Assassin's Creed Infinity reportedly pivoting to live service, yet leadership concerns loom large
A massive undertaking as questions remain regarding management.
What you need to know
- The next Assassin's Creed game is reportedly codenamed Infinity and is being developed by Ubisoft Quebec and Montreal.
- A report from Bloomberg indicates that the game could contain "multiple settings" instead of being restricted to just one.
- The report also claims several managers accused of abusive behavior have not been removed from leadership roles.
Update, July 7 (9:21 pm ET): Ubisoft confirms the existence of Assassin's Creed Infinity while stating the future of the series is in cross-studio co-development.
The next Assassin's Creed game is reportedly codenamed Assassin's Creed Infinity. That's according to a report from Bloomberg, which notes that the game is being co-developed by Ubisoft Montreal and Ubisoft Quebec, with the latter taking the lead position. Multiple prior Assassin's Creed games have alternated lead developers between Montreal and Quebec.
While not discussing details, Ubisoft acknolwedged the existence of Assassin's Creed Infinity to Bloomberg. As the codename implies, this game would be a live service title, containing "multiple settings" and functioning as massive platform that can evolve over time. This can allow for different games that are all connected in some way to be developed on the same platform. Bloomberg notes that the game is years away from release and things could change before Infinity arrives.
Separately, we've previously heard that the next major Assassin's Creed game was being tentatively aimed for 2024, following the expanded support being received by Assassin's Creed Valhalla, which will have major expansions and continued add-ons in 2022. Assassin's Creed Valhalla had the best launch of the franchise, propelling Ubisoft to record bookings at the time. While our review didn't place it as one of the best Xbox games available, we found it to be a "fun Viking tale mixed with the series' own flare and sci-fi elements."
Bloomberg's report also states that many Ubisoft developers are concerned regarding managers accused of abusive behavior who still remain in leadership roles. Ubisoft saw a wave of accusations throughout 2020, which resulted in numerous departures and firings. Ubisoft stated to Bloomberg that the organization is reviewing any employees with allegations against them via a third party and that these individuals were "...either exonerated or underwent appropriate disciplinary actions."
Update, July 7 (9:21 pm ET) — Ubisoft confirms the game's existence, explains
Ubisoft quickly confirmed the earlier Bloomberg report on the existence of Assassin's Creed Infinity. The series is moving to a "cross-studio, collaborative structure."
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Samuel Tolbert is a freelance writer covering gaming news, previews, reviews, interviews and different aspects of the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Xbox and PC gaming on Windows Central. You can find him on Twitter @SamuelTolbert.