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Warning: This article contains spoilers for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

The seemingly simple act of choosing the gender of Assassin Creed Valhalla‘s protagonist, Eivor, has proven to be a surprising source of controversy in recent months.

While some of that controversy has been fueled by the misogynistic concerns of the Gamergate crowd, the more fascinating story in this instance is a debate over whether the male or female version of Eivor is the canonical way to play the game.

To be honest, I thought that this debate was settled months ago when Ubisoft revealed in July that you’d be able to change Eivor’s gender at any time and that it would be “the same story of the character—whatever options your character decides.” That seemed to suggest that Valhalla would differ from Odyssey which let you choose your character’s gender but ultimately presented slightly altered experiences...

French video game publisher Ubisoft on Thursday shared two initiatives that aim to bring new voices and perspectives to the industry, acknowledging that games are more “surprising, captivating and inclusive” when teams from different backgrounds and cultures have contributed to them.

The efforts arrive after Ubisoft parted ways with several employees, including creative director Ashraf Ismail, earlier this summer and restructured its editorial department following allegations of misconduct.

Launching Sept. 14, a new edition of the Womxn Develop at Ubisoft mentorship program will work with diverse talent in the areas of programming and game design for Ubisoft studios around ...

French video game publisher Ubisoft on Thursday shared two initiatives that aim to bring new voices and perspectives to the industry, acknowledging that games are more “surprising, captivating and inclusive” when teams from different backgrounds and cultures have contributed to them.

The efforts arrive after Ubisoft parted ways with several employees, including creative director Ashraf Ismail, earlier this summer and restructured its editorial department following allegations of misconduct.

Launching Sept. 14, a new edition of the Womxn Develop at Ubisoft mentorship program will work with diverse talent in the areas of programming and game design for Ubisoft studios around ...

Former Assassin’s Creed Valhalla creative director Ashraf Ismail has been fired by Ubisoft following an investigation into misconduct allegations made against Ismail.

“Following an investigation by an external firm, it was determined that Ashraf’s employment with Ubisoft had to be terminated,” reads a statement from Ubisoft (acquired by Kotaku). “We cannot provide any details about this confidential investigation.”

The allegations in question involve women who stated that Ismail has pursued extramarital relationships by utilizing his power and position at Ubisoft. It’s been stated that Ismail even pursued these affairs while acting as an official representative of Ubisoft at industry events.

One of Ismail’s accusers (a streamer named Dani) had this to say regarding the former Ubisoft director’s activities:

“This person is married. When he starts a relationship with you, know he’s married. I don’t want other women to go through the same, and...

Ubisoft has revealed this year’s highly-anticipated installment of the Assassin’s Creed series. The game is called Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and moves the action to ninth-century Europe during the Viking Age. The story stars a Viking raider named Eivor, who will travel from Norway to several kingdoms of Medieval England.

The Viking reveal may not come as a surprise to those who have been following rumors about the next Assassin’s Creed game online. We’ve suspected since 2019 that the new game would be set in the era of Vikings, although the rumor mill claimed the game would be called Assassin’s Creed Ragnarok. Regardless of the title, this new era should allow Ubisoft to highlight the series’ best gameplay mechanics on both land and sea. It’s likely that ship battles will play a big part in this installment, just as they have in the past few entries.

Assassin...

Three Ubisoft executives are stepping down from their positions amidst multiple sexual harassment allegations and various other reports regarding corporate culture issues which have created a hostile workplace.

“Ubisoft has fallen short in its obligation to guarantee a safe and inclusive workplace environment for its employees,” Ubisoft CEO and co-founder Yves Guillemot says via a company-wide statement obtained by Kotaku. “This is unacceptable, as toxic behaviors are in direct contrast to values on which I have never compromised – and never will. I am committed to implementing profound changes across the company to improve and strengthen our workplace culture. Moving forward, as we collectively embark on a path leading to a better Ubisoft, it is my expectation that leaders across the company manage their teams with the utmost respect.”

The specific reasons behind these departures vary. Tannis Mallat, for instance, is leaving the company in response to a variety of allegations...

