Assassin's Creed Mirage: Everything we know so far
The latest news and updates on Ubisofts next Assassin's Creed game.
Ubisoft has finally revealed its latest entry to the Assassin's Creed franchise, as what was previously known as 'Rift' is now officially Assassin's Creed: Mirage, and it's set to launch on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC in 2023.
After the huge success of the open-world games Assassin's Creed Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla, Ubisoft is taking Assassin's Creed back to its roots with Mirage.
With familiar gameplay, and a familiar face, at the forefront Assassin's Creed Mirage should be a welcoming return to what made the franchise so popular in the first place, so pull that hood up and get those conveniently placed carts of hay ready to stealthily explore the city of Baghdad.
Here's everything we know about Assassin's Creed Mirage so far.
Assassin's Creed Mirage reveal trailer
We first got the official name of the next Assassin's Creed game from the Assassin's Creed Mirage cinematic reveal trailer, which premiered on the 10th of September.
The trailer introduces a young Basim Ibn Is'haq, who you might recognise from Assassin's Creed Valhalla, struggling in the streets of Baghdad. While there isn't any gameplay in the trailer, from what we see it's clear that Assassin's Creed Mirage will focus on the now-classic trio of stealth, parkour, and assassinations.
Assassin's Creed Mirage platforms and release date
Ubisoft has confirmed that Assassin's Creed Mirage will be released for PS5 and PS4, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, and on PC through the Ubisoft and Epic Games stores. They haven't given an official date yet, but have confirmed that it will arrive in 2023.
Assassin's Creed Mirage editions
Ubisoft has also already confirmed the different editions of Assassin's Creed Mirage that are available to pre-order. The standard edition will be $50/£50, the Deluxe Edition will be $60/£60, while the limited Collector's Case will set you back $150/£150.
For all that extra you will get the Deluxe Edition plus a 32cm figure of Basim, a replica of Basim's brooch, a map of Baghdad, a mini-artbook, the game's soundtrack, and a steelbook cover.
Ubisoft have also said that if you pre-order the game you will get access to a bonus quest called "The Forty Thieves". You can find out where to pre-order every edition of Assassin's Creed Mirage for every platform in the UK and US in our where-to-preorder article over on Eurogamer.
Assassin's Creed Mirage main character and story
The end of Assassin's Creed Valhalla hinted at a shift in focus to a new protagonist, so it's not a big surprise that the lead role in Assassin's Creed Mirage will be a familiar face.
Basim Ibn Is'haq first appeared in the early stages of Valhalla, introducing the ways of the Assassin's to Eivor and crossing paths later in the story. The Mirage trailer shows a young Basim, back in his home of Baghdad, stealing from a market stall and fleeing from guards after he is caught.
AC Mirage will follow Basim's early life as a thief, and then as he is found by the Hidden Ones- an early iteration of the Assassins- and his journey into becoming an Assassin.
The other character we've seen is Roshan, the leader of the Hidden Ones, who decides to take Basim as her first true apprentice. The story will be more linear and narrative-focused than previous games, and will have a clear beginning and end.
However, if you reached the end of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, you will know that all might not be quite as it seems!
Assassin's Creed Mirage setting
Mirage will take place in Baghdad between 860 and 870 BCE and it will be a much smaller game than Valhalla was, as it will take place entirely in the city which will be divided into four unique districts.
There will also be opportunities to visit The Alamut just outside of the city, which is the base of the founders of the Assassins, otherwise there is no open-world to explore.
It's unclear where Basim's origins will fit into the current-day narrative that links all of the Assassin's Creed games together. Basim played a big role in both historical and modern storylines in AC Valhalla, and Mirage was originally meant to be DLC for Valhalla before Ubisoft decided to make it its own game, so Mirage's story should have significance to the modern day in some way.
Assassin's Creed Mirage gameplay
Assassin's Creed Mirage's gameplay is going to be a throwback to the earlier Assassin's Creed games. With a smaller and more densely packed setting, the opportunities for stealth, parkour, and assassinations will be much greater than in the last three games.
During May's PlayStation Showcase event, there was a new gameplay tailer for Assassin's Creed mirage which gave us a good idea of what to expect.
Players will experience a gameplay loop that revolves around identifying a target in Baghdad's crowded streets, then hunting and eliminating that target before vanishing using a reworked detection systems and new tools such as smoke bombs, trip mines, and blowdarts.
In the trailer we see Basim use smoke bombs to evade some guards, as well as run over and between rooftops using the same parkour effects that really peaked in Assassin's Creed Unity back in 2014. Also in the trailer we see Basim discussing how he can infiltrate an area, with bribing the guards given as a suggestion. This seems to suggest that the player is going to be given multiple ways of completing a mission either through stealth, combat, or other means.
Another interesting moment in the trailer was the appearance of some spirit-like figures while Basim was diving into a hay bale. These appeared to be suggesting a flow of moves to take out the guards in the area, which could be an ability that allows Basim to quickly take out multiple guards in seconds, or just an ability that helps the player decide the quickest way to eliminate threats.
Ubisoft has also said that it's sped up the pace of the parkour to encourage players to explore the city and track targets that way, and have brought back animations like the corner swing that long-time fans will enjoy using again.
We'll continue to update this page as we find out more information about Assassin's Creed Mirage, and there'll be more stories across VG247 about the game. In the meantime, you can follow the Jelly Deals Twitter account to find out about pre-order discounts for AC Mirage, as well as other deals and discounts we find.