Event Log: Assassin's Creed Mirage Red Carpet Digital Event Events Share 9 Nov 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) TOWCB Team Back To Database Just before the launch of Assassin's Creed Mirage, we were invited to attend an online event exclusively for community members. The event was unlike any other we have ever attended, and featured a mini game where everyone controlled a 'chibi-style' Basim. All players had a username attached, and when you approached audio and video would appear for those interacting nearby. Dotted around the cartoon mini map of Baghdad were also members of the Development team, who players could ask questions of before the game launched. It was a really unique experience, that also contained rewards. By clicking on items of importance around the map, such as Basim's armour or weapons, videos and concept art would reveal itself, all of which was shared with players after the event in the form of an assets pack. After some time interacting with developers and community members, players were invited to join a mini game which involved removing Basim's notoriety status. Wanted posters appeared around the map, featuring different colours which represented the various different teams. When Basim's notoriety had been reset, players met up at the Palace of the Green Dome. Here, host Clement Dagonneau announced that the Red Carpet event would soon be ending, and that a one hour play session for Assassin's Creed Mirage would be starting immediately. According to fellow Assassin's Creed Fan Community, Access the Animus , participants tested the ''Andromeda online p latform''. It featured an ''isometric chibi version of Baghdad where players can wander around with a Basim avatar.'' The Red Carpet event was a fun and interesting way for community members to learn about the game, with many in the Discord server requesting Ubisoft to host the platform permanently. Top marks to all involved for their creativity. Big thank you to the Assassin's Creed Community Team for inviting us! Images provided by Ubisoft comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

Discovery Tour by Ubisoft: The Educational Software and Books for Exploring History Breakdown Share 14 Sept 2021 Written By: Edited By: Michael Smith Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Assassin’s Creed was first introduced to the gaming world in 2007 with the release of its titled release “Assassin’s Creed”. The game told a fictional story of two warring factions seeking an artifact of unknown power during the real historical setting of the Third Crusade in the Holy Land (modern day Jerusalem). Throughout the game, players were provided information via game dialogue and recaps from the perspective of the protagonist to provide historical insight of the world around them. This idea of historical education embedded in an action stealth video game would progress further as the series continued, adding codex libraries of reference data for historical locations, people, and various additional subjects. Ubisoft, the publisher of the Assassin’s Creed games, decided in 2017 alongside the launch of Assassin’s Creed Origins, to release a new game mode titled Discovery Tour: Ancient Egypt where players and those interested in history would be able to control a character within the digital representation of Egypt and participate in walking tours that educated them on the history that influenced the flagship series. This was successful enough that a second entry of the new mode was released the following year with Discovery Tour: Ancient Greece. In 2020, Larousse (a French publishing house) released a physical print of the Discovery Tours via the Discovery Book by Assassin’s Creed Series, titled Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece. Within these reference books, 1001 facts about the eras were collected with their pages. At the time of this review, these books have only been released in French, but are advertised on the Great Britain and French Assassin’s Creed Stories publishing sites. For this article, the Ancient Greece version of the Discovery Tour and Book will be examined after completing the full game mode, and reading the book with Google Translate. In both the book and the game, the history of Ancient Greece is broken down into “Themes” and within those themes are the “Tours” that educate on one of 30 different subjects. Within the game mode, the player can select a character from a list of fictional and historical persons, such as the main protagonist Kassandra/ Alexios or a simple farmer from that era, some of the characters must be unlocked by completing a set number of tours or themes, as well as a horse to travel from location to location without having to worry about combat and stroll through the vibrant environment designed by the Assassin’s Creed team while listening to a narration of the history of Greece. The player is greeted at the start of the tour by one of a small handful of tour guides, such as Herodotus and Aspasia. The player can ask the guide questions about themselves to learn of these historical figures/characters from the game. From here, the game's narrator will highlight numerous stops that players will traverse the environment by following a lighted pathway to get to a stop and interact with it to play the audio information about the subject of that stop. Once completing the tour, players will return to the tour guide at the end of the guided pathway and take a short multiple choice quiz to see if the player remembers what they just learned. There is no failure to the tour quiz as the guide will correct you and reeducate about the correct answer if necessary. Players can discover new tours by Fast Traveling to the starting location or exploring the map at their own pace and tracking their progress via in-game menus and checkpoints on the Map. Each tour informs of the number of checkpoints, known as Stations, and the estimated time it should take to complete that tour. Tours can take anywhere from 5 minutes to half an hour, but are filled with visuals, camerawork, real pictures and sketches of the subject to compare to the ingame models. Players of the Assassin’s Creed Odyssey title will notice that locations in the Discovery Tour are different than they were in game as the developers adjusted the locations to be more historically accurate and less focused on integration with game mechanics. Players that would like to experience the history of Ancient Greece also have the option of taking the tours in order of the timeline available in the menu. This option is partially how the Discovery Book is organized. The book is sectioned into 9 sections of interest and within those are 42 subjects over 95 pages. The information provided in the book is the same information provided in the game mode, arranged alongside images of items from the real world or screenshots of the game. As you can see in the images below, the information provided is similar, appearing differently due to translation and where said information is provided on the page. The book, while providing the same information as the game mode, provides a better sense of educational value as it reads like a traditional encyclopedia, with the downside of being currently available in French only. However the gamification of unlocking additional characters and mounts as well as traversing the beautiful landscapes of Greece make the adventure of finding and going through the tours more entertaining. With children these days generally more intrigued by computer screens than books, this software provides a great way of educating children and classrooms in a new way. The potential of coming into class and playing a Discovery Tour game versus watching a film would be beneficial to students absorbing information and talking more about what they learned and found while exploring the Greek World. This could also be a great format for museums to expand exhibits and offer new experiences from home via live service updates similar to that of the main Assassin’s Creed games. Both the Ancient Greece and Egypt Tours and Books are a great way to learn about the history that inspired the Assassin’s Creed series and a great addition to any collection. For those that are not interested in purchasing the full games that include the Discovery Tour, the tours are offered as a stand alone product for PC users and videos of the tours are available on the Discovery Tour by Ubisoft website. Previous fans of the game mode will be happy to know that the next entry Discovery Tour: Viking Age for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will be releasing in the fall of 2021 (October 19th) . In this new era, locations from around the Valhalla game will be explorable, such as Englad, Ireland, France, and even the home of the Norse Gods, Asgard. Players will be able to play as favorite characters and NPCs from the game and explore the real world influences in depth. Information provided by the Ubisoft team working on this mode confirms that it will be more immersive than the previous iterations. This could mean new mechanics such as puzzles to learn secrets of the past, or possibly the introduction of a more interactive tour that is more than a stop and admire version that players are used to with museums and games like this. 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

Interview with Lee Majdoub - The Role of Basim, Arabic Authenticity, Acting in Games VS Films & More Interviews Share 11 Oct 2023 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) Colum Blackett Back To Database Gargudon from our team had the opportunity to sit down with Lee Majdoub, the man behind the voice of protagonist Basim in Assassin’s Creed Mirage, for a chat about everything from the road to and preparation for the role, authenticity in acting, the AC community, acting in games versus shows and films and much more. Video edited by FrameHoldPhotography. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPmmpI014kg Thank you again Lee for making space for this and being awesome! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Gustav / Gargudon is an active and versatile content creator, who started out in podcast hosting in 2016 - hosting the discussion based show “The Memory Corridor” - but today mostly specialises in video creation, interviews, writing and composing. He joined The Ones Who Came Before in 2019 for a merger, publishing new episodes - and reviving the show following nearly a year of inactivity - on our platforms, until phased out in 2023. Today, his landmark projects include the Sounds Of History project - an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental music project, featuring five tracks inspired by as many different games - other original fan themes plus covers of iconic AC tracks, as well as video interviews with a number of high profile names in the world of AC, from Roger Craig Smith, Jesper Kyd and more. Fun fact, among his growing colourful tattoo collection, Gustav is the only member of our team to have the TOWCB logo inked. Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon)

