Launched in October of last year, Assassin’s Creed Mirage marks a return to the franchise’s roots with a streamlined gameplay experience that echoes earlier titles in the series. This action-adventure game from Ubisoft transports players to 9th-century Baghdad, where they embody Basim Ibn Ishaq, a street thief who becomes a member of the Hidden Ones and advances to a master assassin. Although there has been no announcement regarding a return of the character in future installments, the game’s creative director has indicated that there are concepts in development for exploring Basim’s narrative further.
During a recent Reddit AMA, Stéphane Boudon, the creative director, revealed that while there is potential to expand Basim’s story, such developments will not come in the form of downloadable content for AC Mirage. “We’re thrilled by the reception of Mirage! Mirage has been designed as a standalone experience without any DLC plan. However, we have ideas on how we could extend the story of Basim, surely,” Boudon expressed. Nevertheless, he stressed that no post-launch content is currently scheduled for Mirage. “But as of today, no post-launch content is planned for Mirage,” he clarified.
Boudon also addressed inquiries regarding future updates for Assassin’s Creed Mirage, confirming that Ubisoft does not have intentions for significant new updates but will continue to monitor player feedback for minor adjustments.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage signifies a shift away from the expansive RPG format that characterized recent entries like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. The latter titles faced criticism for their extensive designs, filled with numerous side quests and lengthy main storylines. In contrast, Mirage presents a more focused narrative and environment that pays tribute to earlier installments, including the inaugural Assassin’s Creed and the beloved Ezio trilogy.
While Mirage serves as a spinoff from the larger Assassin’s Creed series, the positive reception may lead Ubisoft to consider additional smaller-scale games in the future. Boudon affirmed this in the AMA, noting, “It all started as an action/adventure game back then and with Mirage we wanted to celebrate this legacy for the 15th anniversary of the franchise. But there is space in AC for different kinds of experiences and you could expect more to come.”
Assassin’s Creed Mirage was released on October 5 of last year for multiple platforms, including PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X. In the meantime, Ubisoft is developing the next installment in the series, titled Assassin’s Creed Red, which is set in feudal Japan. This upcoming game is anticipated to take the form of an RPG featuring a large open world, although a specific release date has not yet been confirmed. According to a recent earnings report, Ubisoft estimates that it may launch between April 2024 and March 2025.
