Ever since Ubisoft began releasing the new, RPG/open-world Assassin's Creed games – Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla – the series has relegated the Assassin Brotherhood and its precursor organization known as the Hidden Ones to b-plot and side content. Origins was directly related to the Hidden Ones, with protagonist Bayek being one of the founders, but the narrative centered mostly around uncovering of the machinations of the Order of the Ancients, an early iteration of the Templar Order. Odyssey, as a prequel to Origins, only had relevance to the Assassins through precursor relics being integral to the plot. In Valhalla, the Hidden Ones work directly with the protagonist Eivor, attempting to increase their influence in England. Though the Hidden Ones are not the main focus of Valhalla, the Assassin's Creed franchise has reached a perfect opportunity to reintroduce the Assassin Brotherhood as the main narrative focus.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla prominently features two character who belong to the Hidden Ones: Basim Ibn Ishaq and Hytham. These two accompanied Eivor and their clan to England to combat the influence of the Order of the Ancients, which was deeply entrenched in medieval England. In terms of gameplay, this translates to a menu screen showing all of the Order's agents in England. Clues are collected throughout the game to reveal their locations, and once they are identified, Eivor assassinates them and returns to the Hidden Ones bureau in the player's settlement of Ravensthorpe to collect a reward. The overarching gameplay loop that Ubisoft has created for Valhalla is the perfect gameplay structure for future Assassin's Creed games to reintroduce proper Assassins as protagonists.
Eivor and his brother Sigurd sailed to England to escape the rule of Norway's King Harald, and establish a new kingdom amidst the warring factions of England. This narrative framing has culminated in a satisfying gameplay structure in which the player analyzes and selects an unexplored territory, begins a story arc focused on that region, and completes quests to form alliances and expand their settlement's influence. This exact scenario is how Ubisoft could bring the focus back onto the Assassin Brotherhood.
Give the Player Control of an Assassin Bureau
Everything is already in place to make Assassin's Creed about Assassins again. Instead of the longhouse in Ravensthorpe housing the structures of power, make it the Assassin or Hidden Ones bureau. Instead of having characters like Basim and Hytham be part of the supporting cast, make them the protagonists. Make the main story revolve around the Order menu instead of it feeling like an afterthought. Quests into new territory should revolve around the destruction of the Templars, replacing their tyrannical systems with subsidiary bureaus.
For years now Assassin's Creed has simultaneously focused on historical eras before the Assassin Brotherhood proper, and continued the modern day story following Desmond's death in Assassin's Creed 3. It has felt disjointed, and at times as though it should be an entirely different IP. If, following the success of Valhalla, Ubisoft continues to promote open-world exploration and incremental territorial gains, it should do so with the Brotherhood front and center. It is time for Assassin's Creed to be about the Assassins again, not singularly-focused on stories tangentially related to the eponymous organization.