Black Flag Resynced - What Will It Be? Breakdown Share 1 Apr 2026 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) Gargudon Back To Database A month's time ago now, it was officially announced by newly appointed franchise Head of Content, Jean Guesdon, that Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag - one of the most iconic and household installments of the franchise - is getting a revamp, officially titled Assassin’s Creed Black Flag - Resynced . Little to nothing was ultimately revealed, except the title, a piece of artwork, as well as a reworked metal looking version of the Black Flag insignia. This was of course met with praise from many fans, excited to set out on the Caribbean sea once again, sinking ships, plundering and exploring the sea’s many islands and settlements. At the same time, there are also some fans, who perhaps are cautiously optimistic, fearing the upcoming game will be a remake rather than a remaster, and will rely too heavily on elements from newer, more RPG oriented games, rather than honouring and sticking to the overall formula of the beloved original. What will this upcoming remaster or remake consist of, will it stick true to the original masterpiece, or will it trade that in for a looser RPG oriented approach? Will that alienate fans of the original in the process, and what can this upcoming title do for Ubisoft and the franchise? We will be exploring this and more in this article, let’s dive into it! Assassin's Creed Black Flag - Resynced Official Promo Artwork Assassin's Creed Black Flag - Resynced Official Logo Remaster Or New Game? As mentioned, ultimately very little was revealed about this upcoming reiteration, of one of Ubisoft’s most iconic and critically acclaimed titles, except for a logo, a piece of artwork and a title, but more news and details are likely to follow very soon. Already though, one of the big questions among fans and players, is what will this reiteration ultimately consist of? Will it ultimately be the same game we know and love, but with improved graphics, mechanics, features, and maybe some new content? Or will it essentially be a totally new game, getting rid of many of the elements at the very core of the original, trading them in for looser, more RPG oriented elements of newer instalments. Maybe ultimately a mix of both? The latter could very well turn out the best option, pleasing both old and new fans, adding mere practical improvements, and most importantly sticking true to and honouring the original game. There are many practical improvements which could be added, which would only enhance the experience, and not chip away at the original core or feel of it. The parkour and free running mechanics from say Assassin’s Creed Unity , which are widely still considered the best in the series, could easily be implemented, making things even smoother and more fun. Combat system could be updated to be more like that of Unity and Syndicate , making for smoother combat overall, and adding an additional but fun challenge, also compared to the original game’s combat system and easy counter kills. New weapons and outfits, as well as new content making for bonus gameplay, would also be a fun addition, that only adds to and enhances the original experience. Another addition that at this point feels mandatory, with newer instalments as well as modern gaming standards overall, that would also allow players to experience the game in a whole new way they weren’t able to the first time, would be the addition of a Photo Mode. This would allow players to properly capture the vast beauty of the many locations of the West Indies, the intensity of naval battles, as well as Edward Kenway in the heat of the moment. Overall, there are many ways new elements and practical additions could be added, without being detrimental to the core of the original game. For example, when Grand Theft Auto V was remastered and re-released for PS4 and Xbox One, mere 14 months after its initial PS3 and Xbox 360 release, it was ultimately still the very same game, but at the same time felt like a complete new one, with the addition of new side missions, vehicles and wildlife among other things, improved and new controls, an enhanced 3D minimap, and probably most notably, a first person mode, which could still be switched to and out off at any given moment. If anything this remastered version, felt like the game reaching its full potential, and what it was ultimately always meant to be, but could not be at first due to the technical limitations of the old generation of consoles. Grand Theft Auto V PS4 / Xbox One Official Promo Screenshot (2014) Here it is also worth noting, how Black Flag initially also was released for the very same consoles, in the form of the PS3 and Xbox 360. Only weeks after its initial October 2013 release, the new generation of the PS4 and Xbox One were released, and versions of Black Flag specifically tailored to those consoles were released as well. Ultimately though, the differences were minor. Overall graphics were more or less the same, FPS rate still ran at 30, and there weren’t any major differences in scale of the game or content. The only real differences, were the addition of realism elements like moving foliage, fired cannons creating a layer of smoke - also adding an additional fun challenge to naval combat - select refined details and lighting, as well as an overall clearer and sharper look. Overall though, Black Flag was still built on the technology of the then old generation of consoles, and was merely refined for the new one. It wasn’t until Assassin’s Creed Unity a year later, that an AC game was built solely on new generation technology, meaning less restrictions and more possibilities. Was Black Flag perhaps always supposed to have a grander technical vision and scale, that merely could not be executed at the time? Whether this was the plan or not, it is certainly possible to execute now, and the game could at long last reach its full potential. Reception & Original Game's Legacy Where things could get risky and quickly cause polarisation, would be if the very core of the game is changed, to possibly be more like newer games, but would that even work to begin with, without drastically changing and rewriting the game’s story for one? Black Flag’s story is written to be linear and structured by sequences, every memory having depth and a clear narrative goal, setting up the rest of the story. If you could suddenly do things in any order - like taking out the final big three targets of Rogers, Roberts and Torres - and hop in and out of missions at any time, wouldn’t the story quickly lose its depth and overall feel? Wouldn’t the memories that come directly after one another, and the transitions between, suddenly feel so sudden and dull? If drastic changes like this for one were made, it is very likely a lot of fans of the original game, would hop off and lose interest very quickly, feeling the original game is being disrespected. With this one, wouldn’t it also be more important for Ubisoft to respect the original game, keeping the fans that have been with them for nearly two decades at this point, instead of trying to make it more like newer games, many of which have also been met with very mixed reception among older fans? Were this to happen, it is very likely what was supposed to be Assassin’s Creed’s big nostalgia and revival moment, with fans falling in love with one of the most iconic games all over again, becomes anything but that, instead being very dissatisfied with this remake, and instead just sticking to the original 2013 game. This has happened with remasters typically called ‘The Definitive Edition’ before, either being too different from the original, or having bad launches that quickly impact their reputation, making players just stick to the old version. No matter what, the 2013 original has one of the strongest legacies in the franchise, and depending on what this remaster or remake will consist of, that could grow even stronger, depending on how this new version stays true to and respects the original, which will likely be an important factor for many old fans. Overall, Ubisoft will likely want to focus, on putting out a game, that has the same core as the original game and honours it, rather than changes it too drastically. Something that makes old players fall in love with the game all over again, reminds them what makes it so great, and merely enhances the original experience, while at the same time possibly feeling like a whole new and different one, especially for newer fans and players, only experiencing it for the first time. Impact On The Franchise & Ubisoft As mentioned a bit already, a new version of what is one of Ubisoft’s most iconic and household titles ever, could easily have the potential to make for a massive landmark moment of franchise revival and nostalgia, possibly also taking the franchise and the company itself to new heights. It is no secret Ubisoft have had some rocky recent years, with flagship franchises - including Assassin’s Creed - undergoing heavy change with some longtime fans falling off, the controversial marketing campaign for AC Shadows , financial crises and plummeting stock prices, major layoffs, internal restructurings and more. A reiteration of what is one of their most critically acclaimed titles ever, that has also left its mark on gaming history overall, has the potential to ultimately serve as a bit of cleansing for both the company and fans. Whole new life would be brought to Black Flag , Ubisoft would once again prove what they can really do, longtime fans in need would be reminded what it is they love about the franchise and studio itself, and the game itself would have the opportunity to really leave its mark on Pop culture once again, with old fans falling in love with it all over again, as well as a new generation of gamers experiencing it for the first time. We overall live in a time right now where nostalgia clearly sells, be it movies, music, gaming or something fourth, so a new version of one of Ubisoft’s most iconic titles ever, really has the potential to be a hit and leave its mark, and take the franchise and Ubisoft themselves to new heights in a time of need. That is most likely if this reiteration, first and foremost honours and sticks true to the original 2013 game, that fans originally fell in love with and hold so close. If it turns out a completely new game - a remake over a remaster - refitted to be more like newer instalments, full of the elements that made original long time fans fall off, it is possible many of said fans who love the original, would feel alienated, and the big Assassin’s Creed nostalgia moment, as mentioned becomes anything but that. Conclusion To slowly wrap things up, the announcement of a reiteration of one of the most household titles in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, already has many fans excited, and the hype will likely only grow, as more news and details are eventually revealed. Whether it will be a remaster, essentially being the same game, but with practical experience enhancing improvements and possibly new bonus content, or a straight up remake, refitted to be more like newer instalments essentially becoming a new game, only time will tell, also as to the reception of amongst fans. If done right, it has the potential to make for a massive moment of nostalgia amongst fans, also leaving its mark on Pop culture all over again, reminding old fans what it is they love about the franchise, while also bringing in a whole new array of players, only experiencing the game for the first time. What are your thoughts on this, and are you excited for this new version of Black Flag , and to re-experience it all over again? Do you hope it will mostly lean towards and stick true to the original, or do you want to see a complete revamped version? Be sure to let us know in the comments, and let’s get the discussion going! Furthermore, be sure to stay tuned and follow The Ones Who Came Before, for all news on Black Flag - Resynced , as well as various content on it! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Gustav / Gargudon is an active and versatile content creator, who started out in podcast hosting in 2016 - hosting the discussion based show “The Memory Corridor” - but today mostly specialises in video creation, interviews, writing and composing. He joined The Ones Who Came Before in 2019 for a merger, publishing new episodes - and reviving the show following nearly a year of inactivity - on our platforms, until phased out in 2023. Today, his landmark projects include the Sounds Of History project - an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental music project, featuring five tracks inspired by as many different games - other original fan themes plus covers of iconic AC tracks, as well as video interviews with a number of high profile names in the world of AC, from Roger Craig Smith, Jesper Kyd and more. Fun fact, among his growing colourful tattoo collection, Gustav is the only member of our team to have the TOWCB logo inked. Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon)

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 30th April - 6th May 2022 Community Share 14 May 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) Nomad Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins This week’s first capture comes from @_Virtualtourism over on Twitter. A clever shadow shot is first up this week. When I am looking through Assassin’s Creed VP each week, this is the sort of thing I am looking for. I like it when people take different captures you don’t often see. It must have taken some patience to line up both the camel and Senu in one shot. 2) Collection Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Photo number two comes from @UVioletra over on Twitter. Something completely different for picture number two. This virtual photographer’s captures have been on my radar for a few weeks now. I think this set is beautiful, there is an almost storyboard feel going on here. The greenery is incredible, and really captures the British landscape. I love how Eivor is just walking along, looking like she is the boss of these lands. 3) Nights Sky Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla This week’s third shot comes from @KayJay1718 over on Twitter. This is an incredible capture. I am guessing Eivor is in Norway here judging by the landscape. I just can’t believe how much detail has been captured here in the sky. You have the Sun rising, the stars shining brightly and then this gorgeous red tint. Not to mention the shooting star flying across the sky. 4) The Witcher Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP number four comes from @shinobi_space over on Twitter. My first thought when I saw this picture was The Witcher CGI trailer. This capture very much sums up the ‘Dark Ages’ in which this game is set. I love how dark and ominous the scenery is, and the fact that Eivor feels the need to travel by torch light. I would love to have this as a canvas on my wall. 5) Holy Armour Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla The final capture of the week comes from @Milz_VP over at ACFirstCiv Community. The final shot of the week showcases the Holy Armour. You could be forgiven for thinking this capture comes from Elden Ring. For me personally, I prefer more grounded Viking sets but thought this looked too good not to enter. The shield in particular matches so well with this gear set. In fact Eivor looks more like a villain here marching towards their target. And that sums it up for this week’s Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out this week’s photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next week keep those shots coming in. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

