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  • 14_Merchandise All | TheOnesWhoCameBefore

    Merchandise Assassin's Creed Shadows Merchandise Guide 6 February 2025 Colum Blackett (Col_96) Merchandise Read More Madrinas Reveals Assassin's Creed Shadows Inspired Boba Tea Collection 17 October 2024 Colum Blackett (Col_96) Merchandise Read More Product Reveal: Assassin's Creed Through The Ages Tankard by Nemesis Now 12 February 2024 Colum Blackett (Col_96) Merchandise Read More Assassin's Creed Mirage Merchandise Guide 6 November 2023 Colum Blackett (Col_96) Merchandise Read More PureArts unveil Assassin's Creed Mirage: Basim Ibn Ishaq 1/4 Scale Statue 18 August 2023 Colum Blackett (Col_96) Merchandise Read More Difuzed unveil Assassin's Creed Mirage Merchandise Collection 17 June 2023 Colum Blackett (Col_96) Merchandise Read More Assassin's Creed Altaïr Game Cover Funko POP! Unboxing Images 3 March 2023 Aaron Young Merchandise Read More Community Spotlight: Some the Best Collectables from Assassin's Creed 22 February 2023 Michael Smith Merchandise Read More PureArts reveal incredibly detailed Assassin's Creed Revelations Diorama 9 February 2023 Colum Blackett (Col_96) Merchandise Read More Product Reveal: Officially Licensed Assassin's Creed Valhalla Bookends by Nemesis Now 6 February 2023 Michael Smith Merchandise Read More Unboxing TITAN Evo 2022 Assassin's Creed Edition Gaming Chair by Secretlab 22 July 2022 Colum Blackett (Col_96) Merchandise Read More New PureArts Edward Kenway Animus Statue Revealed 26 August 2021 Colum Blackett (Col_96) Merchandise Read More

  • The Memory Corridor Episode #21 Retrospective Look at AC Syndicate w/ ActualSpiderMan | TheOnesWhoCameBefore

    The Memory Corridor Episode #21 Retrospective Look at AC Syndicate w/ ActualSpiderMan Podcast Share 16 Jul 2022 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) Back To Database comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Gustav / Gargudon is an active community member, who started out in podcast hosting in 2016, but today mostly specialises in video creation, interviews & composing. By joining The Ones Who Came Before in 2019, originally reviving 'The Memory Corridor' podcast, which had been offline for nearly a year, he has had the opportunity to expand his audience and further develop his skills. His unique skill set made him the perfect candidate for our team. Among other things, he is known in the community for the Sounds Of History project - an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental music project, featuring five tracks inspired by as many different games - other original fan themes plus covers of iconic AC tracks, as well as video interviews with a number of high profile names in the world of AC, from Roger Craig Smith, Jesper Kyd and more. Fun fact, among his growing colourful tattoo collection, Gustav is the only member of our team to have the TOWCB logo inked. Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon)

  • William Template | TheOnesWhoCameBefore

    Article detailing the location of Grand Magister Vitus Burial Site in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and the clues that can lead you there. Community Guides Assassin's Creed Valhalla Guide: How to find the Secret Burial Site of Grand Magister Vitus By William Hede HojelseSkole 5/4/21 Share Top Stories The Assassin's Creed Community are raising money for Ocean Conservancy. Donate today In this article I am going to be show you how find Grand Magister Vitus' burial site in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Magister Vitus was a high-ranking member of the Hidden Ones who oversaw the evacuation of the brotherhood in the fifth century. Vitus is mentioned a few times throughout the game in documents found in the Hidden One’s bureaus, and in the description of the Magister armour set that can be found throughout the various regions. Edited by Ashlea Buckley Finding the clues Interview with Magnus Bruun - Eivor Assassins' Creed Valhalla Merchandise Guide Q&A with Abubakar Salim - Bayek of Siwa TOWCB Plans for 2021 Netflix announce upcoming live-action Assassin's Creed series Female Vikings: The Real History Building an Assassin's Creed Community: Getting Started Mentors Guild Announcement Interview with Benoit Richer: Valhalla Co-Dev Game Director Interview with Eric Baptizat: AC Valhalla Game Director Interview with Jordan Van Andel (JorRaptor) Colours in Assassin's Creed: A Short Review 6 ways to stay entertained in the Assassin's Creed Community during isolation Interview with Carlos Ferro - Da Vinci 5 ways you can support TOWCB Interview with Jesper Kyd Top Stories Decrypting the Code We hope that you found this guide useful! Check out the Database for more Assassin's Creed Valhalla Tips, Tricks and Guides. Save 10% on officially licensed Assassin's Creed Origins merchandise with the code "TOWCB" In order to find him we will have to travel to the southern coast of cent. More specifically to two towers called Dover Pharos and Dover fortress. Once you are at the Dover Pharos you will need to climb to the top. There you will find a marking in the shape of a triangle. Left of the triangle there should be the Roman number: l. Next up we will travel to Dover fortress. There you will find a tower similar to the one at Dover Pharos. Again, we will have to climb to the top of the tower you will find another triangle a little different from the one found in Dover Pharos. Instead of the roman number l there will be the roman number ll just right of the triangle. Now this took me a while to figure out but the hint here is to consider Dover Pharos and Dover fortress as the first and the second vertexes of the triangle. As seen below. Now the third vertex is where you will need to go in order to find Magister Vitus’ unmarked burial site. Near the area seen above you will find a well, covered with wooden planks. Break the wooden planks and you will be able to climb down into the well. Here you will finally find the remains of Magister Vitus. You will also notice an Assassin insignia engraved on the floor. In the back of his tomb you will find different things such as the roman number lll confirming that this is the right location. You will also find the hidden one’s insignia at the bottom of his tomb. As one of the last things you will find a cryptic message on a scroll. Now this message can be deciphered by reading the letter every other two letters. Original text mlmaoensadqmvvacixanimomvsasdclovimlbipenane tnvetir tiavlts deciphered text m lm a oe n sa d qm v va c ix a ni m om v sa s dc l ov i ml b ip e na n e t n v et i r t i av l ts Now using a decoder will leave us with the message:' Mandvcamvs libenter allos qvi nos dominent at mea maxima cvlpa vitvs Which if you translate it in latin means: "We gladly bite those who would dominate us, but I failed. Vitus ." With this translation we can for sure be certain that this is Magister Vitus burial site About the Author William is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who recently joined TOWCB AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer. Throughout 2021, William and other writers will be joining the admin team in a collaborative effort to create an Assassin's Creed Valhalla Guide Database, which you can find here . William Hede HojelseSkole

  • Introducing Sounds Of History - an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental project by Gargudon | TheOnesWhoCameBefore

