something greater” To serve the light is a great questline in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and exists to teach Eivor the ways of the brotherhood. As a Viking all the skulking around in the shadows seems alien. I like that Hytham and Eivor have a connection through the bureau in Ravensthorpe. This epic shot encapsulates Eivor attempting a leap of faith after Hytham’s teachings. The timing here is excellent with Eivor’s arms spread wide like an eagle. Fantastic choice of outfit too, it’s a shame this set did not become Eivor’s classic ‘Assassin’ robes. Phobos Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @WallyDaGreat66 “You’ve chosen the great Phobos. He’s never let me down” Phobos is Kassandra’s horse of choice in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. He accompanies Kassandra all across Greece after being gifted to her by Markos early in the story. There were so many skins for Phobos depending on your chosen style he could look as grounded or extreme as you wanted. Fun fact is Phobos means fear in Greek. This capture of your trusty steed is so striking, I love the lighting and how it is amplifying the stunning details of the horse. The facial position is perfect and the depth of field adds to the beauty. Warrior of the North Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @artschoolglasses “I do not seek battles. Battle just seem to seek me” Scotland was always out of reach for Eivor, apart from the Isle of Skye DLC which was such a nice surprise. It is a shame we don’t get to venture beyond the wall but then again it is never a wise thing to do. Many a Viking failed in their attempts to take Scotland. For me this shot of Eivor Varinsdottir surveying the snowy landscapes of the north gracefully sums up Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. She came from snowy Norway to battle through England and arrive back in the north. I adore the position of this capture with the mountains spectacularly on view in the background. I also love the snowy tree tops and for me the best armour set in the game, what more could I ask for. Northman Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @theonlyjess_vp “Basim fills your head with twisted prophecies” Eivor and Sigurd are so close, but as time goes on Sigurd becomes brain washed by Basim and the brothers bond becomes frail. This is mostly down to Sigurd seeking higher glory and forgetting that he is a Viking at heart. Eivor in this capture embodies the role of both Northman and Odin outstandingly well. I love this portrait and everything about it, the depth of field and colour tones are on point. The hair and beard combo works so well and the Raven tattoo heeds the connection to Odin. Got to love that raven skin with the bone armour, such a nice touch to put the wayfinder symbol on the headpieces. Footprints in the Sand Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @KaiVirtualPhoto “We must sacrifice our personal lives for the greater good” One thing that really impressed most people when playing Origins is the minimalistic beauty of the desert. The way Ubisoft built the Origins world is nothing short of excellence. Bayek often finds himself wandering the desert in search of his next target. This capture has the wow factor, partly because shots with the minimalist vibe are hard to pull off. I applaud the saturation of the sand and the footprints left behind by Bayek, excellent little details that bring this shot alive. It just leaves you wondering where Bayek is going? The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Judge: @TuridTorkil This shot is a great combination of timing, lighting and angle. It's minimalistic yet vivid at the same time. I know how tricky it can be to get a proper picture of running characters. I am highly impressed by this capture. 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

Pressed in Gold: A Review of the Assassin’s Creed - Leap Into History Limited Edition X5LP Box Set Reviews Share 26 Mar 2023 Written By: Edited By: Michael Smith Colum Blackett Back To Database Banner by Thea Marie Rivedal ( Moonchildgecko ) from TOWCB Art Team . The 15th Anniversary for the Assassin’s Creed series is still being celebrated after 2022. There are continuous releases of merch and transmedia that are tied to the event, the latest of which is the release of the Leap Into History Vinyl Box Set from Laced Records. This release was presented in two options, a Deluxe 5LP box set for $110US, and a Limited Edition 5LP in Gold for $120US (which is now sold out). The differences between the two versions come down to the Limited Edition including a slip mat, art print, and the ‘gold nugget’ color of the vinyl records. After a few production delays, the vinyl collections shipped out across the globe this last month (original shipping date was set for January, 2023). The vinyl was shipped in a very form fitting shipping box with some packing peanuts over the cover which I liked as it is always fun to “uncover” the gorgeous black and gold packaging. The opaque images of the protagonists of the series and the Isu inspired trim of the image border gives a sleek and quality expectation of what is within the box sleeve. While it may be difficult to see in this image, the side where the vinyls are removed from the case read “Assassin’s Creed Leap Into History” on the left/top and then the disc number on the right/bottom. The order of having Disc one on the bottom which is really the front of the packaging makes sense, but it is one of those nit-picking things that I argue with myself when organizing things on shelves, in order of position. However, as vinyls should not be