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Assassin's Creed 4 planned for 2014, all new hero and development team

Ubisoft has announced that it will be shaking up its Assassin's Creed franchise for the next installment. CEO Yves Guillemot revealed during the company's third quarter earnings report that Assassin's Creed 4 - for the sake of argument - will appear in fiscal year 2014 and feature an all-new hero.

In addition, the in-house development team will be different from the one which has handled the series until now. And it may even be released at a different point of the year than before. Assassin's Creed games are traditionally released to hit the Christmas market, but have to compete with many other triple-A titles, such as those in the Call of Duty, FIFA and WWE franchises (although the last is now up in the air thanks to THQ's bankruptcy).

Moving its release date may well present Ubisoft with a clean run for the title.

"We are delighted and proud to announce today that in financial year ’14, we will introduce an all-new Assassin’s Creed hero, within an all new team and time period, and we expect it to be another major leap forward for the franchise," said Guillemot.

"It is the benefit of multiple teams working on multiple chapters of the product, each getting several years to make their versions of an Assassin’s Creed game."

A further announcement on Assassin's Creed 4 is promised "very soon".

Of course, the next chapter could have been moved from its traditional release slot because of the imminent launch of the PS4 and the expected announcement of the Xbox 720 later. Those in the know believe that the PlayStation 4 at least will be released at the end of this year in Japan and possibly the US, while a European release may not happen until early 2014 - perhaps in time for the French company Ubisoft to bring out a certain game for it?

Ubisoft, after all, was a launch partner for the Nintendo Wii U.

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I guess Connor won't be receiving the Ezio treatment.

Drexl

I wonder if they'll get any closer to modern times or go back in history. It seems like they couldn't go much more forward without your character using guns more often, and I would assume (and hope) they keep the blade combat and stealth that sets the series apart. Actually if they go forward, they could emphasize stealth more because you would just get shot if you're discovered and surrounded.

starseed1981

Ugh. I paid full retail for AC III (admittingly 100% my fault). So I'm weary on another one. ACIII was so bad I almost want to request that they give me the fourth one free.

MasterofDVD

I like how saying it will be a different hero and time period and a huge leap forward for the series. I've enjoyed the series at times but I'm still doing most of the same stuff in ACIII that I did in the orginal AC. If they can brainstorm and change the gameplay somewhat I'd more intrigued. I also wonder how long they can drag out the modern day plot/thread of this series.

Supermallet

If you think about, the only good AC games have been the ones with Ezio. They need a compelling character to make this thing work.

Decker

A Prohibition era, gangster based one could be awesome.

Supermallet

WWI in Europe.

Raul3

WW2 in occupied France, aka The Saboteur 2.

RocShemp

Good.

I'm also glad the previous creative team is gone. They were clearly running on fumes while making ACIII.

Exactly right. But I hope they also return to the conspiracy stuff and brainteasers from the ACII and ACB. ACR felt incomplete without those and the Portal-lite (though I did enjoy those) and horrid tower defense mini-games were poor substitues.

Liver&Onions

Good. Conner was better in idea than in execution.

Mok

I would like to see something done in Japan.

Decker

Yeah, there are so few video games set there.

Boba Fett

I didn't think AC III was as great as AC:Brotherhood or even, Revelations, to a certain extent, but I don't get the venom being thrown at it. I'd rank it at least third in the series.

wlj

i would like to see something with gangs in south central L.A.

Assassin's Creed 4: San Andreas



this post began as a joke, but the more i think about it...it might be pretty cool.

foxdvd

ninja assassin? Could be cool...

Hokeyboy

I absorbed and inhaled every AC release up through the Ezio trilogy. ACIII, I still haven't finished. I'm barely 30 minutes into the game. A shake-up is completely what they need, as the franchise is tired as hell and long in the tooth, ask if she speaks greek

slop101

It only gets worse.

uteotw

Same here. There's at least a chance I'll have recovered from that horrible game by 2014, but I'm not sure...

RocShemp

The only way I'd play another game with Connor is if it was a naval battle spin-off. That was about the only thing ACIII got right.

Supermallet

No caravan shipping/protecting, no sale!

RocShemp

You know what this franchise really needs? A dating sim aspect. What's the point of fixing up your villa/homestead/city if you don't a special someone with whom to share it?

Breakfast with Girls

Nah. I already played (and loved!) The Saboteur, but it was already "Assassin's Creed in Vichy France".

nickdawgy

They'll probably do the Civil War era.

Nausicaa

If they get rid of the Animus and genetic memory garbage, and just focus on historical fiction, and make the game more open world and less story driven and linear, it will be a good series again. I haven't enjoyed it since AC2.

starseed1981

I want it in modern day Mexico. In straight up cartel territory.