This Week in Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 30th to 5th November Community Share 9 Nov 2023 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Colum Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week I will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. This week’s theme: From the Shadows Jumping In Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ shoe2007 “Our Creed does not command us to be free. It commands us to be wise.” The sun drenched atmosphere of Assassin’s Creed Mirage is arguably the dream scenario for a virtual photographer. The lush golden colours of the sun allow for some delightful pictures but also permit the use of shadows. This vibrant shot has the perfect mix of both. I really like how the shot has been split into two by the shadow of the building. The vibrant colours of the flowers just below add a richness to the shot. Then very fitting for the theme we have Basim’s shadow leaping through the air in a classic Assassin pose. A capture fit for the Creed. Link to set: Athenian Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ MechXican “Strong legs mean you’ll thrust your spear with more force” The battles between the Spartans and the Athenians in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is something to behold. These large scale encounters really make you feel like you’re a part of a historic battle. None more so than the opening of the game, that really did give me 300 vibes. This capture is all about the warrior. The shadow work and the lighting are exceptional, coupled with the head turn we have got ourselves a very cinematic shot. I love the blue and white on the helmet, it’s the only colour in this shot so stands out beautifully. This capture has a very powerful presence and fits the theme perfectly. Link to set: Downtown Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ PodToGo “How do you know the angel and the devil inside me aren’t the same thing?” Although Assassin’s Creed Mirage doesn’t quite meet the crowd density levels of Assassin’s Creed Unity it still manages to make you feel like you’re part of a lived-in city. Once you make it into the inner circle there are plenty of people going about their daily routines, especially in the market areas. This shot from Pod sums up my expectations of Mirage. I could not wait to climb on beams above the streets hunting for Order members. I am getting a real Daredevil feel from this capture. I love the silhouette of Basim and the rays of light breaking through the canopy. This shot is Assassin’s Creed, the vigilante working in the shadows to protect his city. Shadow Walker Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ m_nt_13 “I have your soul Gorm” Customisation is such a cool aspect of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, you can dress your Viking in so many different ways. The Draugr set is such an ominous style to use and is fantastic for dark and shadowy captures. When Eivor wishes to incite fear in her enemies there is no better way than dress as death itself. In this capture I am loving the shadow across Eivor’s eyes, and the way it blends in with the striking face tattoo. The hood up helps conceal Eivor’s identity while also adding a menacing feel. I really like the composition too with Eivor’s head off centre, it gives you a sense that she is appearing from the darkness. A truly intimidating shot that uses shadow work to precision. Link to set: Sliding In Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ MdeavorVP “We see the world as it really is, and hope that on day all mankind might see the same” Freerunning has been part of Assassin’s Creed from the get go, and is one of the core pillars of the franchise. For me it reached its peak in Assassin’s Creed Unity and Mirage has been a nice return to form after the more warrior focused games. That being said Bayek is making use of his freerunning skills in this capture. For me this shot fits into the minimal bracket and that is one of the reasons why I like it so much. The hole makes for a beautiful frame as Bayek slides through. The black and white style works effortlessly with this capture to fit the theme of the week. The capture shows incredible talent for lateral thinking. Link to set: The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Judge: @ Shauna_c_jones ''The original idea of the theme for this was “From the Shadows.” As an Assassin, the goal is to stay hidden. I’m a huge fan of shadow play, so I was really interested to see how people would take this challenge on. I chose this as my photo of the week for the way in which it has been framed by negative space. I’m a sucker for different perspectives and really appreciated how centred the photo is. The capture is really striking and shows an Assassin in action, almost ready to pounce. What a submission. '' 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! Interested in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography? Share your shots in our Twitter community for a chance to be featured in our weekly VP selection articles! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 3rd - 9th September 2022: Women of Assassin's Creed Community Share 10 Sept 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 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 capture across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. This week our showcase is focused on Women of Assassin’s Creed a collaboration with @ CreedScholars and @ WIGVP 1) Eivor Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Theme: #WIGVPEivor Console: PS5 This week’s first capture comes from @ Amaya_Nocturna a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community . First up this week we have Eivor amongst the flowers. This beautiful capture struck me upon seeing it in the community. The Wrath of the Druids hair style is my favourite in the game and I am impressed with how it fits both male and female Eivor. I love the face and back tattoos, combined with the outfit you get a real grounded feel. The stunning scenery with the blurred effect and the awesome stance of Eivor all come together to produce a perfect photo. Link to set 2) Kassandra Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Theme: #WIGVPKassandra Photo number two comes from @ Snowy_exe over on Twitter. Photo number two is definitely up there with one of my favourite Kassandra shots. This striking capture is just so eye catching you cannot help but marvel at the details. The black background with a hint of red is just sublime and it complements Kassandra’s outfit and face paint perfectly. The lighting is the real winner as you get to see Kassandra’s hair in all its glory. Although not necessarily an Assassin look, I think this maybe my preferred appearance for Kassandra. 3) Aya Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins Theme: #WIGVPAya This week’s third shot comes from @ flyingfeather_g over on Twitter. It is so great to feature the mother of the creed this week, given the announcement from PureArts regarding a new statue of her dressed as Amunet. Although not as Amunet in this photo she still looks incredible. I feel like this shot sums up Origins so well, despite the absence of Bayek. The capture is all about positioning and how it brings everything into focus. The captivating pyramid in the background is just delightful, and Senu covering half of Aya’s face is genius. If Aya had been the mainprotagonist then this would have made a great box art. 4) NPC - Kyra Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Theme: #WIGVPNPC VP number four comes from @ missroseplays a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. Photo number four is an outstanding shot of Kyra looking concerned. Romance options were slightly underwhelming in Odyssey as you always built up bonds, only for the character to simply disappear from Kassandra/ Alexios’s life. I actually thought Kyra’s arc was pretty good and it’s nice to see her feature here. I really like the black background in this shot, as mixed with her emotions it fits the tone. Fantastic work from Rose to create this, as taking shots of NPC isn’t always the easiest. 5) Female - Randvi Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Theme: #WIGVPFemale The final capture of the week comes from @ PodToGo a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. The final shot of the week features Randvi an unsung hero of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. She is Eivor’s chief advisor back at Ravensthorpe and a constant throughout the game. I don’t believe I have featured Randvi before so it’s great to have this enchanting shot of her. Once again the brilliant use of black backgrounds brings out the immense details of this character. Her hair is very reminiscent of Kassandra’s in the shot above. I love how the colours are so vibrant on her outfit. A real powerful photo of the women behind the pledges. 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

AC Community Questions: RS (WonDerNooB) Interview Share 4 Jan 2026 Written By: Edited By: RS (WonDerNooB_VP) Colum Blackett Back To Database Welcome back to another article in our Assassin's Creed Community Questions series, made up of interviews with Assassins based around the world. This week, we are joined by RS ( WonDerNoob ), who joined our Assassin's Creed Partnership program as a member of the Virtual Photography Team in 2025. Col: Hi RS, 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. RS: Hiya Col, I'm chuffed to even be considered for an opportunity to join the team, and even be interviewed. I'm RS, based in Malaysia. I'm a father of a 5yo girl and 3yo boy, and I work a white-collar job so they don't starve ;D I have been doing VP since Feb 2024, starting with AC: Odyssey, and it is by coming across TOWCB and TPM that opened my eyes to the wider VP community outside of Reddit and the in-game photo-mode sharing in the game itself. When it comes to the Assassin's Creed Community, I see myself merely a contributor to the amazing VP community that helps bring out the best of the games' visuals, captured in photos. Profile picture for RS Col: In July 2025, you joined The Ones Who Came Before's Assassin's Creed Partnership Program, known as the Isu_Network. How have you found working alongside the virtual photography team? RS: The team is absolutely great - I find it interesting that most, if not all of us have families of our own and still find the time to pursue this little hobby of ours. Aaron's written commentary in the #ACFirstCivVP articles again was one of my first introductions to actual commentary on VP outside of the generic "nice shot!" you'd get elsewhere, so I'm glad I get to be a part of that currently. Col: How excited are you for the future of Assassin's Creed? RS: Quite excited - outside of the overall studio and the series' direction, I'm glad to see more photo-mode features rolled out in the recent AC: Shadows update which enabled time-of-day, poses, expressions - all of which should be considered a baseline for games' photo modes. Col: Which Assassin's Creed game have you been playing recently, and which game are you playing next? RS: It is AC: Odyssey. Playing since early 2024 until only recently, I've just put it down and considered it the end of my Odyssey (ha!). If my PC allows it, I'll probably move to either one of Valhalla, Mirage, or Shadows for my next AC game. Col: Have you visited any of the locations from the games? RS: I've studied in England, so I probably have visited some cities that are in AC: Valhalla - London, York, to name a few. Map of the UK in Assassin's Creed Valhalla Col: Which Assassin's Creed game is your favourite and why? RS: It's probably a common answer, but AC II was my gateway drug into the series - everything about being nigh invincible, climbing structures, the story's explanations in Ezio's introduction game hooked me in. I might be looking at it through a nostalgic lens but it was groundbreaking for its time. Col: Have you attended any events within the Assassin's Creed Community? RS: No Col: Do you have a favourite Assassin's Creed community moment/ story you would like to share? RS: I guess one of the bits of info that ties in with this story is that I'm an avid Redditor, and I post semi-actively in the AC: Odyssey subreddit - most of what I post is (you guessed it) virtual photography, and getting a large amount of engagement with the Odyssey subreddit on some of my posts would be my highlight. I've also made some friends from there, as part of the wider VP community Col: What would be your dream setting for the upcoming AC Netflix TV show or future game? RS: I'd like a show that is set during The Crusades - I guess something like a series focused on Altair or somebody else during that time period Promo image for Assassin's Creed (2017) Col: Do you have any personal AC goals you would like to achieve? RS: It's VP-related of course, winning a VP competition using shots from an AC game! Col: What would you say is your most significant community achievement to date? RS: I think getting to join TOWCB/Isu Network would be it. Col: What is your favourite part of being a community member? RS: Getting to engage with others! Col: Do you collect AC merchandise? If so, what is your favourite item? RS: I don't, but I'd love to have a hidden blade or Leonidas' spear. Col: What advice do you have for people looking to get into content creation? RS: I don't consider myself one, but content creation to me should be quality over quantity, with a baseline quantity. You still need consistent enough engagement for your stuff. Col: Where can our community members find you online? RS: Bluesky: wondernoob.bsky.social comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author RS (WonDerNooB_VP) is a virtual photographer who joined TOWCB in 2025, helping the team to grow and expand across multiple platforms. Since joining the team, RS has provided assistance with theme coordination, VP article launches and testing our photo mode features, releasing incredible lifelike captures. In 2026 and beyond, we hope to continue building our relationship with both RS and the Assassin's Creed virtual photography community, and look forward to seeing all future VP content. RS (WonDerNooB_VP)