    Introducing Sounds Of History - an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental project by Gargudon Other Share 25 Feb 2023 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database We are pleased to announce “Sounds Of History”, an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental project by our very own Gargudon ! A unique fan project, never really seen before in the Assassin’s Creed community, featuring five original tracks written, arranged and produced by Gargudon, each inspired by different AC games. A tribute to the soundtrack, to sneaking, fighting and free running throughout the years, and the composers behind them who have shaped the sound of the franchise. French Highlands - Inspired by the Parisian Medieval remnants of Assassin’s Creed Unity …Away From The Crowds… - Inspired by the mystery, abandoned undergrounds and ominous ambience of Assassin’s Creed II & Brotherhood 60’s - Inspired by British (Soft) Rock, the spirit of which partially originated during the era of Assassin’s Creed Syndicate Eagle’s Path - Inspired by the Native beliefs, Colonial settlements and history of a nation birthed during the era of Assassin’s Creed III Tales Of The Winds And Waters - Inspired by the colonies, cultures and waters of the Caribbean and West Indies explored, settled and sailed upon during the era of Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag Coming soon! Stay tuned here on The Ones Who Came Before for updates. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Gustav / Gargudon is an active community member, who started out in podcast hosting in 2016, but today mostly specialises in video creation, interviews & composing. By joining The Ones Who Came Before in 2019, originally reviving 'The Memory Corridor' podcast, which had been offline for nearly a year, he has had the opportunity to expand his audience and further develop his skills. His unique skill set made him the perfect candidate for our team. Among other things, he is known in the community for the Sounds Of History project - an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental music project, featuring five tracks inspired by as many different games - other original fan themes plus covers of iconic AC tracks, as well as video interviews with a number of high profile names in the world of AC, from Roger Craig Smith, Jesper Kyd and more. Fun fact, among his growing colourful tattoo collection, Gustav is the only member of our team to have the TOWCB logo inked. Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon)

  • Rally The Creed Episode #3 Released Marketing for Assassin's Creed Mirage, Virtual Photography & AC Netflix | TheOnesWhoCameBefore

    Rally The Creed Episode #3 Released Marketing for Assassin's Creed Mirage, Virtual Photography & AC Netflix Podcast Share 4 Jun 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database We are pleased to release episode #3 of Rally the Creed podcast, covering Marketing for Assassin's Creed Mirage, Virtual Photography and Assassin's Creed Netflix. Note this episode is recorded before the recent announcement of AC Mirage's release date. In episode #3 , guest host Jack from ThePhotoMode E-Magazine joins TOWCB Team members Lisa Zaman (Portrait Artist) and Aaron Young (Writer) to discuss all things in AC. Note: This episode was recorded before the recent announcement of AC Mirage's release date. 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)

  • AC15 Merch Guide #2 | TheOnesWhoCameBefore

    Community Merchandise Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Merchandise Guide (Part 2) Share Article contains ads that support TOWCB. Previous Guides Literature The Making of Assassin’s Creed – 15th Anniversary Edition Available Soon via DarkHorse Assassin's Creed 15th Year Anniversary Laminated Poster Available from Amazon Part 1 (Apparel) Other Assassin's Creed 15th Year Anniversary Laminated Poster. Preview GB Eye will distribute products to various retailers. Assassin's Creed 15th Year Anniversary Mug - 320 ml AbyStyle will distribute products to various retailers. Preview Assassin's Creed 15th Year Flexible Mousepad AbyStyle will distribute products to various retailers. Preview ASSASSIN’S CREED - LEAP INTO HISTORY (LIMITED EDITION X5LP BOXSET) by LacedRecords. 70 tracks from 12 mainline Assassin’s Creed games, following the historical timeline from Odyssey to Syndicate Music by Jesper Kyd, Lorne Balfe, Brian Tyler, Michiel Schrey, Seán Dagher, Nils Brown, Chris Tilton, Sarah Schachner, Elitsa Alexandrova, Austin Wintory, The Flight (Joe Henson and Alexis Smith), and Einar Selvik. Available for pre-order from LacedRecords Head Case Designs Officially Licensed Assassin's Creed Phone Case Available from Amazon Head Case Designs Officially Licensed Assassin's Creed Phone Case Available from Amazon Head Case Designs Officially Licensed Assassin's Creed Phone Case Available from Amazon Head Case Designs Officially Licensed Assassin's Creed Case for iPad Mini Available from Amazon Head Case Designs Officially Licensed Assassin's Creed Eivor Silhouette Phone Case Available from Amazon Assassin's Creed Straight Bourbon Whiskey by Antheum Studios Available in the USA from LoveScotch Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary - 1 oz Proof Silver w/Tin & COA by Apmex Available via Apmex Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary - 1 oz Proof Gold w/Tin & COA Apmex Available via Apmex Part 1 (Apparel) Official Assassins Creed 15th Anniversary Shadowbox and Lithograph Set. Releases April 2023 Available for pre-order from FinalBossBundle Welcome to our very special Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Merchandise Guide! Here we will be logging all of the merchandise we find celebrating 15 years of the series! Previous Guides AC Odyssey AC Movie Funko Pops Valhalla AC Origins AC Rogue Black Flag Mirage 21/9/22 Written by Colum Blackett Edited by Ashlea Blackett About the Author Col is the Community Admin for The Ones Who Came Before, and one of the Assassin's Creed Community Ambassadors (formerly for The Mentors Guild.) He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player, and has spent the last 8 years working within the Assassin's Creed community on countless projects. Twitter Colum Blackett

  • Assassin's Creed Shadows is delayed yet again to March 20th Ubisoft announces | TheOnesWhoCameBefore

    Assassin's Creed Shadows is delayed yet again to March 20th Ubisoft announces News Share 13 Jan 2025 Written By: Edited By: UbiCypher (Joe) Colum Blackett Back To Database Yes, this is happening, Assassin's Creed: Shadows, Ubisoft's most anticipated title for 2025 has been delayed yet again. The sad news delivered by the Assassin's Creed Content Director Marc-Alexis Côté in a official statement made public a little while ago. At this point we can but only speculate what this could mean for the French company looking at the future it may lead its most coveted franchise to. Official statement made by Marc-Alexis Cote -"As part of the renewed focus on gameplay quality and engaging Day-1 experiences, it has been decided to provide an additional month of development to Assassin’s Creed Shadows," -Marc-Alexis Côté said in his statement. Ubisoft is now in a more delicate situation than ever before and albeit the second delay being due to prefectionist reasons aiming to "ensure and even more ambitious and engaging day-one experience" the wave of criticism that will befall on Ubisoft will be even more non-filtered this time. Hopefully, Shadows delivers and is the product we all deserve after all this years craving for a game set in Feudal Japan. Now we will have to wait and see for the upcoming days and weeks what Ubisoft has to offer in compensation for this, specially in terms of marketing and blogposts of which only one remained to be released prior to the announcement of the delay. It is important to note that the pre-orders weren't active still at only a few weeks before its previous accorded release date being February 14 as well as no statements on whether the Game's development achieved GOLD status, normally being a transparent indicator from the company behind a game towards the consumers, which in this case has been absent compared to previous games from the franchise. Lack of confidence or a buggy mess? One only wonders if February 14 was never going to be the real release date and it was but an attempt at handling the situation in a shady way -dare I say. Don't lose hope.🏯🦅 Article adapted from Isu_Network article 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)

