Per Schreier, this new game began as a major expansion to Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, perhaps similar in scope to the upcoming Dawn of Ragnarok, but Ubisoft Montreal has now split it off as a standalone title. Apparently, the game will star the AC universe’s reincarnation of Loki, Basim, and will be a somewhat smaller-scale experience, casting aside the usual huge open-world for more linear stealth-based gameplay. As for why Ubisoft is opting to release a smaller-scale standalone Assassin’s Creed, the publisher is said to be concerned about the state of its release calendar. AC Infinity probably won’t be available for a while yet, and various troubled productions, including Skull & Bones, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake, and Beyond Good & Evil 2 are leaving gaps in the schedule. Word is, the new Assassin’s Creed could be released either later this year or sometime in 2023. Of course, take this all with a grain of salt, but Schreier is a solid source and this all makes a certain amount of sense. There are diminishing returns when it comes to releasing DLC for single-player games like AC Valhalla. At some point, it makes sense to package the content in a different way. What do you think about all this? Would you be interested in a smaller-scale Assassin’s Creed experience while we wait for Infinity? Or does this franchise need to go big or go home?
