Assassin's Creed Shadows is the next mainline entry into the long-running stealth-action franchise. We know that it's now set to launch on February 14, 2025, following a delay. There's dual protagonists this time, with Naoe a more traditional assassin, and Yasuke a hard-hitting samurai. We've now seen some gameplay, and it's looking very good indeed. We'll have to wait and see where it ends up ranking on this list after it launches.
Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe is probably the most mysterious and intriguing of all the Assassin's Creed projects that Ubisoft has in the works right now. We've only had the smallest of glimpses into it, so it's certainly a project that we still have heaps of questions about.
As one of the many upcoming games from Ubisoft, there’s a huge amount of speculation regarding the release of Hexe, and we’ve pulled together what we can to help inform us all of what it could look like.
We reckon that Assassin’s Creed Hexe will bring with it an experience never seen before in the Assassin’s Creed series, and with a lot of players already speculating themes and settings - but while we speculate, we won't know if it'll land on the internet's best Assassin’s Creed games lists until we know more. Here’s everything we know so far.
Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe - cut to the chase
- What is it? An upcoming addition to the Assassin’s Creed game series
- When can I play it? TBA
- What can I play it on? TBA
- Who makes it? Ubisoft (specifically Ubisoft Montreal)
Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe trailers
We've received just one trailer for Codename Hexe, and it’s pretty short. The thirty-second reveal trailer introduces us to a shadowy, spooky woodland before the camera pans through tree branches and lands on what looks like a talisman over a fire that takes the classic form of the Assassin’s Creed logo. Although the trailer doesn’t offer us a release date or any information about the platforms the game will be available on, there’s still a little more to dissect.
At first, the logo made out of sticks and twine doesn’t look too out of the ordinary, but the end card places the same structure on an inverted pentacle, which is traditionally used in relation to the occult. An alphabet surrounds the symbol, and letters within the pentacle also offer clues about the game which might be missed unless you can figure out the translation.
Fortunately, you don’t have to do said translation yourself, as many eager-eyed players have already started dissecting any clues embedded within the trailer. As explained by community stalwarts Access the Animus in a detailed YouTube video, the exterior of the symbol translates from the alphabet of the Magi directly to German, and states “Wir arbaiten im dem twnckel um dem licht zu dienen” which when translated to English, says “we work in the night to serve the light”. As said by Ezio in Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, that has since become a 'catchphrase' of the series.
But this isn’t the only information to dissect. In the center of the symbol, the same alphabet can be used to broadly translate the interior sections. In the exterior ring, the word “Mephisto” is spelled out, which is a demon from German folklore, followed by “Rache” meaning 'avenge', and “Hwsa” meaning 'house' or 'family'. When put together, the phrase “Mephisto avenge the house/family” is what we are left with, heavily leaning toward Hexe being themed around Germanic mythology and the occult.
Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe story and setting
Following on from the information that can be drawn from the reveal trailer, we can start to piece together some information about the story, theme, and setting of Hexe. The first major clue is within the codename title, Hexe, (Hek-sa) which simply translates to 'Witch' in German. This alone has been enough to lead a lot of players to believe that the setting of the game will be Germany between the early-1620s and the mid-1630s, and paired with the translation from the end of the reveal trailer, there are more than enough clues to suggest the setting will be Germany.
Due to its speculated setting and the dark imagery of the trailer, alongside the use of the Alphabet of the Magi, we expect the story of the game to revolve heavily around the Witch Trials held by the Holy Roman Empire within this time period. The setting, trials, and a healthy dose of the occult and mystery - and magic? - could create a fairly dark experience in comparison to other Assassin’s Creed games.
Marc-Alexis Cote has stated that Hexe will be “a very different type of Assassin’s Creed game.” But what this means is incredibly open for interpretation right now - though we do know it'll be the next 'flagship' in the series following Assassin's Creed Shadows, and is being developed by the team behind Valhalla. A lot of fans expect the occult aspects to present a more thriller or horror take on the franchise, and depending on how this is implemented, there’s a chance Hexe and its new take could fall among even the best horror games if it wishes to stray from the traditional formulae of Assassin’s Creed.
Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe will not be an RPG
Even though we can dissect the reveal trailer to find clues about the story and setting of the game, how exactly it plays out still remains largely a big mystery. Although we expect the standard stealth and infiltration alongside intricate combat of Assassin’s Creed games to continue in some form, there are a few things worth noting about the game which could shake up the traditional AC formula.
In an interview with IGN, Cote states that Hexe “will not be an RPG” in an attempt to “bring more diversity to the places we choose to visit and to how we choose to represent those periods.” So, we know for sure that the game will not play in a similar way to Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Odyssey, or Origins. But the genre and length of Hexe still remain a mystery.
With RPG elements stripped out, there are a lot of potential routes the game could take, which leads us to believe that a more survival horror adventure game could be likely - if it also doesn't follow the old-school stealth routes the Mirage is brought back, too.
Unusually, we also haven’t seen the assassin or protagonist for the game - not even an outline or silhouette. With the game being potentially set within the witch trials of the Holy Roman Emperor, taking the role of someone being trialed or hunted would be an incredibly interesting take on the game.
Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe developer
The precise Ubisoft studio behind Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe is Ubisoft Montreal. This is significant in two ways. Firstly, this is the studio that began the series back in 2007 with the first game, and secondly, this is the team behind the largest RPG-style entry of the mall in Assassin's Creed Valhalla. For what it's worth, it's also the studio behind Far Cry 5 and Far Cry New Dawn, Assassin's Creed Origins, and Watch Dogs 2 (to name but a few).
In terms of personnel, Clint Hocking is onboard as creative director, whose credits include some of the above games - some of the most expansive from Ubisoft.
Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe news
Assassin’s Creed Hexe will leave a “lasting mark on the franchise” according to a LinkedIn post
According to a LinkedIn post shared by Ubisoft Motreal’s Talent Acquisition Specialist, Yara Tabbara, Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe will “leave a lasting mark on the franchise.” The details of what this means for the game are unknown and we still have a huge amount to learn, including a genre, concrete setting, and release date, but it’s still exciting enough to know that Hexe could shake up Assassin’s Creed as we know it.
Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe announced as part of Ubisoft Forward 2022
The first trailer for Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe was shown at Ubisoft Forward 2022, offering a look at a shadowed woodland and an all-new look for the logo, before placing it on a pentacle and ending the trailer. With such an extreme lack of information to go off, the trailer leaves the door open to interpretation for players, and there’s a lot of speculation already circulating about what this game will offer and how it will separate itself from the traditional franchise.
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