Assassins Creed Tribute game - TOWCB Interview with Fan Project Game Director Noah Stavish Community Interview Share 9 Apr 2023 Written By: Edited By: Finn Fletcher Colum Blackett Back To Database Back in December, a devoted and skilled group of fans who had spent the past year building their own Assassin Creed game released their first preview video, showcasing initial footage from the project. Now in its early stages, details on gameplay, story and the inspirations are ready to be revealed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE1LyloLQOk Teaser trailer showing the environments of the city of Valletta, located on Quarry Wharf. It’s hard to deny that Assassin's Creed has gone through a bit of an identity crisis in its 15 year long existence, and endless stream of games. Originally lauded for featuring “one of the most unique gameworlds ever created” , the early titles included groundbreaking and innovative approaches to movement, story and the use of history in video games. As the series aged it grew past what once made it special. With the implementation of RPG elements, a stripped down movement system and mythological creatures patrolling the once purely historical settings, it’s hard to find the original ideas that drew audiences to these games so long ago. In lieu of official content to scratch that Assassin itch, a group of long term fans have decided to take on the challenge. “We really just started off with the desire to make a game,” explains game director Noah Stavish . “We didn’t have a single thing in mind for the setting or anything like that. “We just weren’t happy with the direction of the franchise, we’re big fans of the older style games.” “Tribute: An Assassin’s Creed Fan Game”, is a non-profit PC game, currently in development by Erudito Entertainment.'' Set during the French invasion of Malta in 1798, the team aims to bring the franchise back to its roots, with complex parkour and potentially even a few recurring characters. With his cat meowing behind him, I sat down with Noah to learn more about the development process and details of this upcoming game. It started quite earnestly, Noah recalls: “A group of us were talking about making a fan game over on the Assassin's Creed subreddit Discord. We then created our own separate Discord and started seriously discussing the potential locations.” “One of the big things we knew was that we had to have a setting where you play as an Assassin. We want to play as a capital A Assassin.” With this in mind the team created an 800 year period of time to choose a setting between, 1100 (the time of the first game) to 1900, where technology felt too advanced to tell a truly historical tale. Between that, and the gameplay intentions of bringing back complex parkour and detailed stealth mechanics, Malta seemed like the ideal setting; a unique location and period with enough political intrigue and highly populated cities to service a perfect Assassins tale. But, Noah made sure to point out that this setting will be more than just a pretty backdrop. “There’s a lot of really interesting conspiracy and intrigue and politics to play around with.'' “At the time the Knights Hospitaller, the Knights of Malta, started digging into the ancient temples of Malta.'' Concept work for customisable outfits. The team is taking inspiration from the disguise mechanics of Hitman and Assassin’s Creed Liberation, while keeping the visual codes of Assassin robes “We were looking at this, there were reports of this digging continuing throughout the late 18th Century. What were they digging for? “They’re in the middle of a siege and have a department of people going to dig up the site every day. That’s really weird.” It’s within the crevices of histories strangeness that Euridito Entertainment plan to build their story, playing into mysteries like what the Knights Hospitaller were truly upto, or Napoleon's secret motivations. The story itself will follow a young Assassin named Karmena, as she gains new skills to take out the threats that face this island. Harkening back to the Ezio trilogy, her family will be recurring characters, with their safety and own philosophies being constant pressures on Karmena’s actions. It’s all shaping up to be a true spiritual successor to the original titles, with an experienced developer leading the project. Noah told me: “I started off as an indie [developer] back in 2014. Game development has really been a passion, something I wanted to go into. “I ended up working at project contingency, project coral and a few other fan projects. That eventually led to me getting a job with Microsoft, I helped release Crackdown 3, Gears 5, and a couple Minecraft updates.” With this breadth of experience leading the team, and a dedication to the franchise, only one threat really stands in their way. Copyright law. “Shortly after we had the idea I reached out to Ubisoft support to see about whether or not this was allowed. “We didn’t hear from them till a week or two ago when we posted the teaser trailer. I was contacted directly by a Ubisoft representative who was just asking about the project, and I told them we were fully willing to comply with any of their demands.'' “I’m happy to do anything to make them feel secure in their IP.” So far Ubisoft seem to be happy, leaving the project to tick along without intrusion. With a few years of development left however, we will wait and see. Currently, the team are looking for artists and animators, especially those who can work with metahumans and Unreal Engine 5. To find out more about “Tribute” visit their Discord, or their ModDB page. Fact File Originally Assassins Creed was intended to be a spinoff of the Prince of Persia franchise, however as development progressed the team saw the potential of turning it into an original IP. The series' philosophies and historical influences are inspired by the Russian novel Alamut, which explores the real Islamic rebellions during the crusades. A TV adaptation of the series is currently in development by Netflix. At least four official Assassins Creed games are currently in development at Ubisoft, two of which will finally take the player to Asia. Ubisoft hire doctors of history to research the periods the game will be set in, as this allows them to build as accurate as possible depictions of the periods they explore. We would like to say a huge thank you to Noah for joining us for this interview. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Finn is a creative writer from Rotherham, UK who has previously supported TOWCB's Fundraising events, and raised awareness surrounding Men's Mental Health. Finn's writing covers a wide scope, with releases including reviews, interviews and stories. He is known in the AC Community for his 'Pitching an Assassin's Creed Game' series, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website! In February 2026, he left the team to focus on real-world opportunities as a journalist, writing for a newspaper! We're thrilled to see Finn using his skills to build a career! Finn Fletcher

This Week in Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 11th to 17th December Community Share 6 Jan 2024 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 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 week’s guest judge is Steffi Syndrome a member of VGP Network and host of the wonderful #PhotoModeMonday – it is a real pleasure to have Steffi along for this week’s theme. 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: Wildlife Peeking Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ m_nt_13 The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Guest Judge: @ StefanieMcMaken ''I just love the perspective, with the artic fox peeking through the shrubs, there’s such life in it! In addition, the colours harmonize and give a beautiful winter vibe. I am also impressed that they don’t get lost, and the fox stays clearly visible. A truly remarkable shot, that is reminiscent of real photography. I am always amazed by @ m_nt_13 captures, and this is no exception. Incredible work.'' Aaron “Wilderness without wildlife is just scenery”. ''The various location in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla opens the door for a magnitude of wildlife. The snowy tundra sections in the north of England and Norway play host to the coolest and most lovable creatures. None more so than this wily fox peeking through the undergrowth. I am loving the winter tones and how the fox is camouflaged. It is a shot straight out of a documentary series, with the fox clearly hunting its prey. Timing is everything with these types of capture, and it is also very difficult to get anywhere near the wildlife. Kudos to m for producing such a superb shot.'' Howling Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ m_nt_13 “Wildlife is something which man cannon construct.” In the world of virtual photography, you must have an abundance of patience and a sprinkling of luck. Many shots you see on social media have had a lot of time and effort poured into them. This capture here is a moment to savour. I still can’t work out how this has been pulled off so brilliantly. The odds of capturing this exact moment must be so slim. The shot is perfection with the stag howling to the moon like a wolf. I really like how the clouds frame the capture and the moons glow adds a beauty to the shot. Epic timing and great composition make for a glorious winter shot. The Ocean Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ PhilGPT “Under the sea.” It is funny how Assassin’s Creed has evolved over the years. It started out a city game, but after the huge success of Black Flag the sea has become somewhat of a staple to the series. The wide-open oceans are limited in Origins and Valhalla but there was so much to explore in Odyssey. Once again, I must commend Phil for the timing of the shot. This insanely good capture must have taken some time to produce. The ambiance and colour scheme are beautiful, and having the fin sticking out of the water is a touch of magic. Hunting Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ G_Assassin90 “Sometimes I am the beast in the darkness.” Hands down one of the best wildlife games is Assassin’s Creed Origins. The ecosystem on show is exceptionally developed. Having predators hunt their prey in front of you as you stroll the desert is quite something. This capture of a crocodile weaving its way through the waters is both elegant and menacing. These beasts are arguably the deadliest in Origins and should be avoided at all costs. I love the green of the water and the ripple effect. The colours are balanced perfectly to mimic a real-life photo. The details on the crocodile are remarkable, just don’t get too close. Winters Coming Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ BetweenDPixels “Nothing burns like the cold.” Deer seem to be ever present in the wilds of Assassin’s Creed games. Often, they are hunted by other animals or by the player themselves. This gorgeous capture of a female deer walking through the thick snow gives off massive winter vibes. I could easily see this shot on a Christmas card. I adore the composition, with the forest slightly blurred in the background. There is such a cold feel to the shot, and the details of the snow along with those hoofprints look great. The deer looks startled, which means Eivor must be nearby. A beautiful capture that perfectly fits the theme. Check out this new video by Turið Torkilsdóttir showcasing other December 2023 Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography captures, taken as part of our Eivor and Wildlife themes! 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! Interested in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography? Join our Twitter VP Community for a chance to be featured in our weekly articles! 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

