Whenever a new game is announced but goes silent for months, if not years, it’s understandable a point of concern for fans. There’s been a trend in recent years of games being announced years before they release, creating an air of mystery and sometimes uncertainty around them, withStarfield, The Elder Scrolls 6, Avowed, Dead Island 2, and more being current examples.Cyberpunk 2077’s years of mystery and disastrous launchis the horror story many fans may fear. And, to a much lesser degree, that’s the spotAssassin’s Creed Miragefinds itself in.
Assassin’s Creed Miragehas been billed as an homage to the older, classic titles of the franchise. It is not an open-world RPG but, instead, an action-adventure title focused on stealth, parkour, and assassination. It starsBasim, who was first introduced inAssassin’s Creed Valhallaand took off in popularity. All in all, it has all the workings to be a fantastic entry in the franchise, loved by fans who have grown weary of the massive scale of recent titles. Of course, that silence may be of some concern to them, but it might be more innocent than some think.
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Assassin’s Creed Mirage Could Be Ubisoft Returning to ‘Normal’
Since Ubisoft unveiled its future slate ofAssassin’s Creedgames, includingMirage, Hexe, and Red, there have only been rumors and reports on these. For example, it has been reported thatAssassin’s Creed Redhas struggled retaining developers, whileAC Miragewas reportedly delayed twice within the studio. These internal delays may not be seen by fans, since no official release date has been given, but perhaps it can be felt in the marketing. However, that’s not necessarily a cause for concern in development, not with the power of the Ubisoft machine behind it. After all, a total of fifteen studios worked onAC Valhallawhile its development was led by Ubisoft Montreal. Ubisoft Bordeaux is in charge ofAC Mirage,but it is likely receiving ample support.
But perhaps more than that is the timing of what’s to come. Recent rumors that it was delayed into 2024 were, more or less, debunked, with anAugust release date forAssassin’s Creed Miragestill being the most-pushed rumor. It could even slip to September, October, or November, but as it stands, there’s one major reason to believe it releases during this fall period: timing. Ubisoft Forward takes place in June, and while it is not part of E3, it is basically Ubisoft’s E3-level showcase. Historically speaking, prior to the COVID pandemic, Ubisoft would often announce anAssassin’s Creedgame at E3 (though plenty of leaks came beforehand) and then market it in the time between then and its release later that year. COVID obviously mucked all of that up.
There’s little doubt that the reported delays ofAssassin’s Creed Mirageprobably have more to deal with than this, but it’s certainly an appeal for Ubisoft to get back to some form of normal. That’s not to say that COVID won’t have long-lasting impacts on Ubisoft and other companies, but if Ubisoft can have a big E3-level Forward event, reveal even more ofAC Mirage(and perhaps specifically gameplay), and then launch a marketing campaign as it did pre-COVID, that could prove to be an effective strategy.
It’s hard to say for sure, since it’s impossible to know what’s happening behind closed doors. It’s also perfectly understandable that many in the community are concerned aboutAC Miragedue to the lack of updates. However, Ubisoft Forward is going to be the real proving ground. If the event passes and yet somehow there is still no information onAssassin’s Creed Mirage, then that’s a problem. But if it’s there with a release date, gameplay, and other potential details, then it seems likely that Ubisoft is returning to norm, at least in this regard.
Assassin’s Creed Mirageis in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