  • Assassin's Creed Mirage Art Dump: ItsACreed | TheOnesWhoCameBefore

    Assassin's Creed Mirage Art Dump: ItsACreed Other Share 17 Mar 2024 Written By: Edited By: Al Boncompagni (It’s A Creed) Colum Blackett Back To Database We are pleased to present the works of TOWCB Artist ItsACreed (Alice) who has created a series of sketches and digital creations inspired by the world of Assassin's Creed Mirage. Enjoy! We here at TOWCB were all heavily inspired by Assassin's Creed Mirage, as it gave players a more detailed look at The Hidden Ones before their transformation into the Assassin Brotherhood. Although the game was short, it was well received by the overall gaming community and critics alike, as it returned the series to its roots, and took care in re-establishing cut features, creating a truly special game that acted as the ultimate tribute to the core identity of Assassin's Creed and it's fans. Look out for more art pieces by ItsACreed on our platforms. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Al is a French artist specialised in portraits who discovered Assassin’s Creed with Black Flag, and their initial passion for the golden age of piracy. They later discovered the previous and newer games to be able to grasp the depth of the lore this saga has to offer. They started regularly posting Assassin’s Creed fanarts in 2020 with the release of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and met at that moment many other very talented artists with whom they love sharing their work. They were delighted to join the partnership as it means to them sharing their work with many people that are as passionate as them about the Assassin’s Creed saga. Al Boncompagni (It’s A Creed)

  • AC Valhalla Starter Guide: Norway | TheOnesWhoCameBefore

    Starter Guide focussing on Norway for new players looking to begin their Assassin's Creed Valhalla adventure. Community Guides Assassin's Creed Valhalla Starter Guide: Norway By Aaron Young 2/2/21 Share Top Stories The Assassin's Creed Community are raising money for Ocean Conservancy. Donate today Assassin’s Creed Valhalla can seem like a daunting game at first. When you start in Norway the map is already a decent size. The amount of collectables and content to discover can feel slightly overwhelming, especially with most of the main game set in England. In this article I will try and set you up for your Viking adventure, with hints and tips for your beautiful starting location, Norway. I am going to keep away from the story aspects of the Norway arc, as it is best you discover this yourself. The only thing I will say is that the story can drag you in, and before you know it you will be sailing off to England without exploring everything Norway has to offer. Take time in-between quests to have a look around. Important to note, you will be able to return to Norway at any moment once you are in England. When you begin the game you will immediately start levelling up, however this is only the beginning. Norway is a snowy playground that you can use to set yourself up for your adventures in England. You will notice many icons scattered around Norway on the map. They range from gold (wealth), blue (mysteries) and white (artefacts). These are often separate from the main story and are here to enrich the experience. Completing the main quest will always be your best way to level up as the XP reward is high. The little gold markers have less of an impact on completing an area but offer valuable XP and resources. If you are a completionist like me then these small loot boxes are worth it even if they don’t seem like it at the time. Edited by Ashlea Buckley XP and the Map Interview with Magnus Bruun - Eivor Assassins' Creed Valhalla Merchandise Guide Q&A with Abubakar Salim - Bayek of Siwa TOWCB Plans for 2021 Netflix announce upcoming live-action Assassin's Creed series Female Vikings: The Real History Building an Assassin's Creed Community: Getting Started Mentors Guild Announcement Interview with Benoit Richer: Valhalla Co-Dev Game Director Interview with Eric Baptizat: AC Valhalla Game Director Interview with Jordan Van Andel (JorRaptor) Colours in Assassin's Creed: A Short Review 6 ways to stay entertained in the Assassin's Creed Community during isolation Interview with Carlos Ferro - Da Vinci 5 ways you can support TOWCB Interview with Jesper Kyd Top Stories For anyone who played Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Mysteries may come as a welcome addition. I found Odyssey a tad repetitive, but Valhalla’s Mysteries help diversify the world and keep things fresh. They often come with a small bit of problem solving, but be sure to check your surrounding area for clues. Mysteries are great for XP too, but don’t feel compelled to complete them all as some are power dependant. Gear and Skill Points Unlike Odyssey, don’t expect to find loads of gear throughout the world. Norway does not have many gear items and you can find yourself in the same outfit for quite some time. Personally I enjoy this, as I find I use each piece way more than I would in Odyssey/Origins. Your best way to scout out these gear pieces is to find the synchronization points. This will open up the world, and although Valhalla is less click and go, waypoints will become clearer after syncing with the world. Upgrading your gear can be done in multiple ways. The major upgrades will not be available until you reach England (Settlement Blacksmith), but runes and resources can be applied to your gear right from the start. I did this sparingly but if you follow the guidance above then you can use resources such as iron and leather to upgrade your gear as often as you like. Try not to get overloaded with skill points. The maximum power in Valhalla is 400, but this level will be increased during future DLC expansions. The points can be added to 3 different routes, however you do not have to specialise as by the end of the game you will most likely have filled all of the skill tree. Red is the way of the bear (Melee), yellow is the way of the raven (Stealth) and blue is the way of the wolf (Ranged). The game lets you view what is available under each section, so just find a skill you wish to acquire and work towards it. Combat Combat will take some getting used to but with perseverance you will prevail. I don’t tend to make the strongest builds or use that many different weapons, as I prefer to keep to the pure Viking simulator. If you take the time, you can make your character very powerful, even in the early stages of the game. When in Norway, I preferred the axe and the shield combination for close up fights and then switching to the bow for anything at a distance. There are not a lot of weapons to choose from in Norway, but there are enough to get you started. Once in England you will gain many more abilities which will tie in with your weapon choices. Health and stamina play a larger role in Valhalla. You will not have the luxury of health regeneration and must forage for food to store in a rations bag which can then be used during combat. Your stamina bar will deplete when running/fighting, so it is important to slow things down from time to time. Traveling and Discovering When navigating Norway it is best to use your longship. This will help you to discover fast travel points for easy access later in the game. It is also a great way to view the beautiful scenery Norway has to offer. On land you will find yourself on horseback. I found it a tad slow due to the mountain ranges. Try if you can to keep to the main paths, as this is a lot quicker and will not deplete your stamina. Quite often you will find items in the world that are trapped behind locked or barricaded doors. Sometimes it can be frustrating to find a way in. Remember, locked doors will always have a key nearby and Sýnin your raven can help. Sýnin cannot tag everything in the environment like Senu or Ikaros could, but your bird will still be useful for finding things. If that fails you have Odin’s sight (Eagle Vision) which will give you a glimpse of the environment around you. Anything that is barricaded will just be a small puzzle to solve. Keep an eye out for gaps in windows, or weakness in walls/roofs for a way in. Hopefully these tips will help you get started on your Viking adventure. Valhalla is a wonderful game full of intrigue and mystery with a story that sucks you in slowly. Be patient and take your time, you will not regret it. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who recently joined TOWCB AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer. Throughout 2021, Aaron and other writers will be joining the admin team in a collaborative effort to create an Assassin's Creed Valhalla Guide Database, which you can find here . Twitter Aaron Young Save 10% on officially licensed Assassin's Creed Origins merchandise with the code "TOWCB"

  • Partnership with A Nutrition Transformation Announcement | TheOnesWhoCameBefore

