In honor of the Assassin’s Creed franchise's 15th anniversary, Ubisoft is letting fans play one of the series' best game for free all weekend long - complete with enhanced graphics and 60fps on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The historical games have evolved a lot over the years, and while the mantle of best game in the series is hotly debated, there's one title that is regularly cited as such by players.
The Assassin’s Creed 15th Anniversary Celebration event took place today, June 14, and offered a range of announcements for fans. As well as hinting that the next new Assassin’s Creed game could be revealed in September, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s popular Discovery Tour Mode was confirmed to be getting released as a standalone experience that will allow players to explore everyday life in the age of Vikings without combat or missions. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is also getting a new roguelite game mode titled The Forgotten Saga, as well as a new DLC expansion to conclude Eivor’s journey.
During today’s Assassin’s Creed 15th Anniversary Celebration livestream, Ubisoft announced that Assassin’s Creed Origins will be getting a free play weekend from June 16 to June 20, allowing fans to download and experience the game at no cost for a limited time. Additionally, Assassin’s Creed Origins will finally be made available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S with an enhanced 60fps framerate, allowing players to explore the world of ancient Egypt like never before. Fans can now pre-load Assassin’s Creed Origins on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC platforms ahead of the upcoming free weekend.
2017's Assassin’s Creed Origins received much praise from critics thanks to its unique open-world setting and fresh gameplay, and it was seen by many as a solid return to form for the series following the previous two divisive entries. Ubisoft confirmed that Assassin’s Creed Origins would get an update for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles in December, but remained vague about exactly what this new version would entail. Last month saw a leak that suggested that Assassin’s Creed Origins’ current-gen upgrade would be releasing soon, not long after Assassin's Creed Origins was added to Xbox Game Pass.
Set primarily in Egypt at the end of the Ptolemaic period in 49–43 BC, Assassin's Creed Origins puts players in the role of a Medjay traveller named Bayek of Siwa and his wife Aya as they find themselves caught in a brewing conflict between the noble Hidden Ones and the imperialistic Order of the Ancients - groups that would serve as the precursors to the Assassin and Templar organizations that continue to battle to this day. Assassin’s Creed Origins also marked the long-running Assassin’s Creed franchise’s transition from a stealth-based action/adventure format to the more RPG-like framework that would carry over into future titles like Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Valhalla. Now players old and new will be able to re-experience Bayek and Aya’s Assassin's Creed Origins journey for free thanks to the latest Ubisoft free play weekend.
Source: Ubisoft/YouTube