Community Questions - MR. TOM Community Share 9 Apr 2026 Written By: Edited By: MR. TOM (Ishan Yadav) Gargudon Back To Database Introductory community questions with Ishan Yadav also known as MR. TOM, the newest addition to the TOWCB Social Media Team! Tell us a little bit about yourself My name is Ishan Yadav, though most people in the community know me as Mr. Tom. I’m from India and I completed my Bachelor of Technology in Information Technology in 2023. Since then, I’ve been actively improving my skill set through courses in Power BI, Machine Learning, and Full Stack Web Development, with the goal of building a strong professional career. Alongside my technical background, I have a deep creative side. I love graphic design, drawing characters, and video editing. Creating visual content genuinely makes me happy, and whenever I design a graphic for TOWCB, I feel immense joy and pride in contributing creatively. Do you have a favourite piece of content from TOWCB? Rally the Creed is my favourite. I also love reading the articles written by the incredibly talented team, the musical elements, and the interviews with well known guests. The passion behind this content really stands out. What are your hopes and expectations for the future of Assassin’s Creed? My expectations are very high, especially after Ubisoft brought back key figures like Jean Guesdon and other original creators from the era when Assassin’s Creed was at its peak. With the new studio structure and Vantage Studios, I’m excited to see where the franchise goes. I hope for strong, story driven games, deep narratives, and high-quality motion capture that truly elevates emotional storytelling. Any Assassin’s Creed games you have been playing recently, and which one are you playing next? Recently, I’ve been playing Assassin’s Creed III and Liberation. Next, I plan to dive back into Assassin’s Creed Black Flag. Which Assassin’s Creed game is your favourite and why? The Ezio Trilogy. No other protagonist in the franchise received a full trilogy, and Ezio’s journey felt complete and perfectly written. The modern day story with Desmond during that era was also incredibly strong and memorable. Have you visited any locations from across the games in real life? Not yet, but it’s a dream of mine to visit Egypt. Since childhood, I’ve been fascinated by tomb excavations, ancient mysteries, and Egyptian history. I consider myself a history enthusiast, especially when it comes to ancient civilizations, and I hope to visit Egypt someday. Have you attended any events related to the Assassin’s Creed community? I haven’t attended any in-person events yet. Compared to the US and UK, India doesn’t have many Assassin’s Creed focused events, but I hope that changes in the future. Do you have a favourite Assassin’s Creed community moment / story you would like to share? One of the most unforgettable moments of my life was winning the Assassin’s Creed Shadows Lexip bundle worth €300. I still remember waking up, seeing a message from a verified Assassin’s Creed account, and literally falling off my bed in shock and excitement. It was surreal. What would be your dream setting and location for a future AC instalment? Ancient India. The country has an enormous wealth of recorded history from the Maurya and Gupta Empires to the Cholas, followed by invasions, the Mughal era, and British rule. The sheer number of kingdoms, conflicts, philosophies, and stories makes India a perfect setting for Assassin’s Creed. I truly believe Ubisoft could create something extraordinary there. What would you say is your most significant AC community achievement to date? The love and recognition I’ve received from the Assassin’s Creed community. I’ve won an official Ubisoft giveaway, had my artwork shared by The Flight (composers for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Shadows OSTs), received a personal invitation to join the TOWCB team, and had the opportunity to design a variant of the TOWCB logo. Knowing that my design may be printed on official merchandise was a moment of real pride for me. What are your favourite things about the AC community and your part in it? The Assassin’s Creed community is one of the most passionate and welcoming gaming communities I’ve seen. The bonds I’ve built on social media mean a lot to me, and contributing creatively feels incredibly rewarding. Do you collect AC merchandise? If so, what is your favourite item? Yes, my favourite item is the Assassin’s Creed Shadows Lexip bundle I won, as it holds deep personal meaning. I still haven’t bought any merchandise, it's one of many things on my bucketlist which I wanna complete it in future Where can our followers find you online? I’m most active on X (@MrTom0fCreed). I’ve also recently created accounts on Instagram, Facebook as well as Threads where people can follow my work and community posts. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Ishan Yadav, also known as MR. TOM, is an active community member, who joined The Ones Who Came Before in March of 2026, being the newest addition to the Social Media Team. Ishan is a versatile team member of many talents, specialising in graphic design among other things, creating various content including graphics and interactive posts for TOWCB’s social media platforms. In the real world, he also holds a Bachelor degree in Information Technology. MR. TOM (Ishan Yadav)

Assassin's Creed Shadows Photo Mode Early Access Opportunity Event Share 14 Mar 2025 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) TOWCB Team Back To Database For the first time in an Assassin's Creed marketing campaign, Ubisoft has granted virtual photographers early access to an upcoming game to create content using the photo mode tool. We here at The Ones Who Came have always been vocal advocates for virtual photographers to have more opportunities, and have been a part of positive discussions with Ubisoft over the last 5 years which have perhaps pathed the way for this opportunity to come to fruition. We are absolutely thrilled to see that talented VP artists are currently playing the game, and have been allowed to release x1 shot per person on social media platforms! From The Ones Who Came Before, Turið Torkilsdóttir , FrameHoldPhotos and Aaron Young were all invited to participate in the early access photo mode event, and you can see their first ever Assassin's Creed Shadows photo mode captures below! We can't wait to see what the community does next with photo mode! Assassin's Creed Shadows: Coming March 20th. Available on PlayStation®5 & Xbox Series X|S, Ubisoft+, Amazon Luna, Macs with Apple silicon via the Mac App Store as well as Windows PC through the Ubisoft Store, Steam and the Epic Games Store.  Also coming to iPad in the future. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author 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)

TheNerdyArcher and Frame Hold Photography from TOWCB Join the Ubisoft Creators Program News Share 29 Jun 2024 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Colum Blackett Back To Database We are absolutely delighted to announce that Louise Chase (@ TheNerdyArcher ) and Frame Hold Photography from TOWCB have been accepted in to the Ubisoft Creators Program! This means that going forward, both will have more access to opportunities like playing game demos, Twitch drops and downloads supplied directly by Ubisoft. We are particularly proud of this achievement since both are members of The AC Partnership Program (@ Isu_Network ), a community initiative created by The Ones Who Came Before which aims to promote and share content. The program is a great way for content creators to gain recognition for their work within the community, and expand to a wider audience. About the Program: ''Welcome to the Ubisoft Creators Program, our home for content creators, community leaders and creative minds who bring our games to life thanks to their passion, engagement, and unique voices. Once you join, you can access a personalized dashboard with a lineup of different activities and choose to join the ones that best support your channel, interests, and tone.'' Louise (TheNerdyArcher) is a UK Assassin's Creed community ambassador and former member of The Mentor's Guild and 'Scholars of the Creed' community. She is an Archaeology graduate and passionate historian. By joining TOWCB Writing Team, we aim to provide her with structured guidance, early access to transmedia, and a platform for her written works. Throughout 2024 and beyond, TOWCB will be working on a variety of projects covering the series. Blog | Twitter | Instagram 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 Congratulations Assassins! 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