    Partnership with A Nutrition Transformation Announcement Community Share 10 Jun 2025 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Colum Blackett Back To Database We are excited to announce that we have agreed terms with Andrew Brown from A Nutrition Transformation for a promotional partnership! Andrew is a qualified GPNi Sports Nutrition Specialist who is looking to work with members of the Assassin's Creed Community seeking to achieve their health, fitness and wellbeing goals. Through our collaboration, Andrew will be offering his services at reduced rates, providing expert advice and education at an affordable price. We can't wait to get started! Keep an eye on our socials for updates. 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

  • The Memory Corridor Episode #22 Retrospective Look at Black Flag w/ Kyle Marvell | TheOnesWhoCameBefore

    The Memory Corridor Episode #22 Retrospective Look at Black Flag w/ Kyle Marvell Podcast Share 8 Sept 2022 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) Back To Database comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Gustav / Gargudon is an active community member, who started out in podcast hosting in 2016, but today mostly specialises in video creation, interviews & composing. By joining The Ones Who Came Before in 2019, originally reviving 'The Memory Corridor' podcast, which had been offline for nearly a year, he has had the opportunity to expand his audience and further develop his skills. His unique skill set made him the perfect candidate for our team. Among other things, he is known in the community for the Sounds Of History project - an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental music project, featuring five tracks inspired by as many different games - other original fan themes plus covers of iconic AC tracks, as well as video interviews with a number of high profile names in the world of AC, from Roger Craig Smith, Jesper Kyd and more. Fun fact, among his growing colourful tattoo collection, Gustav is the only member of our team to have the TOWCB logo inked. Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon)

  • The Gaming Library: How Assassin’s Creed Influenced My Interest in History Books | TheOnesWhoCameBefore

    The Gaming Library: How Assassin’s Creed Influenced My Interest in History Books Other Share 12 Feb 2024 Written By: Edited By: Michael Smith Colum Blackett Back To Database Banner by Thea Marie Rivedal (Moonchildgecko) from TOWCB Art Team. Collecting has been my favorite hobby since I was a child. Whether it be games, comics, trading cards, or random items with a shared theme, I was always driven to collecting. As I grew, my focus would change and my collections would be the funding to help me start my next pivot at reaching an undetermined and unmet goal of having an interest to talk about. This would continue with only one collection ever growing, my gaming library. Each year (or sooner) I would find myself bored with my current system and with no way of getting money to purchase something new, I would gather what I owned, go to a game store and trade it all in towards a different console, usually something older as they were cheaper at the time. In 2020 I made a decision to pivot my collecting of games for the Nintendo Switch, to the Xbox family of systems. Selling most of my games, I was able to fund a secondhand system (and later a Series X) and start a new collection of game series that I had interest in or had played before and wanted to revisit. It was a quick way to build my library up again and play games that I actually wanted to and not ones that I felt like I had to because I purchased them for my shelves. One of these series was Assassin’s Creed. A few months after starting this new gaming journey, I began expanding my collection for the Assassin’s Creed series. Purchasing all of the games, their respective strategy guides, novels, art books, and anything I could get my hands on that were considered content for the full world of this franchise; in addition to collectables like statues and figures. My plan was to layout all of the content and transmedia into one large timeline and play/read everything from the oldest historical time periods to the most recent. This is something I have openly shared in other articles written for The Ones Who Came Before and one of the biggest accomplishments in my years of gaming. Starting with Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, I explored and absorbed the history of Ancient Greece. I wanted to search every inch of the map to complete the game in its fullest form and try to catch up on the series as I was very behind, with Valhalla being the current game at the time. After finishing the game and reading the extra content in the strategy guide and art book, I moved to the novelization of the game and then onto AC Origins. This trend will continue as I work through the series, where I am currently in the 18th Century during the Golden Age of Piracy. As I continue, I keep revisiting older centuries while new content is released, waiting for more from Assassin’s Creed Mirage at the time of this writing. In June of 2022, I was walking around a local bookstore and saw a series of museum photo books for Ancient Greece, Egypt, Rome, and the Viking era. I gathered them and flipped through a few pages to see what they were and sparked the idea of building a library to help me learn more about the real world history that is laid out in the Assassin’s Creed games so that I could have a better understanding and experience when I replay the games in the future. Prior to this visit, I had finished reading Kate Heartfield’s first entry in the Assassin’s Creed Engine of History trilogy; The Magus Conspiracy . In this story, Assassin in training, Simeon Price studies under the mentorship of Oscar Kane and is tasked not just in the art of stealth and combat, but also studies to better his education. Listed in various parts of the book, Simeon reads tomes of great historical value to mankind. This was the first time that an Assassin’s Creed story has provided insight to the materials an Assassin would study. Opening the digital copy I kept on my phone, I went to my highlighted notes and looked at the books Simeon read. Two of them I knew to be easily available so I searched for them with the assistance of an employee and left with the four previously mentioned museum books and a copy of the 1818 text edition of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Anne Bronte’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall . The former was a book that Simeon was tasked in reading and the former was used in comparison of the creation and rebellion of Frankenstein’s monster to that of the humans to the Isu race; the ancient civilization behind the lore of the Assassin’s Creed franchise. I purchased these two books and when I returned home, I started my comment thread on Twitter to catalogue and share my progress on this new project. Over the course of the next few months, I started scrubbing through the Assassin’s Creed transmedia items in my collection, looking for references to any book in their pages. When I started a new game, such as Black Flag, I would document the books that were used for the codex, mentioned in conversation, or referenced in the Modern Day content or the supplementary strategy guide and art book. I would continue to do this for each new media I consumed and at some point, I will go through the games I have already finished when I work through my timeline the second time. While doing so I will also make note of figures and events in the games so that I can expand my library past the referenced materials. One of the more entertaining ways of finding books that were used to design the games was through old production videos from Ubisoft and pausing to look at the covers and spines and write down what I found. I luckily had picked up one of these books for Assassin’s Creed Origins titled, Sunken Cities: Egypt’s Lost Worlds without realizing it until I saw the BTS video for it. This just excited me more so when I ran out of videos to review, I reached out to a few people around the internet to gather additional book titles and would ask authors for their lists of research books for the novels I would read going forward. Since I started I have collected 81 books covering nearly all of the time periods that have been depicted in the Assassin’s Creed series. Each section is noticeable, especially next to the games that were based around them, and Ancient Greece seems to be the largest group of books. What is funny about collecting is that I don’t read everything right away, so of the 81 books I own, I have only read 10 of them. I’m reading these sporadically, but collecting is the fun part. It is because of Assassin’s Creed that I have an actual interest in history now. In all games and media that I consume these days, I am listening for period appropriate texts and plan on continuing this collection once I finish the AC series with other game titles. Wanting to learn more about the contents of history so that I can better understand the games is enjoyable and I’ve learned a lot in doing so. I think about the future, of having a library that I can not only enjoy, but share with others. Not knowing where the series will go, or if it will even continue after the next decade, I can guarantee that my exploration of history will continue with other games & media. My most recent purchases have been based around the Middle East and The Golden Age of Piracy. I received books for Christmas tied to Assassin’s Creed: Mirage and Assassin’s Creed: The Golden City in addition to books I purchased about the pirates of the Golden Age of Piracy as seen in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag . I wasn’t aiming to get these specifically, but they were what first caught my eye and I had been wanting a few of them for a while (mainly the pirate books). This weekend I plan on going out again to see what I can find and maybe one day I can find and afford to purchase an original printing of an old book such as The Prince by Machiavelli, or a first edition of The Hunchback of Notre Dame as that would be a great focal point to my library. My love of the franchise has only grown with my yearning to learn more about history. Having the opportunity to look into the process of the developers and how they make the games, studying as Shaun Hastings would to assist Desmond Miles. For now though, I await to see what knowledge I will read from Feudal Japan, the witch hunts of Germany, the Great Wall of China and onwards. History has become my playground, much like Ubisoft sings from this franchise and the creed of the Assassins Brotherhood. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Mike Smith is a collector of all things Assassin's Creed and a major supporter of transmedia who joined TOWCB as a writer from 2021 - 2024 With nearly a full library of Assassin's Creed media, his work explored the universe in order of Genetic Memory. Notably, his Assassin's Creed Timeline became an essential tool for fans of the franchise looking to complete their collection and consume AC media in a particular order. Michael Smith

