It comes as no surprise that only a few months since the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, rumors and leaks about the next entry in the series are beginning to appear. This has become a tradition for the series' fanbase, who scour Ubisoft's titles for clues to possible settings for the future entries. This time around, j0nathan, a popular YouTuber with a good track record of predicting future Assassin's Creed games, has stated the next entry will take place during the Third Crusade and will be released in 2022.
Fans initially pieced together the setting and title for AC Valhalla when someone stumbled upon a poster in The Division 2 that depicted a Viking holding an Apple of Eden with the text "Valhalla" spread across the top. Ubisoft isn't shy about its easter eggs and seem to enjoy feeding theories and predictions, such as the discovery of Norden's Bow, among the Assassin's Creed community.
In a video recently released on j0nathan's YouTube channel, he provides some hints and teasers for the upcoming game that have fans deciphering every word. With the help of YouTube's auto-translation feature and this breakdown on reddit, j0nathon teases that the next Assassin's Creed, codenamed Assassin's Creed Tournament, will likely be set during the Third Crusade between 1191-1199. Check out the video below:
This particular Assassin's Creed time period is important for a couple reasons. The first is that it occurs under the rule of King Richard I, also known as Richard the Lionheart, as he led his army of crusaders to the Holy Land in hopes of taking it from the Sultan Saladin, thus returning to the Middle East. The second is that, during his Crusade, Richard conquered territories in the Holy Roman Empire, such as Cyprus, that he sold off to the Master of the Knight's Templar, implying they will officially be returning to the series.
Assassin's Creed Tournament Could Bring Altaïr Back
This time period also includes Altaïr's time as a Master Assassin and Mentor of the Order of Assassins. The prequel game, Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles, depicts Altaïr's role in early Crusade battles, such as the Battle of Acre. The first Assassin's Creed itself takes place in 1191, where Altaïr plays major roles in battles like the Battle of Arsuf, which was itself a major victory for the crusaders. After the events of the first Assassin's Creed game, stories of Altaïr's continued clashes with King Richard's army are well-documented, included his role in liberating Cyprus from the Templars and King Richard's influence.
The conclusion of these teasers hint at a 2022 release for the next Assassin's Creed game. If the leaks turn out to be true, which j0nathon's have been known to be, this would be incredibly exciting to fans of the series. While appearing in flashbacks in Assassin's Creed Revelations, this would be the first time since Assassin's Creed that Altaïr could play an active role in the events of an Assassin's Creed game. There was no indication as to whether players would control Altair or a different crusader, but with Ubisoft Sofia likely being at the helm, who developed titles like Assassin's Creed Rogue, it could go either way. 2021 will likely see more leaks before any official announcement, so hopefully these tidbits of information will continue pointing towards a return to the Assassin's Creed time period that started it all.
Sources: j0nathan/YouTube, Reddit