Remembering Mohamed Hamdy In Memoriam Share 22 Mar 2024 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Colum Blackett Back To Database We are saddened to hear of the tragic death of Assassin's Creed Egypt co-founder Mohamed Hamdy. The news was announced today in a Twitter post released by the team. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends during this difficult time. ''It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of passing of our dear co-founder after a long fight with illness, Mohamed Hamdy. His loss has left us all in profound sorrow, and we struggle to find the words to express the depth of our grief. R.I.P Mentor.'' Assassin's Creed Egypt Mohamed Hamdy Community We would like to take a moment to reflect on Mohamed's life and remember his contributions to the Assassin's Creed community. Back in 2017, we were thrilled to work alongside Assassin's Creed Egypt on the opening episode of our documentary series titled 'Global Networks'. Founders Shady Nasr and Mohamed Hamdy travelled to the Egyptian pyramids to record the episode, and we loved their energy and passion for the community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSrgSjqCLSM Tributes ''It was an absolute please to work alongside Mohamed and Shady on the first episode of Global Networks back in 2017. I loved how the pair were so passionate about creating an Egyptian branch of the community, and the video inspired many Arabic-speaking Assassins to unite. Mohamed was an instantly likeable person with a warm demeaner that we in the Assassin's Creed community will miss terribly.'' Colum Blackett (The Ones Who Came Before Team Leader) If you have a tribute or memory of Mohamed you would like to add, please get in touch with the admin team. Requiescat in Pace Brother 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 we want to see from Assassins Creed Mirage Wishlist Share 15 May 2023 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Colum Blackett Back To Database Here are the key things that members of TOWCB Team are hoping to see in Assassin's Creed Mirage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_Z1q9zpKNo Aaron Young (TOWCB Writing Team) Improved Parkour, Stealth and Photo Mode ''I would love to see Mirage replicate the Unity formula with its atmospheric City and excellent parkour. I would quite like the memory sequences to return so that we are able to replay moments without having to restart the game. If possible I would also adore the reintroduction of customisation that Unity did so well and Jedi Survivor has just replicated. I can’t wait to be a real Assassin again patrolling the rooftops. As an archer I really hope Ubisoft has reconsidered the use of bows. I understand that they can be a little over powering in a stealth focused game, however AC III pulled it off. It’s bizarre to think Basim would not use one. To balance the gameplay why not make arrows sparse like the last of us. An Assassin with limited tools is surely the best. Finally and most importantly for me would be the inclusion of Valhalla’s photo-mode. The love that is out here for Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography is phenomenal with many tags still trending long after the games have gone. It is clear that Virtual Photography sells games and keeps a title in people’s minds. There is a respect for the Assassin’s Creed photo-mode despite how basic it is compared to say Horizon. I am most at home with the Valhalla Photo-mode but would love to see: -More distance -Expressions -Poses -Outfit Changes -Day and night options -Custom Lighting -Save Camera Positions -Photo-Mode in cut scenes -Hide Characters -Close up shots Even just a few of these things would go a long way to pushing the Assassin’s Creed photo-more tools on.'' A mock-up of how Assassin's Creed Mirage could look by FrameHoldPhotography ActualSpider-Man (TOWCB Writing Team) Narrative Pay-offs, Isu Puzzles and Links to Valhalla ''The setups of Valhalla’s multiple cliffhangers deserve their payoffs. By that I mean we need to see William Miles and crew synchronize Basim’s DNA into memories for William to experience. We need to see the impact of a Reborn Isu teaming up with Assassins. We need to see the Modern Day fallout of Layla’s sacrifice. We need to learn whether Loki had forged that last recording Layla sent to “not come find her”, or if that was truly Layla’s final wish. And regardless of that wish, we need to see Loki chastise William for leaving his son to die, and explain to him that Desmond is alive in another plane of existence as The Reader. It worries me how de-emphasized the Modern Day has been in the advertising for upcoming titles, reminding me of the same happening to the parkour in the past, and I hold out hope for at least SOME Modern Day answers in Mirage. It also being centered around our new Isu ally, I crave more meaningfully intricate Isu Language puzzles, and not just using Isu transliterations to spell English words, but broadening the language with needed AC-centric words we don’t already have, like colors (red, blue, yellow, white), relationships (beyond “Mother/Father”, we need brother, sister, partner, enemy, ally), time (more than “day”), etc., that would bring a huge smile to my face! Of course, surrounding the historical portions, I’m wanting this “return to form” to be a balance of Brotherhood’s scope, Unity’s parkour system, and a mix of the RPG combats. Personally I found the thousand things to do on the newer trio’s maps to feel like meaningless busywork when they weren’t somehow connected to the overall narrative, where Brotherhood excelled. Unity should be the benchmark of AC fluid motion mechanics, and I’ve sorely missed depth to the traversal, so I’d like to see its return. And I did have fun engaging in different styles of combat with different weapon and armor loadouts in the recent games, so I would like to see that consistency stick around, but with preferably much less damage sponging. It is a power fantasy, after all! All in all, I just want to see how Ubisoft decides to run with having full-on Reborn Isu DNA being in Assassin possession, something the Templars have been attempting to do since Black Flag. Are we gonna see the internal struggle of the mind between Basim & Loki firsthand? Is Basim going to have his own regressive memories from the Isu Era to flesh out more of Loki’s backstory? Are they going to link Basim & Roshan’s history up to Valhalla in meaningful ways? Fingers crossed, I sure do hope so.'' Colum Blackett (TOWCB Admin) Improved Parkour, Alamut Castle and Smoke Bomb Crafting Pieced together using quotes from our new podcast, Rally the Creed #1 . ''I think Assassin's Creed Mirage is sort of meant to be like a stepping stone. It's like a smaller bite-sized chunk of a game and then a bigger game is to follow. Fans are waiting for a game that really is ticking all the boxes in terms of the pillars of the franchise. If you look at real parkour. They have to reinvent that whole pillar if you ask me. People who are free running. they do this for a living, they're performing moves never seen in an assassin’s creed game, and time after time it's sluggish in-game. They need to really look at the parkour in Valhalla, really. It's sort of set the framework for parkour opportunity. The opportunity to do parkour is excellent, but parkour itself isn't. You want to really move and feel like an eagle above the crowd.'' ''There's a lot of things that they could do that, even though it's meant to be a smaller game. They could really add some scope to it. I mean for example it's set in a region that we've not really seen before. It looks like it's going to bring in Alamut which is the original Assassin castle. So where you had Masyaf in Assassin's Creed I, this is like a precursor to that. So like a base for the Assassins, so is literally the birth of the Assassin Brotherhood after the Hidden Ones go into hiding. '' ''And the cool thing with that trailer is that when Basim uses the red smoke bomb, that's almost like a call-back to Revelations, where you could craft your own smoke bombs. And that's a mechanic they could bring into this game. You can put blood in it, you put gold in it. You could have people running in the street. You know, the the beggars will run after you. It's a distraction and that's great for an Assassin. If you hiding in plain sight, I mean, you literally have got something in your pocket that can bring the whole street to the other side and you can just sneak in.'' ''If you're playing like an Assassin, why not unlock Assassin robes and you'll know you're getting rewarded by the Brotherhood, and with this game Mirage, it looks like you start as a Novice. I mean in the trailer he's literally a street thief who comes from nothing who works his way up through the ranks, and every time he does a mission he could gain a different piece of equipment, or by doing more training'' Listen to the full episode below to hear our full discussion on Assassin's Creed Mirage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fm3zWTQznA Fr ameHoldPhotography (TOWCB Admin) Fluid Parkour, Replayability and Chain Kills ''I would love to see Mirage mix my favorite elements of the classic AC formula with subtle flairs of what we saw in the new RPG trilogy. A return to fluid parkour in tightly packed cities like we saw in Unity and Syndicate would be amazing, along with black box missions for key targets. The ability to replay missions and memories is also something I would really like to see come back in Mirage. There are so many key moments in Odyssey and Valhalla that I would love to replay, but I don’t feel like starting another game just to reach that one moment. I prefer the combat system and skill trees that were present in Origins, Odyssey, and especially Valhalla, and I would like Mirage to incorporate vastly different playstyles and builds for Basim. While I would like there to be more of a focus on stealth in Mirage, having the ability to spec out different builds for poison, traps, and range could be really fun. I would love to see Mirage bring back multi-kills as well—chaining kills in the older AC games was too much fun. Lastly, I want Mirage to include a more robust Photomode. Having the ability to change time of day, lighting, poses, and outfits would be amazing for virtual photography!' A mock-up of how Assassin's Creed Mirage could look by FrameHoldPhotography Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) (TOWCB Video Content Creation Team) Varied Gameplay, Levelling Up & Optional Objectives ''Really I’d just love to see a return to the old, pre-Origins formula gameplay and structure wise. This mainly means the return of memory sequences over quests, and more varied gameplay overall; everything from main story missions with optional objectives, side missions, collectibles, 100% total completion etc. Origins did everything too loosely, there was no real difference between main and side quests, everything felt quite repetitive, and more or less being forced to play side quests in between main ones to necessarily level up was quite a drag, and made me quite uninvested in the story. Speaking of leveling up, I honestly have nothing against that; earning XP and skill points, and buying skills to upgrade your character. It works really well in both Unity and Syndicate, and in other Ubisoft titles like Far Cry, but there it works much better as you level up and acquire more skills as you naturally progress through the story.'' Screenshot by Col_96 from Assassin's Creed Unity Joe (UbiCypher) (TOWCB Social Media Content Team) Return of William Miles, Hassan-i Sabbah cameo & a Notoriety System ''I'd like to see if William appears as the user of the Animus reliving Basim's memories, and an interaction between him and Basim out of the Animus, Mentor to Mentor discussing the future of the Brotherhood now that Basim is the first ever recorded human being from the past to actually have revived (except Juno) and the consequences over the rest of the cells scattered around the globe it could cause to learn about such information. Also, William learning of Desmond's consciousness being within the super computer and undertaking a mission to try and bring him back somehow would be beautiful. Of course, the birth of the Assassins as we know them to finally wrap up the whole Hidden Ones ordeal and perhaps a cameo in the very end or post credits of Hassan-i Sabbah (perfect occasion to make his physical appearance) in the first mandates of the Creed. I'm intrigued about the parkour since lately there have been statements about the whole Unity inspiration thing being dropped for a more similar movement set tweaked from Valhalla. Weaponry, gadgets, locations, architecture and sandbox traversal also appeals to me as I always loved to go to the objectives on the roofs feeling like a real Assassin rather than walking which we have had a lot of in the last three iterations. I hope the dye mechanic is also back as well as a notoriety system, along with an economy one too similar to the Auditore through renovations.'' Promo image for Assassin's Creed II Michael Doyle (TOWCB Admin) Impact upon the World, Economy options and Building a Spy network Pieced together using quotes from our new podcast, Rally the Creed #1 ''But I think yeah that that does touch on something as well which is what we don't see too much of in Assassin's Creed is how the missions are linear, so obviously traditionally you kind of stuck to a path whereas now you can kind of roam around and you can kind of leave the area to to reapproach from different vantage points. But we don't really see too much of missions, where your actions impact story. So, you know, if you go to spare someone's life versus if you don't. If you decide to assassinate someone, from behind, or if you try and take them from afar, we don't really see how that impacts the story. And I think that'd be quite an interesting one to see in the newer game. But perhaps you then hear the guards later on talking about the events: Did you hear, he was killed without even being seen? He was behind a painting, that would be cool because then it brings you into the world almost as if you're having this impact on the the NPCs around you. Be quite an interesting one to look at.'' ''That's why I loved Assassin's Creed II. Just the ability to build out this thing and then it makes you money that you can then use, and then reinvest it. I think you could, especially if we're looking back at you know, Mirage and the idea that perhaps, he's on the streets and he hasn't got a lot of to begin with, watching that transition as you play the character into actually owning things or being able to invest in things. Maybe you can buy your own market stores that make you money and then they could be lookouts. So then you can get letters saying, Oh, they've seen guards here or they've heard this and you know, building more of a massive experience in the city. I think that would be quite an interesting one as well. And I think, especially in a game like Assassin's creed, that's what they would have. They would have eyes on the ground. They would kind of have this network. They don't join the Brotherhood, butthey're out there sort of being the eyes and ears.'' ''That'd be a great throwback. If you kind of see, you know, that's coming in from each of these people. Not teaching them, perhaps, but, maybe giving them wisdom, giving them insight, the odd skill that you can teach. Then you build this whole experience as a player of the game, you feel like you're not just playing as one character. You're almost playing as a community. You're playing as if you're part of a movement. Against the enemy, not just you as a lone wolf, which some games do feel like, even though you do have people around you, it is just very much you versus everyone else. Be quite nice to have that sense of camaraderie.'' Listen to the full episode below to hear our full discussion on Assassin's Creed Mirage. Mike Smith (TOWCB Admin Team) Discovery Tour at Launch & Basim's ageing ''I would like to see a more in depth Codex for the history of the characters and locations. With the listing of a new Discovery Book Wonders of the Orient I am hoping that a new Discovery Tour will be available at launch, or released as a DLC. I would also like to see Basim age over the course of the story to see how he becomes the Basim we know at the beginning of Valhalla.'' Peter Strat (TOWCB Video Content Creation Team) Stealth Tools, Intricate Level Design & Improved Parkour. ''For me I'd love to see a renewed focus for the two of the three main pillars on the series when it comes to gameplay. Combat has received a number of changes over the years but the other two pillars, parkour and stealth, have for the most part, regressed in terms of depth and player expression. Parkour had many layers, allowed for player expression and gave you more control in the early games in the series. However in recent titles, this has slowly been stripped away. A lack of control, options and overall fluidity as you move through parkour sections in recent titles has really made me miss the prior games. Stealth is a strange one but the tools you had access too in titles like Unity and the readability and consistency of a game like Origins slowly fell away. Another aspect I'd love to see return is a renewed focus on locations and further more, more intricate level design. The first couple of games felt grounded in their cities and they felt like a "main character". Cities had depth and a level of connectivity that made running around the rooftops such a blast. Sadly that's been missing, especially in the RPG trilogy. From a story point of view, I'd love to see a return of target focused plot lines and sequences. Something about learning all about a target, how to deal with them potentially and getting to know all about their character has felt sorely missed in the last few games.'' Yasmin Page (TOWCB Art Team) Historical Events, Animus Database Entries & The World Feeling Alive ''What I’m looking forward to most in Mirage is seeing how they develop the world and tie Basim’s story in with the historical events of the 860s. That was something I really liked with Assassin’s Creed 2 (for example) — that Ezio’s story really felt really grounded within the Italian Renaissance and his actions impacted real people. It really builds into the idea that the Assassins and Templars have always been there in the background, pulling the strings and shaping the world as we know it. Following on from this idea, I would also like to see a return of the Animus database, providing information on the historical events, places and characters that Basim will encounter in game. It’s a small detail, but as I first got into the series through my love for history, it really enriched my playing experience. If not a database, then another Discovery Tour would also be wonderful. Also, like many others in the team have said, I would love to see a return to Unity style parkour and the stealth of the earlier games in the series. It provided a different kind of challenge to missions other than just combat (although that is fun in itself). Stealth and parkour are such intrinsic things to the Assassin’s Creed series, and while I have loved the more recent titles it was a shame to see them lose importance. Ultimately though, I am excited to explore the world they build. The environments of Assassin’s Creed have always been full of life and detail, from the NPCs to the buildings and the music, and I’m sure that Mirage will not disappoint. ' We would like to say a huge thank you to all TOWCB team members who contributed towards the creation of this article! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author A collection of articles from The Ones Who Came Before team. TOWCB Team