  • This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 2nd April - 8th 2022 | TheOnesWhoCameBefore

    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

  • VP Hub | TheOnesWhoCameBefore

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

  • Events | The Ones Who Came Before

    Assassin's Creed Community Events and Plans for the coming year. Events Each year, we do our best to attend as many events as possible. Here you can find our future plans, and see all the events we attended in the past. 2025 Assassin's Creed Shadows Photo Mode Early Access Opportunity (14th March 2025) TOWCB'S Turið Torkilsdóttir, FrameHoldPhotos and Aaron Young were invited to take part in an early access opportunity for Assassin's Creed Shadows, using the photo mode tool. Assassin's Creed Copenhagen Quiz Night Event Photo Log (27th March 2025) Here are our photos from the Assassin's Creed themed quiz night at Kappa Bar Copenhagen, hosted by Ubisoft Nordic to celebrate the launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows! BAFTA Games in Concert event in London (February 2026) Aaron from our Virtual Photography Team attended the BAFTA Games in Concert event in London, and had the opportunity to meet legendary composers Jesper Kyd and Austin Wintory. 2026 Assassin's Creed Shadows UK Community Launch Event (7th March 2025) TOWCB'S Team Leader Colum Blackett was invited to attend the UK Community Launch event for Assassin's Creed Shadows in Guildford! Event Log Assassin's Creed Shadows Remote Play Session (20th January 2025) TOWCB'S Team Leader Colum Blackett was invited to attend a remote Assassin's Creed Shadows play session, and was able to capture gameplay footage and release initial impressions and feedback on the game! Read it here! 2024 EGX London (26th and 27th October 2024) We are thrilled to announce that Aaron Young (FalconSwift87) from TOWCB VP Team and Lisa Zaman from TOWCB Art Team represented The Ones Who Came Before at EGX London 2024! Look out for our coverage on social media! Assassin's Creed Cast Reunion Digital Event (22nd October 2024) On the 22nd October 2024, the Podcast141 show aired a special live episode featuring cast members from both Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Odyssey. The Ones Who Came Before were represented digitally by Team Leader Colum Blackett ( Col_96 ) and Laury_Runs ! Assassin's Creed Symphonic Adventure (London. May 29th) On the 29th and 30th May 2024, the Assassin's Creed Symphonic Adventure UK Premiere took place in London. The Ones Who Came Before were represented by Aaron Young (FalconSwift87: Isu_Network Virtual Photography Team), Lisa Zaman (Art Team) and Louise Chase (TheNerdyArcher: Isu_Network Writing Team) on the night of Wednesday 29th May! Here are our photos from the event! Wales Comic Con 2024 (April 7th 2024) Col and Michael from TOWCB Core team attended Wales Comic Con 2024 in Wrexham! Although no Assassin's Creed guests were present at the event, it was great to see a life-sized statue of Ratonhnhaké:ton (Connor) on display in the Main Hall! Check out our video log on Tiktok or Youtube ! 2023 Assassin's Creed Mirage Red Carpet Digital Event (September 28th 2023) 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, then a one hour play session of Assassin's Creed Mirage. Event Log Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game Digital Early Access Event (September 2023) Back in September, we were lucky enough to be invited to attend a digital event for the upcoming 'Assassin's Creed - Roleplaying Game' by CMON Games and Ubisoft, which is due for release October 2024. Event Log Insomnia Gaming Festival #i71: Ubisoft Community Cosplay Competition (September 2023) Col, Aaron and Michael from TOWCB attended the 2023 Ubisoft Community Cosplay Competition at Insomnia Gaming Festival #i71 in Birmingham. Photo Log Highlights Video Ubisoft Community Celebration Awards (January 28th 2023) Col and Lisa from TOWCB Team were invited to attend the Ubisoft Community Celebration Awards in London! Check out our photos and thoughts on the event here! 2022 We are thrilled to announce that C ol_96 & Ashlea_97 from TOWCB admin team have been invited to join Ubisoft_UK alongside members of the Assassin's Creed Community for a special Ubisoft Forward watch event taking place at the Guilford office! UPDATE: Due to the sudden death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the UK event was sadly cancelled as the UK entered a period of mourning. Assassin's Creed Showcase: Ubisoft Forward Early Access (September 6th) We can now reveal that today, 6/9/22, we were given an early preview of the upcoming AC Showcase event, outlining the future of the franchise. We are VERY excited for what's to come, and feel confident in Ubisoft regarding the future of the brand. Ubisoft Forward airs 10/9/22. Wales Comic Con Homecoming (August 21st 2022) Col and Ash from the admin team attended Wales Comic: Homecoming. We joined our good friends at Assassin's Creed United Kingdom for a meet-up, and caught up with voice actor Matt Ryan! Here are our photos from the event! Dawn of Ragnarok Online Press Event (2/2/22) We can now reveal that on the 2nd February 2022 we attended an online Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok Press event! Here is our information round-up from the event. 2021 Community Call (10/3/21 at 7pm GMT) The first event of 2021 was a 'Community Call', which took place on our Discord server. We took questions on everything Assassin's Creed, and discussed community management with our fans. If you missed the event, we will be holding more in future. We look forward to speaking with you . Facebook event 2020 HomeCon 2020: Assassin's Creed Panel (10/4/20 - 11/4/20) Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, we were unable to attend any physical events in 2020. We did however attend HomeCon, a virtual comic con event that featured an Assassin's Creed panel! Read our review of the event here 2019 Assassin's Creed Fan Meet-up/ Symphony Event (October 2019) Our admins Col and Ash attended the Assassin's Creed Symphony event in London. Before the event, they were invited on an open bus tour of London with UK Community Members, and a special meal with Michael Antonakos (Alexios), kindly arranged by Ubisoft. Event Diary E3 2019 - Ubisoft Conference Live Discussion Event (7/7/19) We held a live-discussion event with our fans, covering all of the Assassin's Creed news and announcements from E3 2019. Facebook Event 2018 Wales Comic Con - Part 2 (December 2018) Our admins Col and Ash joined AC UK, Paul Amos and Abubakar Salim at Wales Comic Con for a community meet-up! Photos Wales Comic Con - Part 1 (April 2018) Col_96, Dave Woodward and Ashlea_97 organised an Assassin's Creed Community Meet-up at Wales Comic Con 2018, featuring Matt Ryan! Photos 2017 EGX (September 2017) Our Admin Col_96 and Community Member Ash put together a Vlog from Day 1 and 2 at EGX 2017, featuring exclusive behind the scenes footage from the Ubisoft booth. Gamescom 2017 Our Admin Sofija attended Gamescom 2017 as a Ubisoft Star Player, and was featured on a video by Ubisoft titled "Meet the Ubisoft Star Players at Gamescom 2017" MCM Manchester 2017 Col and Ash attended Manchester Comic Con 2017. Here are our photos from the event. 2016 Assassin's Creed Movie: Fan Screening Event (Dec 2016) Col joined attended the Assassin's Creed Movie Fan Screening event in London with other UK community members. Event Diary Gamescom (August 2016) Col attended Gamescom 2016 in Germany as a Ubisoft Star Player. Event Diary Assassin's Creed Movie Press Event (May 2016) Ubisoft invited Col to attend an exclusive press event for the Assassin's Creed Movie in London, where the first 20 minutes were shown to journalists. Director Justin Kurzel was in attendance! Event Diary Vlog Edinburgh Comic Con (April 2016) Col attended Edinburgh Comic Con 2016, and met Cas Anvas, who provided the voice performance for Altair in Assassin's Creed Revelations. Photos MCM Liverpool Comic Con (March 2016) Col attended MCM Liverpool Comic Con 2016, and met Paul Amos and Victoria Atkin, who play Jacob and Evie Frye in Assassin's Creed Syndicate! Photos

