Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot announced that the company will be remaking a number of its older Assassin’s Creed titles. Not only will they be remaking them, but they will be modernizing them too.
A screenshot from Assassin’s Creed Director’s Cut Edition (2008), Ubisoft Montreal
In an interview posted to Ubisoft’s website, Guillemot was asked, “On the Assassin’s Creed front, we’ve had Mirage, which was a leaner homage to the series’ roots, and now Shadows, which is much larger in scope and more in the vein of Odyssey/Valhalla. Looking at the future, can we expect this continued variety? Smaller games alongside bigger ones?”
He responded, “Firstly, players can be excited about some remakes, which will allow us to revisit some of the games we’ve created in the past and modernize them; there are worlds in some of our older Assassin’s Creed games that are still extremely rich.
A screenshot from Assassin’s Creed II (2010), Ubisoft Montreal
Next, he added, “Secondly, to answer your question, there will be plenty of experience variety. The goal is to have Assassin’s Creed games come out more regularly, but not for it to be the same experience every year.”
Guillemot elaborated, “There are a lot of good things to come, including Assassin’s Creed Hexe, which we’ve announced, which is going to be a very different game from Assassin’s Creed Shadows. We’re going to surprise people, I think.”
A screenshot from Assassin’s Creed Director’s Cut Edition (2008), Ubisoft Montreal
Assassin’s Creed Hexe was announced back in 2022 during an Ubisoft Forward. The brief teaser trailer showed the Assasin’s symbol made out of a bunch of branches hanging in a dark, gloomy, creepy, and grim forest.
READ: Ubisoft Accused Of Stealing Banner From Japanese Reenactment Group For ‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows’
Ubisoft’s Marc-Alexis Côté informed VGC back in 2022 about the game, “Hexe will provide a different experience in terms of game and game structure. That will eventually come out as we reveal more.” Based on the trailer it appears it will have a horror vibe.
According to a rumor from Bloomberg, the game is “set during the latter stages of the Holy Roman Empire and revolves around witch trials.” The game is being developed by Ubisoft Montreal with Clinto Hocking as the Creative Director.
It’s quite likely that Ubisoft is following in Atlus’ footsteps and will be delving into a variety of different genres. Atlus found massive success with Persona 5 and has spun a number of different titles out of the main title including Persona 5 Strikers and Persona 5 Tactica. Strikers took the franchise into the musuo genre playing similarly to games like Dynasty Warriors while Tactica was more of a strategy roleplaying game in the vein of Final Fantasy Tactics.
A screenshot from Assassin’s Creed II (2010), Ubisoft Montreal
While it is interesting that Ubisoft might delve into other genres, it is quite concerning that Guillemot detailed that he plans on “modernizing” a number of the older Assassin’s Creed games via remakes.
Ubisoft is one of the agenda-driven game developers out there. The company has an entire section of their website titled “Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility.” Underneath this section the company’s VP of Global Diversity and Inclusion Raashi Sikka writes, “To create a video game, Ubisoft’s teams around the world work together to push the boundaries of what’s been done before and build an unforgettable experience for players. The journey from concept to launch requires collaboration, passion and commitment. We learn as we go, trying and failing and trying again before we get it right.”
A screenshot from Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood (2011), Ubisoft Montreal
It continues, “That same creativity, growth mindset and dedication form the foundation of our approach to diversity and inclusion. To truly have an impact, we must leverage innovative ideas and diverse perspectives to continue building a company – and an industry – that is welcoming to all. Our vision of diversity and inclusion is multidimensional. That’s why we’ve designed a strategy centered around four pillars: colleagues, culture, content, and community.”
“For Ubisoft, putting diversity and inclusion at the heart of everything we do means providing an environment where employees can thrive, building open-minded communities where players can connect, and creating games that reflect the diversity of the world we live in. We will not accomplish all these goals overnight. Just as it takes years of iteration to develop a AAA title, we will only become a more diverse and inclusive company by continuously improving, trying new ideas and learning from the results. It’s a long-term commitment, one that we will tackle with the same passion and dedication that we bring to our games,” Sikka concludes.
A screenshot from Ubisoft’s Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility website
In fact, their “Colleagues” section indicates that they hire people based on race. It reads, “We want to build the most creative, inclusive, and diverse teams across all fields. We will continue to increase representation in our company by building more inclusion across our systems and ensuring equal access to opportunities for everyone.”
Not surprising it also eschews any idea of certain societies and cultures being objectively better than others under its “Culture” section. It reads, “We will keep fostering a culture of inclusion where our teams feel seen, heard, and valued. To support this, we will empower global and local Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to support global teams as they develop their understanding of inclusion and strengthen belonging for all.”
A screenshot from Ubisoft’s Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility website
Furthermore, an internal document leaked to X by TheQuartering also states, “First, we want to make it very clear that we do not accept hate, harassment and other forms of abuse in any way, and we are deeply saddened to see the negativity and hatred currently spreading on our co-workers’ personal profiles, and on our and our partners’ social media platforms.”
It continues, “We are proud to represent the diversity and inclusion that exists in society as part of our everyday work. Representation is part of our DNA and will remain that way regardless of external pressure or influences.”
The document concludes stating, “Ubisoft firmly stands for diversity and inclusion in our workplace and our games, and we believe there is no room for hate in gaming.”
Ubisoft has been melting down internally over criticism of their DEI efforts. Quadruples down internally. pic.twitter.com/j9GGmDKsCw
— TheQuartering (@TheQuartering) April 21, 2024
What do you make of Guillemot’s comments?
