Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Odyssey, and Origins have vastly expanded the scope of Ubisoft's action-adventure franchise and turned it into a bonafide RPG series. The latest release put players in charge of developing a Viking empire across Scandinavia and the British Isles, yet fans are already looking for greener pastures. There have been several alleged Assassin's Creed location leaks recently, claiming to reveal where Ubisoft will take the series next.
Most game leaks should be taken with a hefty dose of skepticism, especially if they stem from anonymous sources with no way to verify their claims. Still, the Assassin's Creed series has a history of leaks that have consistently revealed what Ubisoft is planning before official announcements. Even Valhalla was first leaked under its codename, Assassin's Creed Ragnarok, early in 2020. At this point, leaks have become so commonplace that some fans have started to believe Ubisoft purposefully releases details about its unfinished titles to stir up excitement. So, where could Assassin's Creed be heading to next, and when will it come out?
A majority of the alleged leaks have claimed the next Assassin's Creed game won't hit shelves until 2022. Ubisoft has not verified this, but it would continue the two-year gap between games that started with Valhalla, released two years after Assassin's Creed Odyssey launched in 2018. This timeline would also make sense with the industry-wide delays and hiccups caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are all of the allegedly leaked locations for the next Assassin's Creed installment.
Assassin's Creed 2021: China Location Leaks
The most believable Assassin's Creed rumor dates back to 2017, and it suggests the series would soon visit China. This rumor stems from two ArtStation images posted by Ubisoft concept artist John Bigorgne, depicting what appears to be Chinese or Japanese landscapes. Redditor nstav13 noticed one of the Assassins in the images has two dao swords on their back, which were popular weapons throughout centuries of Chinese history. This is the only leak that can concretely be tied back to Ubisoft, but there's no way to tell if Bigorgne's illustrations were just one-off designs or if they're tied to a new project.
Assassin's Creed 2021: India Location Leaks
A self-proclaimed Ubisoft employee posted on 4chan claiming Assassin's Creed is destined for India next with an ambitious new release. They included a map with the post, which suggested the game would include all of the Indian subcontinent, Bangladesh, and even Pakistan. The post went on to say the narrative would be focused on a female protagonist, with no option to choose the main character's gender.
Assassin's Creed 2021: France Location Leaks
Another 4chan leak claimed Assassin's Creed Valhalla's follow-up would be set in France during the Hundred Years War, a series of conflicts in Europe between 1337 and 1453. The gameplay was said to feature castle sieges, jousting, and arena combat, which sound like some of Valhalla's features. The protagonist will also allegedly befriend famed French alchemist Nicolas Flamel, who will act as a potion and equipment dealer, similarly to Leonardo da Vinci in Assassin's Creed 2.
Assassin's Creed 2021: Japan Location Leaks
A March 4chan post claimed the next Assassin's Creed game will be set in Japan during the Edo period, between 1693 and 1868. This leak also claimed it would be centered around a female protagonist, with no option to change gender, and that it would be titled "Assassin's Creed Warrior." This sounds a little too generic to be a finalized name, but if this rumor is legitimate, it could be a codename, like "Ragnarok" proved to be in early 2020. The post also said this new game's story will be heavily inspired by Japanese mythology and feature spirits and demons to fight. It claimed Warriors would include a way to recruit Assassins, similar to Valhalla's Jomsviking mercenary system.
There's no way to prove if any of these predictions are accurate until Ubisoft teases where the series will go next. But seeing how leaks have become a standard part of the Assassin's Creed release cycle, it's difficult to brush these claims off right away.