  • Interview with Magnus Bruun (Eivor in Assassin's Creed Valhalla) | TheOnesWhoCameBefore

    Interview with Magnus Bruun (Eivor in Assassin's Creed Valhalla) Interview Share 21 Dec 2020 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Buckley Back To Database To celebrate AC Day, we interviewed Magnus Bruun, who provided the voice and mo-cap performance for the male version of Eivor in Assassin's Creed Valhalla! Colum: Hi Magnus, thanks for joining us today! I'd like to start by exploring your Assassin's Creed journey. When you first auditioned for the role, did you know that it was for an Assassin's Creed game or a Viking related project, and was it always with the intention of playing male Eivor? Magnus: When I first heard of the project back in the spring of 2019, it was called The Black Wolf Saga and was an animated Viking series to be filmed in Canada. So when I made my selftape I had no idea what was actually going on, nor did my agent. It was first when I got the call back and the invitation to come to London for the audition that we found out that it was Ubisoft who was producing it, but we still didn’t know exactly what it was. So I flew from Copenhagen to London still in the blind, but when I entered the audition room and was met by Darby McDevitt and three other directors from Ubisoft Montreal it all became very clear. Also I originally auditioned for the role as Sigurd, but that changed when I got the call back and for my two days of castings in London I was auditioning for Eivor. Colum: What were your initial thoughts on the character? Magnus: I loved Eivor, such a great character to dive into. Eivor is stubbornly independent, honor bound, strong and adventurous but also a character dealing with a childhood trauma trying to find the way to a brighter future. Colum: This is the first time the series has split a character into both male and female versions. How did filming work, and did you take turns with Cecilie to film scenes? Magnus: I shot almost all of the cinematics for Eivor so we never really took turns, but we did shoot one scene together, though I really can’t talk about that one since it would spoil the game for the players who hasn’t completed it yet. I love the fact that everyone playing AC Valhalla gets to met and live as Eivor and that you as a gamer make your own choice to how and who your Eivor is going to be, so I think the character choice in the game is working very well. I also really love Cecilie Stenspil's acting and voice work and I think she did an amazing job with the character. Colum: How are you finding the motion capture, and do you ever get used to it? Magnus: I found the motion capture a bit weird an unsatisfying in the beginning because I just came from shooting two seasons of The Last Kingdom. On the big Netflix set in Hungary I had an army, was riding a black stallion, looking like a true Viking warlord in my armour with scars, full beard and face tattoos, and now I had to be clean shaven for the facial scans and HMC (head mounted camera) and my costume was a tight spandex suit with small dots all around, not very ‘Vikingy’. At the Alice Studios in Montreal there was nothing, or all most nothing. It’s an enormous room with green screen, a hundred cameras on the ceiling and four steady-cam operators walking around you, but there are no horses, the castle is made of boxes and when I jump over Yggdrasils roots (spoiler, sorry), it’s just me jumping over some big ropes and sandbags lying on the floor. So I had to cope with that, but after a few days it gave me a lot of freedom. In a studio like this everything is suddenly possible and from the moment I fully understood that, I embraced it and never looked back. BTW the people working at the Alice Studio were so professional and helpful and they made all my weeks of shooting feel great, adequate and very fun. Colum: Did recording during lockdown present any challenges, and did the team manage to overcome them? Magnus: I filmed my last performance capture in Montreal the day after the Danish Prime Minister locked Denmark down. Then I flew home and we actually managed to record all the rest of the voice overs without having any real difficulties, thank God! Talking about the voice work I have to give my utmost respect to my voice director Thor Bishopric. Working with him made Eivor come to life in the voice-overs and I have a feeling that we created the character together. I also want to praise Allan Beaupre our incredible voice designer, Sebastian Vaskio my sound technician ninja and all the other wonderful people working with me and Cecilie Stenspil during the hundreds and hundreds of hours we used in voice studios all over Canada, England and Denmark. There wouldn’t be any Eivor in this game without their tireless work. Never forget! Colum: Do you think that your time working on The Last Kingdom contributed towards any of Eivor's traits? Magnus: Portraying Cnut in The Last Kingdom definitely gave me a great deal of stamina towards playing Eivor in AC Valhalla. Though they are two very different characters, (one off them allegedly being being a villain) they are both Viking warriors getting more and more power and influence. Family and a home for their clan and their people are important to them and they are both very ambitious, but then it sort of ends there. Cnut being the unsung hero of his own saga, Eivor actually is the real hero of the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Saga. I shot my last scene as Cnut for season four of The Last Kingdom a week before I flew to Canada and started the first motion capture shoot as Eivor, so I was in the mindset of a Viking and had been it for more than three years, and that helped a lot. Colum: Which type of flyting do you prefer? Normal (insults) or reverse (compliments)? Magnus: Normal flyting with insults of course! Colum: Which missions were your favourite to shoot, and did you have fun working on the game? Magnus: My favourite part of the game is the main story with Sigurd and Basim and in details I think everything involving Fulke, brilliantly portrayed by Gaia Weiss. The four of us had so much fun shooting all the performance capture scenes and Gummi, Carlo (Gudmundur Thorvaldsson & Carlo Rota), Gaia and I had a blast in Montreal when we had any spare time. And YES I obviously loved working on the game and I love that it’s still not finished. I’m currently working on the DLC’s, Seasons and press for the game, so Eivor is still out and proud and doing all the dirty work. Also I made some great friends in Montreal and I don’t think I want to go back to my old life without Darby McDevitt and Alain Mercieca in it. Best damn writers, brains and lovely funny people I’ve ever met. Period. Colum: Do you have a favourite (non-spoiler) line? Magnus: As Eivor returns to his childhood home in Norway he says: ‘Home. Or it used to be home… Now it’s nothing but bone.’ And may I just add that I freaking love Norway in the game. It’s the most beautiful stunning place! Colum: Have you had much time to play Valhalla yourself? If so, are you focusing on story or exploration? Magnus: I haven’t been playing the game much since the release, but I’ve played it while we where making it. I’ve been watching some of my friends play it and I enjoy that a lot. The thing is that I know everything. I have read it all. Said almost all of it. So there’s no surprises. But when I’ll finally sit down and dig deep into it, I’ll plow through the main story so I can listen to my great colleagues work. And then I’ll go back to Norway and just explore. Jump from Island to island and enjoy the northern lights. AC Sisterhood graphic by Dylan and Sebastian Dell’Aria from The Mentor's Guild Colum: How do you feel the game has been received overall, and have you seen any of the fan content created to celebrate its arrival? Magnus: It feels like most people really enjoy the game and that makes me happy. Of course we can’t satisfy everybody but when millions of people are playing the game that’s always a hard thing to do. I heard there were people wanting Eivor to sound like Kratos from God of War, those people are hard to please. (BTW I love Christopher Judges voice) Back when we approached the character we wanted Eivor to be someone people would listen to, someone people would fall in love with, make alliances with someone to follow and genuinely like as well as be afraid of at the right times. We wanted to make a real human being with strengths and flaws. So if you are only looking for a bloodthirsty Viking, sorry, Eivor can be that, but not all the time. About the fan content and art. I freaking f****** love it! Keep it coming! Colum: One thing that was noticeable during the marketing campaign was the focus on male Eivor over female, contributing towards the creation of the AC Sisterhood movement. Do you have a message for fans picking up the game for the first time regarding character selection? Magnus: I believe that AC Sisterhood is a very important movement and I really think you should keep up the incredible work you are doing and keep pushing. Things are changing in the world and also in the gaming communities and the female representation will change for the better even though the battle sometimes feels Sisyphean. I’ll personally do what I can to push things in the right direction and you can always call on me for help, I mean that. When my Eivor arrives in England the first place I will go is the western part of Wessex. Here I’ll find myself an underground entrance so I for the rest of the game can show off some powerful tattoos with the most wonderful logo! And I think that you should pic the Eivor you want. It’s a great game anyway you play it. Cecilie Stenspil did a fantastic job with her Eivor and I did my absolutely best with mine. Whatever choice you make you can always switch whenever you play it or you can let the Animus decide. Just go with your gut feeling. I think I’m gonna give Female Eivor a go because I’ve been listening to my own voice for all my life and I know how I’ve said and played every single one of the eleven thousand lines Eivor has in the game, so for me it’s time for a change. But pick your poison it’s a good drink anyway you drink it. Colum: You recently attended the Assassin's Creed Valhalla launch event in Denmark, organised by the Ubisoft Nordic team. How was it? Magnus: Yes I did, and it was great. Drunk Uncle Covid has f***** up the entire planet at the moment, so obviously it wasn’t the launch we wanted, but we had a good time. I met a lot of fans of the franchise, talked about making the game and signed posters. When we get to the other side of this weird period in the world I really look forward to meeting more fans at conventions but at the moment it has to be online, sadly. We’ll prevail and when the sun shines again it’ll all be perfect. So wear your face mask and take care of each other then we’ll get to the other side faster. Meanwhile I’ll make you a second DLC. Deal? Cheers Magnus Look out for our Assassin's Creed Valhalla review, coming January 2021! We would like to thank Magnus for joining us for this interview, and to Kim Beacham and DMJ Consultancy for making it possible! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

