A little over a year ago, Ubisoft confirmed it is developing a new mainline Assassin's Creed project: Assassin's Creed Infinity, and though Infinity may not be the next AC title - it still won't be released for at least a couple of years - it promises to be the largest yet, with a wholly different way of looking at the future of the series. Unlike previous entries, Infinity will be a live-service platform meant to host (or tie together) upcoming games, so it will receive regular updates. Ubisoft suggested that Infinity will contain full future AC titles, meaning the franchise is taking a drastic turn.
The action-adventure series has included numerous settings that span thousands of years of human history. While previous standalone Assassin's Creed titles and sequels featured a location or two, Infinity will potentially allow players to travel through multiple historical settings. Ubisoft also confirmed that Infinity won't be lacking in narrative elements, so its central location will likely be Abstergo Industries in the present. The series' overarching Abstergo storyline serves to connect all mainline AC titles, and though it is generally the least engaging aspect of every game, it is a useful plot device for providing an overarching story to a series that constantly switches protagonists.
Ubisoft first confirmed the project in what seemed like a purposefully vague Bloomberg article, and though it gives little concrete information, it does mention that Infinity will add locations over time. It's unclear whether the live-service platform will feature previous settings, like AC 2's beloved version of Italy, or only host new, cool Assassin's Creed settings. However, its inclusion of full future titles makes it more of a growing compilation of complete entries than an actual standalone video game.
Assassin's Creed Infinity Could Mean The End Of Standalone Games
This shift could mean the end of standalone releases in general; after all, there is no reason for Ubisoft to release future titles outside its existing service, especially if multiplayer features are a large portion of Infinity. Similar live-service platforms like Fortnite have demonstrated that combining constant updates with online multiplayer is extremely profitable, and if every major expansion is purchasable, players will feel compelled to keep up with the community. This will be especially effective if Infinity contains an in-game shop; if the platform features any purchasable Assassin's Creed items or DLC worth buying for each game, it will make far more money providing new games in a multiplayer hub than it will if Ubisoft allows players to purchase them separately.
The Bloomberg article specifies that "individual games" will "look and feel different," and since the Assassin's Creed series has transitioned from stealth mechanics to RPG mechanics across its many entries, this suggests gameplay will differ between settings. It will be interesting to see how Ubisoft unifies the mechanics, and how progress in one included title will impact others. They may simply allow players to use equipment they've gained in historic settings in the platform's version of the main hub, practically restarting them every time they visit a new area. Ubisoft also mentioned that Infinity won't be free-to-play; this could mean an AC Valhalla-like season pass system paired with bought expansions, or a subscription service that allows access to every game on the platform. Regardless, it looks like the Assassin's Creed franchise will become far more multiplayer-centric, and it may, at least for a while, develop entirely within Assassin's Creed Infinity.
Source: Bloomberg