Assassin's Creed Shadows Teaser Analysis Breakdown Share 21 Dec 2024 Written By: Edited By: UbiCypher (Joe) Colum Blackett Back To Database To celebrate Assassin's Creed Day, Ubisoft has released a 7-second teaser trailer for Assassin's Creed Shadows! https://video.wixstatic.com/video/06e6c8_7685a5a9b1eb4cf88266d0dd5661d4b9/720p/mp4/file.mp4 The teaser also serves as an end to the AC Shadows promotional campaign for 2024, kickstarting once again in early 2025. The short teaser contains possible snippets from an upcoming story trailer. Here is our breakdown! 1) The Hidden Blade. It's finally back. The Devil is in the details or so they say, such is the case for this short trailer that has somehow managed to hype the community in a much more impactful way in mere 7 seconds than it has in the whole marketing campaign over the past months, undoubtedly. First things first, in the opening sequence of the trailer we can see Naoe's surprise upon the activation of the iconic Hidden Blade handled by what is assumed to be her father, Nagato Fujibayashi, most likely at the end of her proper induction into the Brotherhood. We know according to Entertainment Weekly's article that she will be introduced to the Assassins at some point as it was heavily implied that her mother might have been an Assassin as well as her lineage being from a long line of "Different type of Shinobis" (Assassins). 2) Assassins Tombs. Who's ready for some good old ACII dungeon crawling?! Anyone?... No..? oh well... Well. I'm certainly glad that what looks like to be Assassin Tombs are making a return to the franchise, many of you surely happy as I am, however, those who do not know what it is, let me break it down for you. The Assassin Tombs originated in ACII back in 2009 introducing enclosed areas filled with puzzles and time-based obstacle courses that you had to navigate through while doing parkour eventually reaching the resting place of a legendary Assassin or treasure depending on the game. The way you accessed those Tombs was just how we see it in the trailer; Hidden Blade plunged in a hole in the wall acting as a key that you need to spin in order to unlock the mechanism of the door, so, hopefully this is an Assassin Tomb or at least an obstacle course! 3) Oda Nobunaga & Yasuke. Looking more epic than ever before. In this snapshot, we can appreciate the Model of Oda Nobunaga with its iconic Clan Insignia and his stylized kimono looking at what appears to be Naoe given the legs appearing in the frame. Yasuke appears once again enshrouded in this dramatic/cinematic tone showing off his charismatic yet out of place character that will earn a place among Japanese nobility and Oda himself before making an alliance with Naoe as previously revealed by Ubisoft. As noted by TOWCB team member Zephryss , this appears to be a younger Yasuke, possibly when he first arrives in Japan! 4) The Templar Order. I'm just genuinely happy. The Templars, ah, remember them? They used to be the backbone of the reason why the Assassins used their Hidden Blades in the first place. Jokes aside, we have, for the first time, a visual confirmation of the Templars being present in Assassin's Creed Shadows. We have talked about this before in the threads, the Portuguese and Italians are the ones who introduced the Templar Rite in Japan with Alessandro Valignano and Francisco Javier seeking to expand the Templar ideology using the Jesuits as a front for their activities. It is very interesting to see how this all plays out as in 1565 the Assassins arrived in Japan with Kotetsu -Shao Jun's disciple- aiming to build a Brotherhood in the Islands eventually ending Templar activities by 1615 according to the established lore and AC: Memories. 5) Naoe captive Also spotted by Zephryss , it appears that Naoe is being held captive by someone! Could the Templars use her as a bargaining chip? 6) Seven Samurai Zephryss counts seven samurai in this shot, possibly acting as a reference to Akira Kurosawa's iconic film Seven Samurai. This makes us wonder how many other nods towards popular movies or books will feature in the game. 7) Bright Future. The sun is rising, indeed. I'm always highly judgemental, however, I will allow myself to be hopeful now that I've see this and I also believe many of you are feeling the same right now, yes, just because of a stupid cross, but a cross that brings back the essence of the Assassin-Templar war. Merry Christmas! I wish you all the best Assassins. Stay tuned! Article made up of observations by TOWCB Team members Ubicypher and Zephryss . Original Isu_Network thread 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)

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 2nd April - 8th 2022 Community Share 16 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) Church Game: Assassin’s Creed III This week’s first capture comes from @ annatheginguh over on Twitter. A bit of a different shot to open this week. I am always looking for VP outside of the RPG games. Here we see a beautiful photo of a Church in AC3. It blows me away how great this looks, especially for a game that originally released in 2012. I am a big fan of the positioning of this capture, as it really showcases the environment. 2) Spartan Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Photo number two comes from @BookieVp over on Twitter. What a stunning capture. This Spartan looks ready for battle, and I am getting massive 300 vibes here. I chose this shot due to the detail on the helmet. I love the horse hair on the top with the wolf just below. Easily one of the best helmets in Assassin's Creed Odyssey. The lighting, and particularly the saturation really makes this photo standout. 3) Anubis Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins This week’s third shot comes from @ flyingfeather_g over on Twitter. This is such a cool photo of Anubis. If I remember correctly, this was one of his shadow guards in The Curse of the Pharaohs DLC . It is great to see some VP for NPC’s, especially when they look like this. I also like that the focus is solely on the character, making the gold really pop. 4) Seaside Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP number four comes from @ Rimaeternax over on Twitter. I am not sure what it is about this capture but I really like it. The depth of field is perfect, allowing you to see the background, but without taking anything away from Kassandra. The timing of the shot is brilliant too with all three characters looking in the same direction. The shadow of Ikaros is very impressive, and at first I thought it was a different bird. It kind of feels like this is a classic hero moment. 5) Axe to Grind Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla The final capture of the week comes from @ Lycantocles from the ACFirstCiv VP Twitter Community. My final pick of the week is very Viking, and that’s why I like it. I assume from the pose that Eivor has just finished a move on some helpless Saxon. The duel wielding in Valhalla does lend itself to some awesome shots. Eivor reminds me of Ragnar here, and the level of detail on that axe is amazing. 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