  • This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 2nd - 8th July 2022 | TheOnesWhoCameBefore

    This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 2nd - 8th July 2022 Community Share 9 Jul 2022 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the new weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week, we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for capture across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. 1) Goddess Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey This week’s first capture comes from @ dpruttz_vp a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. First up this week is a shot of Kassandra that feels completely out of place. I always expect to see bright sunlit captures from Odyssey. This however is a stunning shot that could easily be from snowy Norway. The use of white and gold is so striking, and the depth of field is perfect. I get the feel that someone is about to challenge our Misthios here. 2) Havi Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Photo number two comes from @ wo1fx7 over on Twitter. I think photo number two is the sort of portrait we all strive to achieve. It has unbelievable lighting, perfectly shining across Havi’s hood. The moody background adds to the foreboding feel of this Norse God. Credit has to be given for using that beard and avoiding clipping issues that can so easily destroy a shot. What I like the most is how this capture shows the amazing detail of that armour set, magnificent virtual photography. 3) Home Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey This week’s third shot comes from @ GirlWYellowEyes over on Twitter. Home is most definitely where the heart is and there is an abundance of heart in this capture. I feel like this shot is so creative, very outside of the box thinking. I actually cannot remember seeing this location in the game. I love the great touches in this photo, Ikaros circling the island, the ripples from the sea and the gorgeous white sand. Weirdly the whole thing makes me think of an iced gingerbread biscuit. This truly is a beautiful shot. 4) Ulster Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP number four comes from @ TheGamingNurseX a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. This moody capture is everything Valhalla is about. The wandering warrior, travelling across England and Ireland with dark clouds overhead. In search of the order who are hidden within enemy strongholds. It’s the little things that make this photo so remarkable, having the hood up showcases that excellent design on the back. The darkness around the edges which turns a simple tree into something more sinister. An awesome storytelling capture. 5) Siwa Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins The final capture of the week comes from @ KayJay1718 a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. Will Siwa ever know peace? Well from this capture you would never think there was anything else. This is saturation used to perfection, it showcases the desert and the palm trees in such a remarkable way. Bayek’s positioning is great, just emerging from the water. It’s fantastic that the birds have been captured in the sky adding to the feel. The star of the shot has to be the reflections. It is mirror imaginary at its absolute best. 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

  • Best quotes in Assassin's Creed I (2007) | TheOnesWhoCameBefore

    Best quotes in Assassin's Creed I (2007) Share Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Back To Database Welcome to the first article in a new series written by TOWCB Team, outlining our favourite quotes from the franchise. We begin by revisiting the original Assassin’s Creed game, which was released back in 2007. Undoubtedly a slow burner, the game grows into its own and provides the building blocks that future games expand upon. Although it is often criticised for tedious gameplay mechanics such as tailing missions and pickpocketing, the game provides clarity over what it means to rise within the Assassin Brotherhood, and to follow the tenets of the Creed or face the consequences. 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

