Ubisoft's Bright Future: Assassin's Creed vs New IPs
Ubisoft's focus on enhancing Assassin's Creed franchise may lead to neglecting newer IPs, potentially hindering studio's growth and creativity
Ubisoft has established itself as a prominent player in the video game industry, thanks to its impressive lineup of IPs that continue to expand. Despite the company's success, it finds itself at a critical juncture with regards to its legacy franchises and its latest IPs. While the upcoming releases for the Assassin's Creed franchise seem promising and committed, the future of other promising Ubisoft IPs like Skull and Bones has raised concerns among fans.
Ubisoft's Recent Assassin's Creed Announcements
The Assassin's Creed franchise has been making headlines with a slew of exciting announcements in recent months. Along with the highly anticipated Assassin's Creed Mirage, Ubisoft has also revealed other ambitious projects like the Japanese-themed Assassin's Creed Red. These titles will be released on the new live-service platform, Assassin's Creed Infinite, which will serve as the franchise's main hub.
To support these grand plans, Ubisoft has announced a 40% increase in the number of developers working on the Assassin's Creed franchise. This is a promising sign for fans, as it indicates a significant boost in production for the series. With six titles currently in development, Ubisoft is clearly investing heavily in the future of the franchise.
However, there is speculation that this change may result in a shift of resources away from Ubisoft's other upcoming IPs. With so much anticipation surrounding these non-AC projects, any significant setbacks could prove detrimental.
Other highly anticipated Ubisoft projects include Skull and Bones, an open-world pirate-sim that utilizes the sailing mechanics from Assassin's Creed Black Flag. However, the game has been plagued with development issues, causing concern among fans eagerly awaiting its release.
Starting its development cycle in 2013, Skull and Bones has faced numerous setbacks and changes over the past decade. It has been delayed for a sixth time, with a release window now set for 2023-2024. Given the negative impact the game has already had on Ubisoft's reputation, there is concern over the attention being diverted away from other franchises such as Assassin's Creed.
Ubisoft has other IPs in the works, including Tom Clancy’s The Division Heartland, Beyond Good and Evil 2, and Avatar: The Frontiers of Pandora. Unfortunately, some of these titles are also experiencing delays and uncertain development cycles. Without similar efforts to support these other dev crews, it is likely that the existing problems will persist, and the company's focus on Assassin's Creed will only continue to overshadow its other projects.
