Ubisoft is looking for big wins with the release of two major Assassin’s Creed projects, feudal Japan-set Assassin’s Creed Red and live service hub Assassin’s Creed Infinity, the latter of which will reportedly feature a hefty amount of microtransactions.
Per a report from Insider Gaming, Assassin’s Creed Infinity will serve as “the core hub of the franchise,” as well as a launch point for future Assassin’s Creed titles, including Red, the darker-toned Hexe, and then the multiplayer-focused Invictus. The Infinity hub can draw some comparisons to the current state of Fortnite, which can be used to launch auxiliary titles like LEGO Fortnite, Rocket Racing, or Fortnite Festival.
The report from Insider Gaming, which cites demo footage shared with the outlet, claims the Assassin’s Creed Infinity hub contains “several features you would expect from a live service,” particularly an item shop that sells “daily and weekly in-game cosmetics” that can then be equipped to the two protagonists in Red. Each character has their own Project, which is a narrative-based miniature battle pass that allows players to earn additional cosmetic rewards. More Projects will be “constantly” added to the hub.
Per Ubisoft’s 2023-2024 third-quarter sales report, the company enjoyed a quarter that was “slightly ahead of expectations” thanks to Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and The Crew Motorfest. Their most recent releases have not produced strong results though, with both Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and Skull & Bones not bringing in the player numbers the company was hoping for. Reliance on microtransactions has also not always been received well, especially in the form of pop-up ads that plagued Mirage in its early days.
Infinity will reportedly serve as the Hub for more Assassin’s Creed titles aside from the previously mentioned trio, including a Black Flag remake, a PvE free-to-play four-player co-op title, a new game set in India, the Aztec Empire, and the Mediterranean, and another unknown remake. All these games are scheduled to release before 2030.
