Assassin's Creed Mirage - What We Know So Far

While Ubisoft had "Assassin's Creed" fans seeing red when it announced its intention to revoke access to "Assassin's Creed: Liberation HD" on Steam, the company's recent Ubisoft Forward event was its chance to make amends by offering a bigger look at what fans can hope to look forward to. In addition to news about an "Assassin's Creed" Netflix series and a first look at the mobile game temporarily titled "Assassin's Creed: Codename Jade,"  Ubisoft gave gamers the first big look at the next flagship entry in the series: "Assassin's Creed: Mirage."

Roughly a week before the event, Ubisoft confirmed what we all suspected about "Assassin's Creed: Mirage," and took to Twitter to formally announce the game and reveal some official artwork following the leaks that spoiled the game's surprise. Said leaks, revealed by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, stated the protagonist of the game would be "Assassin's Creed: Valhalla" character Basim, and now we know it's true. Here's what we know so far

Players will be able to join Basim as he journeys through the streets of Baghdad (in events that took place twenty years before those within "Assassin's Creed: Valhalla") when the game launches in 2023. As shown on the game's official website, the game will be launched on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Amazon Luna, and PC via the Epic Games Store. Last-gen console users that have yet to upgrade will be glad to know that they can enjoy the game on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as well. Additionally, those with a Ubisoft+ subscription will be able to play the game on day one when it finally arrives.

All we know in terms of a launch date at the moment is sometime in 2023, but, despite this, pre-orders can be viewed on the official site for any that wish to reserve their copy far in advance. If neither the Standard nor Deluxe Editions are enough for the biggest of "Assassin's Creed" fans, there is also the Collector's Case which includes an assortment of physical bonuses, such as a mini artbook and Basim figurine.

Currently, the only trailer available for the game is the cinematic world premiere trailer, which was revealed during the Ubisoft Forward event. While the trailer doesn't include a look at any gameplay, it does give fans a good view of the game's tone, as well as Basim's origins and the journey from street-thief to assassin that awaits him. 

The trailer starts with a series of quick cuts showing off a colorful, densely-packed and bustling market within the city of Baghdad. After being briefly pursued through the streets, Basim is saved by a member of the Assassin's Creed before we see him as a battling member of the order himself. 

Longtime fans of the series will notice that the ending of the trailer gets particularly interesting when Basim successfully assassinates a target. As is series tradition, Basim lays his target to rest in an ethereal world when, suddenly, something monstrous peers at him through the foggy surroundings. We'll have to wait until next year to see what this means and how it ties in to the rest of the franchise. 

Without any footage of "Assassin's Creed: Mirage" gameplay, details are fairly sparse when it comes to determining how different or similar the title will play when compared to previous entries. What we do know, however, is that the game is aiming to return to its "Assassin's Creed" roots. The game's narrative director Sarah Beaulieu gave some details regarding the game's direction during the Ubisoft Forward event.

"We wanted to go back to the action-adventure games that you know – narrative-driven game. We've been focusing on stealth, parkour, and, of course, assassinations," she explained. Additionally, Beaulieu went on to lightly detail the game's Baghdad, saying, "It's the beautiful, magnificent, vibrant city of Baghdad that you're going to roam throughout the game. It's a very dense city where you're gonna meet a lot of different people." Based on this, then, it sounds like those that have been yearning for a more classic "Assassin's Creed" game should pay extra attention to "Assassin's Creed: Mirage" to see if the gameplay truly calls back to the series' beginnings.