Report Suggests Assassin’s Creed May Forgo 2016 Release, Next Major Title Could Be Set In Egypt

Dusting itself off from the soot and smog of Victorian London, the next destination for Ubisoft’s mainline Assassin’s Creed series is Egypt, though it won’t be arriving until 2017.

At least, that’s according to a report presented by Kotaku. Citing sources close to the mega-publisher, Ubisoft will place its open world juggernaut on a one-year hiatus in 2016, before building to the release of a bona fide sequel the following year. If Kotaku is to be believed, it’ll be the first time in more than half a decade that the company has not released an entry into the core Assassin’s Creed franchise, though it would be a welcome change of pace given that the IP has teetered toward saturation point what with the Chronicles spinoffs and annualization.

Believed to be code-named Empire, the Assassin’s Creed of 2017 would whisk players back to the throes of ancient Egypt, all the while retaining the core gameplay mechanics that have become synonymous with the series over the years. Over the years, Ubisoft has struggled to keep a lid on the identity and setting of its latest entry into the Assassin‘s series, with last year’s Syndicate – formerly known as Victory – also leaking ahead of time.

Then again, today’s yet-to-be-confirmed rumor will act as music to the ears of those that have long called for the developer to lend its clandestine IP with some breathing room. And though last year’s Syndicate proved to be wholly brilliant, the sins of Unity still loom large in the collective mindset of fans, and switching gears to a bi-annual release schedule would surely shelter the franchise’s longevity, lest it be run into the ground year after year.

Assassin’s Creed absence would leave a fairly sizeable gap in Ubisoft’s slate, though early conjecture has pegged Watch Dogs 2 for a release in late 2016. We’ll keep you updated on both fronts as this story develops.