There may have been more recent crossovers between two of Ubisoft's biggest franchises, but Watch Dogs and Assassin's Creed first connected back in 2014. Although it wasn't obvious unless players completed both Watch Dogs and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, there were multiple easter eggs in both games which weaved the two stealth franchises into a single, cohesive universe. This was further cemented as fact with another easter egg in Assassin's Creed Origins, and of course the appearance of Assassins in Watch Dogs: Legion.
When Watch Dogs first launched, it was quickly looked at as a modern-day Assassin's Creed. Offering an open world, limited parkour skills, an evil corporation, and a shady group of freedom fighters, it's hard not to see the comparisons. Assassin's Creed was at the height of its popularity and Watch Dogs was a chance to experiment with the existing model. Despite wanting to find a connection between these franchises, players wouldn't discover them unless they completed both games, which launched only seven months apart.
Watch Dogs: Legion introduced recruitable Assassins into DedSec, the most notable being Darcy who descends from Assassin's Creed Syndicate's Jacob Frye. It's a neat connection between the franchises, but it isn't the first. In Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, the protagonist meets Olivier Garneau, CCO of Abstergo Entertainment. Olivier is a competent and friendly employer, but halfway through the game, he has to travel to Chicago for a shareholders meeting. The player takes this opportunity to hack Olivier's computer and find information. While exploring computer files, players can find emails about the Blume Corporation offering a partnership with Abstergo. In fact, employees in the office will even talk about Blume casually if players stop to listen.
The Death Of Assassin's Creed: Black Flag's Olivier In Watch Dogs
Later on, the player learns that Olivier has gone missing and is not mentioned again. Given the exciting story of Assassin's Creed: Black Flag, it's easy to forget Olivier is gone, but this is where the crossover comes in. Watch Dogs - which takes place in Chicago - features a type of side mission called Criminal Convoy. Aiden Pearce must disable a vehicle on a preset path to take down a high-threat criminal. After completing every Criminal Convoy in the game, players unlock a bonus mission: take down Olivier Garneau. Aiden delivers special dialogue about the target, stating Olivier is involved in genetic memory manipulation and sketchy pharmaceuticals. Both Olivier's disappearance and Aiden's mission to take him down come near the end of their respective games, making completion a necessity to uncover their connection.
It's even revealed the job to take him down is fronted by the Assassins themselves, offering a $10,000 reward. The mission itself is titled "Requiescat In Pace," a phrase commonly spoken by Ezio. Later on in Assassin's Creed Origins, players can search through protagonist Layla Hassan's computer for Abstergo files. Within these files, Layla can find a CCTV screenshot of Aiden shooting Olivier dead in the street. She comments on Olivier's disappearance before the shareholder's meeting, and this piece of one-off dialogue confirms the connection between Watch Dogs and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag all the way back in 2014.
The Watch Dogs and Assassin's Creed franchises have drawn comparisons between one another since Watch Dogs was first published. For some, Darcy is the first confirmation of their shared universe, but the cross-game, interwoven narrative threads involving Olivier were there first, making for a far deeper and more interesting connection.