Rumors that the next Assassin’s Creed game will focus on Vikings had been prevalent since an easter egg in The Division 2 teased that possibility, but it wasn’t until the reveal of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla that we all understood just how much the next game would focus on Viking history and culture.

As some of you may know, you can’t just say “Vikings” and assume everyone knows the time period you’re talking about. Vikings were active for hundreds of years in some form or another. That raises questions about when, exactly, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will take place.

While we’re waiting for confirmation on the specifics of Valhalla‘s era, we’ve used some of what we know so far as well as what we can reasonably speculate in order to come up with a rough time period for the events of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.

Ubisoft is making sure you come back daily to Assassin's Creed: Origins with tons of post-launch Dlc, included in the Season Pass!

It's been well-reported that Ubisoft has gone all-in on Assassin's Creed: Origins with the Discovery Tours, frequent trailers, and now added content for gamers to keep enjoying the Egyptian experience. Today, Ubisoft has detailed all the Post-Launch DLCs included in the Assassin's Creed Season Pass with a video explanation, featuring Game Director Ashraf Ismail.

The Season Pass will run for $39.99 and includes:

Dlc 1 - The Hidden Ones: This story-driven expansion builds upon the growth of the Brotherhood, taking players years after the events of Assassin’s Creed Origins as they clash with an occupying Roman force in a new region. This expansion will extend the level cap, allowing players to keep on making their character progress. Available in January, 2018. Dlc 2 - The Curse of the Pharaohs: In this...

Ubisoft and Square Enix have partnered up to add Assassin's Creed into Final Fantasy Xv. Why? I don't know, but let's talk about it.

In a weird turn of events, Square Enix will be releasing a brand new Dlc for those still playing Final Fantasy Xv. This won't be another character episode, no. Instead, it'll be something completely random that has nothing to do with the plot. They become Assassins. Like Assassin's Creed Assassins. Like Square Enix and Ubisoft made a deal and now Noctis is an Assassin in an Assassin's Creed-esque landscape. It's entitled Assassin's Festival and it's a real thing. Trailer and all.

If you're reading this article and thinking, "This doesn't sound like the normal buttoned-up Matt." That's because this idea literally hurts my brain. All that comes to mind is question "Why?". Well it turns out there's actually a reason.

This strange marriage of ideas isn't...

Featuring director Ashraf Ismail and historian Maxime Durand

The post A Look at the Big Assassin’s Creed Origins World appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

Assassin's Creed: Origins Director, Ashraf Ismail, was interviewed byGame Informer  over some questions that fans had for the upcoming game based in Egypt this time. You can watch the 47 minute Skype interview here, where Ismail made an appearance in an attempt to answer them...read more on GameTyrant

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A big change is coming to Assassin's Creed: Origins, and it's been long overdue. For the first time in franchise history, a target you assassinate won't just sit around and wait in the same location while you work to kill them, and instead operate like a normal human being. This means they'll walk, attend appointments, fulfill their duties, and even go to the restroom while you learn their schedule and try to find the best way to execute them. Ubisoft's Ashraf Ismail gives a specific example in the quote below...read more on GameTyrant

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Ubisoft’s massively successful Assassin’s Creed series may have a longer lifespan than anybody could have imagined, as according to Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag’s lead writer Darby McDevitt, nobody knows how the series will end yet. Before the release of Black Flag last year, director Ashraf Ismail had claimed that there was a definitive ending planned. According to McDevitt, however, this doesn’t seem to be the case.

“There’s been a bit of confusion in that [Ismail] once said that Assassin’s Creed has an ending — that’s not exactly true. This storyline [Assassin's Creed IV] has an ending, but because all of history is open to us we see the universe as a Doctor Who type thing. There are so many possibilities, we don’t want to definitively end the universe, but we can have storylines that have endings.”

So, we can probably expect to see Assassin’s...

It’s always been a bit of a bummer in the Assassin’s Creed series that you never had anywhere near the amount of freedom to explore the present day (Desmond’s stomping grounds, that is) as you did the incredibly detailed backdrops of Jerusalem, Italy, and Revolution-set America. Once you were outside the ancestor-reprising machine known as the Animus and on your feet in the present, your exploration boundaries were very confined. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag looks to rip that small aspect a new one, promising even more hours of exploration.

