The upcomingAssassin’s Creed Mirageis one of the most-anticipated releases to come from Ubisoft’s franchise in some time. With the game said to be going back to the series' roots through a more intimate, stealth-driven experience, the title could mark a return to gameplay that many thought the IP had completely abandoned. It’s connections to the past can also be more than skin deep.
On top of the intriguing gameplay ofAssassin’s Creed Mirage, the release has a unique narrative with ties to some of the most iconic entires in the series. WhileMirageis a prequel to the events ofAssassin’s Creed Valhalla, it is also geographically and temporally close to the originalAssassin’s Creed. Thus,Miragecould offer a crucial link between the franchise’s oldest and most recent installments.
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The Setting of Assassin’s Creed Mirage
Assassin’s Creed Mirageis set to feature Basim Ibn Ishaq, who previously played a vital part in the bombastic events ofAssassin’s Creed Valhalla.Miragewill tell the story of a younger Basim being inducted into the Hidden Ones, a precursor group that would become the iconic Assassin Brotherhood.
The game will take place primarily within the city of Baghdad in the ninth century, 20 yearsprior to the European-setValhalla. With such close timeframes and shared characters, the links betweenMirageandValhallaare obvious, although it is worth also noting the potential links this upcoming title will share with 2007’sAssassin’s Creed. It primarily takes place in the Middle East during the Third Crusade in 1191. WithMiragetaking the franchise back to its Middle Eastern roots, the upcoming game has a few options to linkValhallain with its predecessor.
How Mirage Could Link Valhalla to the Original Assassin’s Creed
Ubisoft will be well aware of the geographical links between the upcomingMirageand the originalAssassin’s Creed, so the studio would be remiss to not explore this within the events ofMirage. While the timeline does not quite line up to facilitate a cameo byAssassin’s Creed’soriginal protagonist Altair Ibn-LaʼAhad, the geographical setting ofMiragecould plant seeds for the formation of the true Assassin Brotherhood.
With the Assassin Brotherhood forming shortly before the events of the firstAssassin’s Creed, there is a clear precedent forMirageto portray some of the most poignant events in the history of the Middle East that precipitated this transformation away from the Hidden Ones. The Hidden Ones narrative ofMiragecould easily foreshadow internal struggles within the organization, as well as itsconflict against the Order of the Ancients- who became the Templar Order around the same time as the Hidden Ones made their transition.
This wouldlinkMirageto the firstAssassin’s Creed, as well asValhalla. Should Basim play a large role in these transformative events as the game’s protagonist, a core character fromValhallawill have directly influenced the narrative framework of the franchise’s original title. WhileMiragewill, of course, want to tell a more granular character-driven story, Ubisoft will likely capitalize on the similar setting of the game to create a link betweenValhallaand the firstAssassin’s Creedthat may leave room for plenty more stories to be told going forward.
Assassin’s Creed Mirageis in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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