Four Years of Development: The Perfect Balance for a New Assassin's Creed Game

With the upcoming release of Assassin's Creed Shadows in November, the game will have been in development for four years, marking the longest development cycle in the series to date. This duration is 25% longer than its predecessor, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, which was released in 2020. According to lead producer Karl Onnée, "It's a great opportunity to work on a game that follows in the footsteps of Valhalla, but we're aware of the high expectations that come with it. We're striving to push the boundaries of what we can achieve with Shadows." Onnée emphasizes the importance of iteration in the development process, stating, "It's a delicate balance between time and costs, but the more time we have, the more we can iterate and refine our ideas. While adding more people to a project can speed up the process, it doesn't necessarily allow for more iteration, as we need time to gather feedback from players and the team, and then make adjustments accordingly. I believe that four years is the ideal amount of time to go from conception to production and gather the necessary feedback to adapt and improve." Assassin's Creed is a leading franchise in the gaming industry, and as such, Ubisoft is committed to delivering a high-quality game that meets the expectations of its fans. One aspect of the series that is widely admired is its commitment to historical accuracy, which is a time-consuming process that cannot be rushed. Onnée explains, "We're aiming to create a game that is as authentic as possible, and that's something we take pride in. When we build a Japanese house from feudal Japan, it's vastly different from a French medieval house or an English one. As artists, we need to learn about the intricacies of feudal Japanese architecture and culture, which is a long and laborious process." The decision to set the game in feudal Japan was made possible by the technical capabilities of the hardware, which have improved significantly since the release of Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Onnée notes, "We've always wanted to explore feudal Japan, but we needed to find the right moment to do so. With the power of the new hardware and our updated engine, we can finally deliver our vision and include features like light and shadows, dynamic weather, and more." The research process for Assassin's Creed is thorough and well-established, involving internal research, collaboration with external consultants and historians, and on-site visits to the locations that will be featured in the game. In the case of Shadows, the team worked with teams in Osaka and Tokyo to ensure the accuracy and authenticity of the game's setting. Onnée comments, "Visiting the locations in person is essential, as it allows us to experience the culture and architecture firsthand. When we visited Japan, we were struck by the differences between the forests and landscapes we had created for Odyssey and the real thing. We had to make changes to our designs to ensure that they were accurate and authentic." The authenticity of the game is crucial, not only from an artistic perspective but also from a commercial one. Assassin's Creed Shadows presents an opportunity for Ubisoft to expand the series' reach in Japan, where Western-developed action games are not typically bestsellers. However, games like Sony's Ghost of Tsushima have shown that it is possible to achieve success in the Japanese market with a historical action-adventure game set in Japan. Onnée emphasizes the importance of authenticity, stating, "When we create a game, we aim to appeal to a global audience. Since we're making a game set in Japan, we hope to appeal to more Japanese players. We approach this project with humility, recognizing that we don't know everything and need to learn from scratch. We're committed to respecting Japanese culture and traditions, as we would with any other country or culture." The release of Assassin's Creed Shadows marks the first major game in the series in four years, following the release of the smaller title Assassin's Creed Mirage last year. Mirage was well-received by fans, particularly for its stealth-focused gameplay, and the team behind Shadows was able to build upon the work done by the Mirage team. Onnée explains, "During production, we conduct playtests with people from different locations and at various stages. We look at what works and what doesn't, and we also draw inspiration from the playtests of Mirage. We knew we were heading in the direction of stealth with Shadows, so we saw what the Mirage team had done and learned from it. We decided to build upon their work rather than starting from scratch." In conclusion, Onnée stresses the importance of collaboration and knowledge-sharing within the Assassin's Creed team, stating, "We're all part of the same brand, and it's essential that we discuss and share our ideas with each other. We want to avoid duplicating work and instead build upon each other's strengths. Game development is a challenging and time-consuming process, but by working together and sharing our knowledge, we can create something truly exceptional."