Ashraf Ismail, director of AC IV, had several neat insights on the franchise’s present-day component to share. Since the Animus aspect of Assassin’s Creed has always been a love/hate kind of deal with its fans, AC IV looks to keep the mandatory, outside-the-Animus time to a measly 20 minutes (divided into five sections) out...

Ubisoft, these gameplay walkthroughs are getting out of control. Just hours after a 14 minute tour of Watch Dogs, we’re now getting this guided romp through some of the upcoming gameplay in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag? It’s all just too much to bear. Luckily, what’s going on here seems pretty interesting, so it’s hard to complain.

Game Director Ashraf Ismail says that Black Flag is “by far the biggest and most diverse game world we’ve ever built.” Those are pretty bold words, but from this demo at least, it seems largely true. There are lots of uncharted islands to explore Wind Waker style (actually, that probably doesn’t do it justice), and the world is supposedly loaded with minigames, sidequests, and other things of that nature. The more of that stuff the better in my book, so it’s nice to hear Mr. Ismail...

The Assassin’s Creed franchise has always pushed its current day story. Desmond Miles is just a normal guy who gets caught up in a huge world-changing web of corporate intrigue, with the evil company Abstergo, taking him hostage and tapping into his memories. Desmond’s ancestors are master assassins destined to come into contact with the fabled and powerful Apples of Eden. Abstergo wants to know where they are, to take over the world and turn everyone into ducks.

Now, one of those things I said was a lie, but you probably can’t tell which because it’s all rather silly. But still, here we are on this journey into the unknown. Desmond’s story only really took up 10-20% of the gameplay in the first five iterations of the franchise, the other percentage being spent in a much more interesting place with much more interesting people. But...

Trailer Aaron Birch 28 Aug 2013 - 05:09

A new trailer for Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag has arrived, and it demonstrates naval warfare...

Another narrated guide of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag has been released by Ubisoft, this time focusing on naval warfare and fort assaults. Guided by the game's director, Ashraf Ismail, the video takes us through a typical fort attack.

The attack begins with a bit of preparation, as Edward uses his spyglass to scout the fort and its defences. This reveals towers that need to be taken out before the crew can attack on foot. The Jackdaw's heavy mortars come into play here, and bombard the towers, demolishing them.

The assault is interrupted by an attacking enemy vessel, and the Jackdaw quickly changes tack to avoid the enemy ramming tactics, and retaliates with cannon fire. The enemy ship is taken care of, and the fort once again becomes the priority.

Trailer Aaron Birch 14 Aug 2013 - 04:22

A new, stealthy narrated walkthrough for Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag has been released...

Below you'll find another in-depth trailer for Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (via IGN). This time the game's director, Ashraf Ismail, details the enhanced stealth mechanics, along with some examples of how being a fully paid up member of the Assassins can make you a better pirate.

The new underwater caves are perhaps one of the best examples of the need for stealth this time around, as Edward Kenway is forced to enter these caves from underwater using a diving bell-like contraption. With no weapons or armour, the odds are against him, and he needs to covertly avoid or dispatch his foes if he's going to survive.

Meanwhile, outside of these secret grottos, the open world Caribbean makes for a varied haven of stealth, with cities such as Havana offering...

by Joseph Leray

According to Ashraf Ismail, the game director for "Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag," the suits at Ubisoft have a course set for the series' eventual conclusion.

"We have multiple development teams, then we have the brand team that sits on top and is filled with writers and designers concerned with the series' overall arc," Ismail explained to Eurogamer. "So there is an overall arc, and each iteration has its place inside this.

When Yves Guillemot, CEO and taskmaster of Ubisoft, made it clear that his company would release a new "Assassin's Creed" game every year, it seemed to cement a certain infinitely repeatable formula for the game: pick a time period, a backstory, a white hoody. I always assumed that Ubi would keep plugging in new variables until consumers ran out of money, patience, or both, but it had never occurred to me to think that Abstergo Industries had an endgame.