stored flat on a shelf, this labeling makes sense. The following section does bring up a similar issue with the decision of labeling sides A and B of a record. Side As Side Bs Each of the five vinyl sleeves holds music for two of the games, ordered by their Genetic Memory time periods (which I very much enjoyed seeing). Where my issue with this comes from, is the first side I saw when removing Disc 1, was Bayek from Assassin’s Creed Origins, or the “Side B” for this record. I understand that this comes from the Western reading order of Left to right, where with media printed for said audience, opens from the right side and is hinged/spined on the left. However, seeing each of the #AC15 artworks for the games (which was composed of the original game art with the grayscale filter and the golden logo from each game. The first set of “Side A” covers AC Odyssey, Valhalla, AC II, Black Flag, and the combo Unity/Rogue. The “Side B” shows Origins, Assassin’s Creed, Brotherhood/Revelations, AC III, and Syndicate. All of the current games with this exception of Liberation are present and broken down into different eras. When you pull out the vinyl, you have the slip sleeve that opens from the top so that the vinyl itself isn’t damaged or won’t fall out from the side. The front side of each removed sleeve has a simple design for the AC 15 release, but nothing district to speak to. The reverse sides are where the bulk of the collection’s information on the music itself. Disc 1: Classical Era, Disc 2: Middle Ages, Disc 3: Renaissance, Disc 4: Enlightenment, Disc 5: Enlightenment/Modern Era. The title of the game(s) and time period(s) are listed below the Era label, followed by the Composer(s) and the titles of the selected 5 - 9 songs for each game. The shortest list is for Brotherhood/Revelations at 5 songs and the longest is Unity/Rogue with 9. Some of my favorites are included such as the “Legend of the Eagle Bearer” for Odyssey and of course “Ezio’s Family” for AC II. I really wish there were some different sea shanties on the Black Flag vinyl such as “Running Down to Cuba” as that is a favorite of mine, but it's completely understandable that the track listings have to be limited or there would be double the number of records in the box set. The ‘Golden Nugget’ LPs are where this release shines the most. The color is so gorgeous and the stamped vinyls are unique to each individual bundle so my vinyls will not look the same as anyone else’s. They remind me of the golden sands of Origins in a way. Each vinyl has the logo for Side A or B in the center, though the placement of which way is “up” varies and isn’t lined perfectly, but again that is a nitpick. As listed on Laced’s site, the differences as I mentioned earlier are the golden color, art print, and slipmat. The art print is the AC15 logo artwork on a thin though nice quality paper. This however didn’t feel like a print but more of a protective artwork that would be on the front of a game that is removed with the plastic wrap to show the actual cover of the game. I would have liked to see a thicker print on gallery quality paper like what we have seen with the art books for the series. If I hadn’t remembered that this was an art print, it could have been tossed away by accident. Now on the other hand, the slipmat is really cool and something that fits perfect with the vinyl box set. The large golden AC15 logo to place below your vinyl to prevent damage from the record player itself. While I am new to vinyl collection, my wife who has a decent collection of albums was excited to see that it was included with the Limited Edition. As of this posting, the Limited Edition is sold out, but the Deluxe Edition is still available from Laced Records ’ US/Canada store for $110US. However as of March 10 when they announced via Twitter that the vinyl was in stock, they stated “Last few left” in that post, so it is unclear how close they are to selling out completely. Amazon US is showing a preorder for what I assume is the Standard Edition of the 5 LP bundle, at a higher price of $130US+ and a release date of April 7, 2023. So it does appear that fans can purchase the music in the future, but may not get the special packaging that the deluxe version includes. I would recommend looking into this set if you are a fan of the great music that comes from the Assassin’s Creed series so that we can see further support for physical releases in the future. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Mike Smith is a collector of all things Assassin's Creed and a major supporter of transmedia who joined TOWCB as a writer from 2021 - 2024 With nearly a full library of Assassin's Creed media, his work explored the universe in order of Genetic Memory. Notably, his Assassin's Creed Timeline became an essential tool for fans of the franchise looking to complete their collection and consume AC media in a particular order. Michael Smith

Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography Hub Welcome to the Virtual Photography Hub! Here you can find all of our Assassin's Creed weekly VP community showcase articles, written by Aaron Young from our AC Partnership Program! ***RESETTING*** LOADING FIRMWARE... ANIMUS 2.02. SOURCE/AC PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM File: VIRTUAL PHOTOGRAPHY POPULATING 2025 VP Hub A collection of all virtual photography articles written in 2025. Read More 2024 VP Hub A collection of all virtual photography articles written in 2024. Read More 2023 VP Hub A collection of all virtual photography articles written in 2023. Read More 2022 VP Hub A collection of all virtual photography articles written in 2022. Read More