The Birth of a Gaming Dynasty Analysis Share 22 Feb 2026 Written By: Edited By: Hayden Bird Colum Blackett Back To Database The very first Assassin’s Creed was revolutionary and groundbreaking in the gaming industry when it released way back in November of 2007. The game changed the standards that modern games still follow to this day. The first game became a pioneer in the stealth game genre, along with parkour being used in games the way it is all these years later. The first game is responsible for building an empire in the gaming industry by turning the Assassin’s Creed series into a dynasty. The game was responsible for inspiration that games today still use. It did this by powerful storytelling, revolutionary gameplay mechanics, and changing the industry with something nobody had ever seen before in a game. The fact that the first Assassin’s Creed almost never existed goes to show you that the developers at Ubisoft knew they had a great idea on their hands, and capitalized on their creativity. Assassin's Creed titles The first Assassin's Creed almost never happened because the developers initially saw the game as an expansion to a prior Ubisoft game known as Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time , which was released in 2003. The first game in the Assassin’s Creed series was seen as a small story DLC to another game, and it is a good thing Ubisoft trusted their instincts and proceeded to capitalize on the idea they created. The game was originally titled Prince of Persia: Assassin’s , before being abandoned and turned into its own standalone game which became the Assassin’s Creed series we know today. It is hard to believe a franchise with as much popularity and success as this one almost never existed. The series turned into a juggernaut of gaming franchises, and it all started with the first release in 2007. The first Assassin’s Creed game told the story of Altair Ibn-La’Ahad and his journey in the historical time period of the Third Crusade. It takes place in the Holy Land in locations such as Jerusalem, Damascus, and more. The setting that was featured was a perfect place to start in as the location has yet to be revisited or reused almost 19 years and countless sequels later. It shows that the first game was set in a great and ideal time period that would captivate fans and start its rise to fame. The game, as we see today, focuses heavily on stealth and parkour. The ability to traverse and leap across the map all while sneaking around is a feature not seen in many video games before its 2007 debut. Fans loved the ability to explore the open world and follow the journey that the protagonist, Altair started. The game is still seen today as potentially the most groundbreaking release in history. Especially so given the fact of the dynasty it started. Promo image for Assassin's Creed (2007) The first Assassin’s Creed focused heavily on stealth gameplay mechanics and using secrecy to complete objectives. Although a lot of the missions were faced with some repetitive aspects such as eavesdropping and tailing a target, it was the first of its kind, so although it certainly became repetitive after some time, it included elements that no other games included before the release of this game. It is no surprise the game was a financial hit by selling over 8 million copies worldwide and selling 2.5 million copies alone in its first month. These are very impressive numbers given the unfamiliarity all gamers had with it at first. It is evident the game was so desirable to gamers back in 2007 just based on the game itself compared to reputation status. It is even more impressive the game sold as well as it did as the first Assassin’s Creed title has yet to receive any port, remaster, or remake using modern technology and adding it to current platforms. The game remains only playable on the very dated and unsupported PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles and released on PC as well. Its lack of availability on modern hardware is a debate many fans have started over the years by asking the developers to start a full on remake of the original classic. It is understandable why gamers would want such a classic and monumental game released for modern platforms in an era where remakes and remasters are all the rage. It would have been difficult to believe the idea of the empire of a franchise the Assassin’s Creed brand would become back in 2007. Nobody could have predicted how the Assassin’s Creed series would end up becoming one of the best-selling gaming franchises of all time if this was prior to the original release over 18 years ago. The greatest thing the developers at Ubisoft did was building off the momentum the first game created, and not letting its popularity die down. They started work on a sequel shortly after the first game was a smash hit, and the rest became history. The original Assassin’s Creed game belongs on a small list of games that changed the industry forever. It is responsible for starting one of the biggest gaming dynasties ever created and inspired the way other developers built their own games by using the techniques Ubisoft used when building the first game in the series. Its impact on the world cannot be understated, and there's no doubt decades from now the original Assassin’s Creed game will be in history books one day. Promo image showing Assassin's Creed protagonists 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

Codex Transferendum v2.0.2 | The Isu-to-English Dictionary & Language Guide Released Analysis Share 16 Mar 2024 Written By: Edited By: ActualSpider-Man Colum Blackett Back To Database Welcome to Codex Transferendum v2.0.2 , where Isu 101 is only the beginning! Inside there are 460 pages of sourced breakdowns, sentence complexity, a formulaic list of every word we’ve seen and how they’re built, followed by a comprehensive compilation of every possible rearrangement and conjugation of every root word, interpreting quite a few fun possibilities for words unseen! Hopefully this translation and language guide can help all of us solve any upcoming Isu puzzles that much faster, and for anyone interested it is entirely free to download. Enjoy, and always remember: ṇoænos wahæáid oænosr zàrhṇdichṛ Your Friendly Neighborhood Mentor PDF Download comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Author of the all-encompassing timeline, Codex Temporis, and the Isu-to-English dictionary, Codex Transferendum, Your Friendly Neighborhood Mentor is here to help unweave the confusing web of AC! ActualSpider-Man

Will Black Flag Resynced "Replace" The Original? Breakdown Share 27 May 2026 Written By: Edited By: Hayden Bird Gargudon Back To Database One question many Assassin’s Creed fans are facing right now, while the wait for the highly anticipated Assassin’s Creed Black Flag - Resynced continues, is will this reiteration of one of Ubisoft’s most iconic and household games ever, also having left its mark on gaming history overall, “replace” the legendary 2013 original? This is something that has the potential to cause strong debate amongst fans; some might feel this remake is a replacement of the original game, that fans and critics alike loved and praised, and for others it is merely a more enhanced version of the original. Fans will flaunt these ideas around until they get to play the game for themselves, when it arrives this summer on July 9th. Assassin's Creed Black Flag - Resynced promotional screenshot This reiteration of Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag, comes at a time where remakes and remasters of games are all the rage in gaming. Technology in gaming has rapidly improved in a short period of time, and it makes sense to rebuild classic games, taking advantage of today’s enhanced technology, taking games to a new level, maybe even making them reach their full potential as always intended. Back in the day, certain developers would built their game with the technology they did have, but always envision more, but that simply was not possible to implement given the technology of the time. Whether it be character models, environment, gameplay mechanics, or other aspects. One good example of this is probably still another one of 2013’s landmark releases, Grand Theft Auto V . Originally released for PS3 and Xbox 360, this original version pushed those consoles to the very limit technically, but still achieved so much under the circumstances. Mere 14 months later, the game was re-released for the new generation of consoles, in the form of the PS4 and Xbox One, and the game had been severely enhanced in a number of ways, at last reaching its full potential, and becoming what it was likely always meant to be. Grand Theft Auto V PS4 & Xbox One promotional screenshot (2014) Many are seeing Black Flag - Resynced as a tribute to the original, as it is well known that the 2013 classic is irreplaceable and incredible in its own way, and nothing could ever change that. So far, it is pretty clear that this remake is a faithful adaptation of the original, that stays true to it and does not dampen the legacy of the first game, but simply builds upon what made the original so great. It is easy to see this remake not as a replacement, but more of a testament to what the original game did for gamers, and seeks to merely empower and enhance the original, and not disrespect it in any way. Another thing that proves Ubisoft is treating the original game with respect, is that the game is not going to be delisted from digital storefronts following the release of this reiteration. The classic game will stay available for purchase everywhere, despite the anticipated remake inching closer to release. In some cases, it has become an unfortunate trend, that when a remake is released, the original game is removed from storefronts, and is basically abandoned and forgotten by the developers. This does not seem to be the case at all for Ubisoft. They understand very well that this game is very special to many people, who have made memories with it over the years, whether they’ve been there since day one in 2013, or discovered it years down the line. Based on much of the footage we have seen of Black Flag - Resynced so far, the game clearly intends to be a faithful adaptation of the original game, not a completely revamped experience, that transforms the game into a full blown RPG like most newer instalments in the franchise. It seems Ubisoft understands making changes that drastic would not sit well with many fans, so this reiteration merely builds upon the excellence of the first game, and simply enhances it with modern visuals and improved gameplay. Ultimately, there were also a few aspects of the original game that do not necessarily hold up by today’s standards, so Resynced shows improvement upon the select few things of the original game that were more unpopular, such as the stealth mechanics, tailing missions, and clunky combat system, all of which are being improved with modern technology. When the original game was released, it also came out during a much different era of the gaming industry, where certain features of the game that felt normal then, do not necessarily hold up well in modern standards. This was natural to have happened, as the gaming world advances faster than one can keep track of. Resynced intends to fix these minor flaws of the original, and create an as close to “Definitive Edition” of the game as possible that honours and sticks true to the original, bringing its own new life into the legendary game, that was and remains so beloved by fans and critics alike. Black Flag - Resynced , in some ways, is a fresh interpretation of the original game. It builds upon what the original did well, while adding new features that make it unique, rather than a full on retelling. The game does a great job at bringing new life, into a game that is over a decade old, and does not attempt to replace the original, but uses it as a stepping stone to all the advanced technology of today, that creates a fuller and more complete version of a game, that is considered the best game in the series by many, and that says a lot with how long the franchise has been around, and how many other games have released both before and after the 2013 classic. Still, the full picture of what has been improved, and what might ultimately have been removed from Resynced remains to be seen. So far, it is still unclear if features such as 100% total sync and optional objectives in main story missions will return, latter which were some to players’ liking, while others thought them annoying and pointless. If this or other drastic changes yet to be seen are introduced in Resynced , it is very likely a lot of fans of the original game, will hop off and lose interest quickly, feeling the original game is being disrespected after all. If this was to happen, it is likely some fans will be very dissatisfied with this remake, and will instead just stick to the 2013 original. This has happened with remasters typically called ‘The Definitive Edition’ before, either being too different from the original, or having bad launches that quickly impact their reputation, making players just stick to the old version. In recent times, this was apparent for the release of the GTA Trilogy - The Definitive Edition in 2021, the three games - Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City & San Andreas - being a buggy mess for some players at first, quickly damaging their reputation, and quickly making players just return and stick to the 2004 PC original of San Andreas for one. No matter what, the 2013 original has one of the strongest legacies in the franchise, and depending on Resynced’s reception, that could grow even stronger, depending on how this new version stays true to and respects the original in the very end. The original has its legacy, Resynced has the opportunity to leave its very own one, in the end making both games different and unique and each their way, with each their unique legacy. In the end, the debate of whether or not this remake will “replace” the original will go on, but so far all signs point to Resynced merely being a faithful adaptation, that simply takes what the first game did correctly, and enhances it by fixing the flaws, upping graphics and mechanics, and adding additional content, all bringing new life to the game. While the wait for the game’s release continues, fans will have the opportunity to decide on this topic for themselves, but when July comes around, many will be able to make more accurate assessments, on what Ubisoft did right, and what they could have improved upon. Will you be buying Assassin’s Creed Black Flag - Resynced when July comes around, maybe even having pre-ordered the game already, and are you excited for it? Be sure to let us know in the comments, and stay tuned here on The Ones Who Came Before for all news and more content on the 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