While we understand that Ubisoft plan to release an iteration of Assassin’s Creed annually for the foreseeable future, the company have revealed that they have an ending in mind for the overall series. In an interview with Eurogamer, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag game director, Ashraf Ismail, talked about the finite nature of the franchise, as new screenshots of the forthcoming high seas adventure appeared online.

Here’s what Ismail had to say about the series’ longevity:

“We have an idea of where the end is, what the end is,” Ismail told Eurogamer. “But of course Yves [Guillemot, Ubisoft's overall boss] announced we are a yearly title, we ship one game a year. So depending on the setting, depending on what fans want, we’ve given ourselves room to fit more in this arc. But there is an end.”

Ismail went on to discuss the simultaneous nature of development at Ubisoft – which...

by Joseph Leray

The PlayStation 3 and 4 versions of "Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag" will be privy to a clutch of exclusive missions featuring Aveline de Grandpré, the mixed-race heroine of "Assassin's Creed III: Liberation," according to publisher Ubisoft.

According to game director Ashraf Ismail, the Sony-exclusive deal will feature three different missions totaling about an hour of extra content, and "Liberation" writer Jill Murray has reprised her role to flesh out Aveline's story.

"It's a ways forward, so Aveline is a bit older," says "Black Flag" writer Darby McDevitt. "It's not directly related to the end of her story. If 'Assassin’s Creed IV' is like a novel, Aveline’s missions are like a short story.”

That said, I wouldn't expect Aveline and "Black Flag"'s Edward Kennway to cross paths: "Liberation" takes place two generations or so after "Black Flag," and these new missions are even later. At first blush,...

For those of us who are Vita-less, Assassin's Creed Liberation is a game we might not ever get to play, and that's a shame. Other than hoping Ubisoft ports the game to PS3 or PS4 in the near future, we do have something to look forward to, as Ubisoft has announced about an hour of exclusive story and gameplay for the PS3 and PS4 versions of Black Flag starring Liberation's assassin, Aveline. Here is an excerpt from UbiBlog on the subject.

Aveline’s missions in Black Flag pick up a ways after her story in Liberation ends. “It’s a ways forward so Aveline is a bit older,” Lead Writer Darby McDevitt explains. “It’s not directly related to the end of her story. If Assassin’s Creed IV is like a novel, Aveline’s missions are like a short story.” Providing about an hour of exclusive content, Aveline’s...

by Joseph Leray

When we posted the most recent cinematic trailer for "Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag," I mentioned that it'd be neat to be able to climb the rigging of the Good Ship Jackdaw and then swan dive into some unsuspecting mark or landlubber, which would unify the game's naval themes and its trademark combat mechanics.

Imagine my surprise when that's exactly what happens in a new, 13-minute (!) "Black Flag" gameplay walkthrough that shows off the game's ship combat, open world Bahamas, and stealth mechanics.

There's a lot to like about what game director Ashraf Ismail shows off in this video. There's a seamlessness of geography, but also of systems and gameplay: protagonist Edward Kenway transitions from an on-foot chase to a naval battle to some exploration and into some stealth action without so much as a loading screen, as far as I can tell.

What's a bit less...

On Wednesday, Ubisoft released all-new footage (13 gameplay filled minutes!) of their upcoming title in their Assassin's Creed franchise, Black Flag. The game itself, a (pre)sequel to last years innovative but equally panned Assassin's Creed III, follows Edward Kenway, Father of Aciii villian Haytham Kenway and grandfather to protagonist Connor, on his journey of privateering and becoming a member of the Assassins order. The title takes the game to the high seas of the Caribbean, with both an emphasis on land and now sea-based game play aboard your ship, The Jackdaw. Come inside to check out the gameplay footage!

Here's the press release from our friends at Ubisoft:

From open-ended assassination contracts to boarding and plundering enemy ships, Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag let’s gamers seamlessly explore the Caribbean world from land to sea. This director’s cut of the 13 minute Horizon walkthrough features commentary from Game Director Ashraf Ismail.

By Matt Hawkins

At Ubisoft's holiday press event in New York City yesterday, game director Ashraf Ismail was on hand to show off "Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag," as well as answer some questions.