  • VP Hub 2024 | TheOnesWhoCameBefore

    Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography Hub (2024) Welcome to the Virtual Photography Hub! Here you can find all of our Assassin's Creed weekly VP community showcase articles, written by Aaron Young from our AC Partnership Program! January 2024 Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 15th to 26th January Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 1st to 12th January Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 20th to 31st January February 2024 Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 5th to 15th February 2024 Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 19th to 29th February March 2024 Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 4th to 15th March Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 18th to 29th March 2024 April 2024 Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 1st to 12th April Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 15th to 26th April 2024 May 2024 Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 6th to 17th May Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 20th to 31st May June 2024 Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 3rd to 14th June Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 17th to 28th June July 2024 Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 1K Celebration September 2024 Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 16th to 27th September November 2024 Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 18th to 29th November December 2024 Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 2nd to 13th December ***RESETTING*** LOADING FIRMWARE... ANIMUS 2.02. SOURCE/AC PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM File: VIRTUAL PHOTOGRAPHY POPULATING

  • TOWCB Interview with AC: The Golden City Author Jaleigh Johnson | TheOnesWhoCameBefore

    TOWCB Interview with AC: The Golden City Author Jaleigh Johnson Interview Share 30 Apr 2023 Written By: Edited By: Michael Smith Colum Blackett Back To Database Banner by Thea Marie Rivedal (Moonchildgecko) from TOWCB Art Team. Author photo credit - Kobey Felter Character photo credit - Aaron Young (Falconswift87) from TOWCB Photo Team Back in January I was provided an early access review copy for the upcoming Assassin’s Creed book The Golden City by author Jaleigh Johnson and publisher Aconyte Books. It was a unique story that tells a tale about a young Assassin Apprentice Hytham and his mentor Basim Ibn Ishaq on a mission in Constantinople to protect the young Prince Leo VI from his paranoid father Basil I. The review is available here , but a light spoiler warning is listed with the article. I reached out to author Jaleigh Johnson via her personal website for an interview and thanks to assistance from Aconyte Books I was able to have the following questions communicated to Jaleigh and with approval from Ubisoft, answered for this written interview. The contents of this interview have not been edited in any form to keep accuracy and transparency. Which game was your introduction into Assassin’s Creed? Was there a particular scene or character that grabbed your interest the most? I actually had this conversation with my husband while I was writing the book, because I remember my introduction to the game was watching him play it, and we were both trying to remember which game it was. I believe it was the very first game, and I remember asking him all kinds of questions about what he was doing. Why are you assassinating all these people? Why are you spending so much time climbing that building? Why did you then just jump off the building and land in a pile of straw? And my husband’s response was always something along the lines of, “You just have to watch or play it yourself.” But I remember the moment when the game switched to the present day and introduced the concept of the animus. That was the moment I really got intrigued with the game and the story, and I knew I had to try it myself. That was the beginning of the path that led to this point. Having worked with Aconyte before on Marvel’s Xavier Institute series, how are you enjoying writing for these large franchises? Are there challenges writing historical fiction compared to superhero driven stories? The large franchises are a huge amount of fun to write and special because I get to leave my own mark on something that’s been important to me, but there’s also this massive sense of responsibility and the desire to do justice to the stories and the characters and contribute something that builds on everything that’s come before. The challenge with writing historical fiction for AC in particular is to craft a story that fits with history but also melds seamlessly with the game lore and the characters you’re writing about, so in that way it takes much more time to write than the superhero driven stories because of the amount of research. But with the superhero stories, you also have this rich and deep history of the comics, so there’s always going to be a lot of time and work involved. Fortunately, I love to do research, so that’s been a fun part of the process as well. Your new book, The Golden City follows Hytham and Basim from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla in an earlier timeline than the game’s main story. What kind of process do you go through to do a “prequel” of sorts for a character’s personal history? In the beginning, it was reacquainting myself with everything that was known about Hytham and Basim from the events of Valhalla – re-watching all the cutscenes in the game that involve them, things like that – to get a sense of who they are at that point in their lives and asking myself how they might have gotten to that point and how their relationship might have evolved. Later, I was also given information about Basim’s journey in Assassin’s Creed Mirage, and it then became a matter of bridging the gap for him between Mirage and Valhalla. A prequel and sequel of sorts, for Basim, which sounds particularly confusing since Mirage hasn’t been released yet. It was definitely an interesting challenge! Basim Ibn Ishaq (photo by @Falconswift87) On a similar note to the setting of Constantinople, what kind of research did you do to prepare for this new story? Being a fan of historical books, were there any titles in particular that you read about the period of Basil I and Leo VI? Researching for this project was wild because one day, I’d be reading books like Herrin’s Byzantium or Bury’s History of the Eastern Roman Empire , among others, and then the next I’d be digging into AC lore or cutscenes that reference Constantinople to get a sense of the city as it’s presented in the game. They were both fascinating perspectives, and I admit, I loved getting to play video games and have it count as actual research, heh. Your story, for me personally, speaks to a sense of fatherhood in a character that cannot have a family, something that hasn’t been discussed much by the Assassins Brotherhood in the past. What was your drive to explore this concept? You know, one of the first things I thought about Hytham in Valhalla was that he was someone who should have a family, somehow who would make a good father. And then I remembered, that’s not the path of these characters, and it made me wonder how Hytham felt about that. Did he dwell on it at all? Was it something he mourned? Or was it a relief? Over the last several years, I’ve also watched a lot of my friends become fathers, and I’ve seen the way it changes them, but I’ve also witnessed how their personalities have shaped the type of father they are. I look at them and think, yes, you’ve got this, this is what you’re meant to do. I liked the idea of exposing Hytham to that role and seeing how he would handle it, this glimpse into a world that was not his path. How would his strengths and weaknesses show in this role? I loved exploring the answers to all those questions. Hytham (photo by @Falconswift87) Additionally, the relationship between Hytham and Basim is explored more in your book than what we saw in AC Valhalla. Were there any ideas that you had from the Valhalla story that you wanted to expand on in your book? I always wanted to know how the relationship between Hytham and Basim became what it is. In Valhalla, I got the sense that Hytham had a great deal of respect for Basim and loyalty to him, even when he doesn’t agree with Basim or his methods. I wondered how that bond developed between the two men, especially when you consider Basim’s secretive nature and his skill at manipulation. How does a man like that earn the loyalty of someone like Hytham, who is a much more open character? That was the place I started from in developing their story. I myself enjoyed the stand-alone nature of the book on a character, Hytham, that is becoming an anchor for the AC Valhalla storyline. Would you like to write about him again in the future, if so what kind of story would you like to tell about his life? I love Hytham, and I think he’s a fascinating character, so I’d always welcome the opportunity to return to his story. I think if I did, I would love to explore his early life and his recruitment by the Hidden Ones. I’d love to see the forces that shaped who he is and made him the man you see in Valhalla. There is definitely a passion that is growing with the works of the various authors that Aconyte and Ubisoft have chosen for the Assassin’s Creed series of late. It is nice to learn how authors like Jaleigh process concepts and research for such a project. With additional titles being announced with growing frequency, I am looking forward to seeing more content in the transmedia line and having a chance like this to interact with the scribes of these fantastic stories. Assassin’s Creed: The Golden City will be available on digital platforms globally and in paperback format in the US on May 2, 2023, followed by a physical release in the UK on June 22, 2023. 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

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