The version of the game I saw (unfortunately, it was a totally hands off demo) was running off a PC, but was told it was running off a high end machine, one that's intended to give off an indication of what the PS4 version would be like. In fact, it was said that the final version would be far even more graphical impressive. Which is saying a lot, because the AC4 I witnessed was mighty pretty indeed.

The demo was somewhat of a combination of two previous ones that many might already be familiar with. It kicked off with a visit to a fisherman village, similar to the one seen at E3 a few weeks back.

Trailer Aaron Birch 12 Jul 2013 - 06:34

A new gameplay trailer for Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is here, and it's heavy on game features...

Narrated by Ashraf Ismail, Assassin's Creed 4's game director, the new trailer shows a whole host of gameplay focusing on the Jackdaw, Edward Kenway's trusty vessel, and the game's second main character.

The Jackdaw is fully upgradable, and you'll need to do so to progress through the game. To do this you'll need to locate lost treasure to find blueprints that can upgrade the ship, as shown here. This treasure is spread across the huge game world which includes 50 unique locations to explore.

You can't upgrade the Jackdaw without materials, though, and so you'll need to attack and pillage enemy ships using the enhanced naval combat system. This includes new cannons that can be aimed, more powerful ammunition, and swivel guns that can take out enemy crew before you board.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag game director Ashraf Ismail has released some new gameplay footage of the highly anticipated sequel in the critically acclaimed open world adventure franchise. The focal point was naval gameplay revamped from its introduction in Assassin’s Creed 3.

Ashraf gave commentary over the seven minute video which you can watch below but here is a breakdown and quick analysis of what was shown…

Throughout the entire video it’s apparent that Ubisoft has tried to add some relevance and reward to exploration. Players can loot dead bodies for treasure maps that lead to actual upgrades instead of either useless money or in the case of most side content in Assassin’s Creed, nothing.

Edward Kenway then boards the Jackdaw which Ashraf says is essential to upgrade. That makes sense considering the game is pirate themed featuring iconic personas such as Blackbeard. Anyway, we then see...

The internet was treated to an incredible 5-minute-long gameplay trailer for "Grand Theft Auto V" on Tuesday. Now, it's getting an even longer one for the upcoming "Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag." This installment of the "Assassin's Creed" franchise is not exclusively about the close-combat stealth killing. Though rest assured, there is plenty, plenty of killing. See video: 'Grand Theft Auto V' Gameplay Trailer: There Will Be Blood In clip below, Game Director Ashraf Ismail narrates the viewer through protagonist Edward's open world in a 7-minute, 35-second gameplay trailer. What separates "Black Flag" from...

Ubisoft has revealed this new video in which Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag game director Ashraf Ismail shows us what it takes to be a deadly pirate in the dangerous waters of the Caribbean. Watch new narrated gameplay as Edward Kenway hunts for treasure, captures enemies and navigates the treacherous ocean. Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag is available on October 29 in North America.

Game director Ashraf Ismail shares his insights on the new gameplay elements and locale of "Assassin's Creed IV."

Visually, nothingis any different than what was at E3 but if you wanted to learn more check out the video below.

Watch: Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Demo E3 2013

Natural environment including caves, jungles, underwater areas, riuns, in addition to new Caribbean ports and towns. Ashraf goes on to note that enemies have recieved a buff to their power making them deadlier than before and that stealth will be of even greater importanc. Finally, he touches on naval combat with seamless transitions from ground to sea. If you were a big fan of the high seas battles from "Aciii" then you'll love the improved mechanics.

Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag tells the story of Edward Kenway, who falls from privateering for the Royal Navy into piracy as the war between the...

Ubisoft recently announced that in addition to making an "Assassin's Creed" movie, based on its popular video game franchise, it's also making a film based on its "Watch Dogs" video game. In a new interview, "Assassin's Creed 4" game director Ashraf Ismail revealed that the two games are actually set in the same universe. "I don't want to ruin the surprise for people. I don't want to give anything away," he told ElderGeek. "I will say, for the people who love both games, for the people who will play both games, there are some Easter eggs that will be a bit hard to find, but when you find them, it will blow your mind." "Watch Dogs" will be released in stores in November, but fans have been speculating that the game takes place in the "Assassin's Creed" universe since last year. And while fans will be searching for connections between the two games,...