ThoughAssassin’s Creed Miragehas since received its official title, fans can look back to its earlier working nameAssassin’s Creed Riftto try and glean potential clues to the game’s story ahead of its launch planned for 2023. This stems from Ubisoft’s recent trend of providing code names or early conceptual titles to tease its currentAssassin’s Creedprojects, with the recent likes ofAssassin’s CreedRedandAssassin’s Creed Jadejoining the series' future releases. But while some codenames can be self-explanatory, it’s the likes ofAssassin’s Creed Valhallaand its original codename that help fuel speculation aroundAssassin’s Creed Mirage.
Prior to confirming its official title,Valhallawas given the working nameAssassin’s Creed Kingdom, something which fans noted was a contrast between the strong Viking theme that the game ultimately settled upon. Since “Kingdom” could have given possible hints toValhallain early development, so too could “Rift” forMirage. Between what players already know about the upcoming standalone game centered around Basim and howMiragemight connect toValhalla, “Rift” could further expand fans' expectations for whatMiragemight introduce toAssassin’s Creed’slore and canon.
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Other Codenames in Assassin’s Creed
Among the multiple upcoming projects announced for the series alongsideAssassin’s Creed Mirage, several other games were given preliminary working titles that give players an early indication as to what each game will be about.Assassin’s CreedRedandAssassin’s Creed Jadeare the best examplesof this idea, where “Red” might be based on the Japanese flag and reflects the game’s feudal Japanese setting, while “Jade” ties to China’s long-standing relationship with jade sculpture, jewelry, and other artifacts or decor. However,Mirage’s"Rift" isn’t as straightforward as these instances, forcing speculation to turn to other codenames.
AlongsideJadeandRedwasAssassin’s Creed Hexeas another upcoming project, and while its name has led many to suspect it will be inspired by history of witchcraft across medieval Europe, it’s similar to “Rift” in that it’s difficult to confidently discern fully what it will mean for the game. Instead, even earlier examples of working titles then such as “Kingdom” forAssassin’s Creed Valhallaserve as better starting points for speculation. For instance, “Kingdom” was likely an early indication thatValhallawould be set within the expanding Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Britain during the Dark Ages.
Deciphering What Rift Means For Mirage
In light of revelations such asMiragewas planned to beValhallaDLC before it expanded beyond its initial scope, it’s possible that “Rift” could have been a placeholder to signify the gap between it and the rest of theAssassin’s Creedseries. This is supported by additional confirmation thatMiragewould parallel the firstAssassin’s Creedand be a return to tradition in setting, gameplay, and story, meaning “Rift” was an acknowledgment of the series' evolution over the years. SinceMiragewas directly influenced byValhallaand in recognition of this “Rift”, it could be an attempt to harmonize the older games with the new.
However, comparing the official titleValhallawith its codename “Kingdom,” it’s easy to see the connections between medieval Anglo-Saxon Britain to the Vikings. This means that “Rift” could also tie toMirageand hide clues connecting the two. With what’s known so far aboutMirage’splot, it seems that the word “Mirage” is being used for various meanings, fromthe visions Basim experiencesakin to mirage as an illusion or hallucination, or mirage as an unattainable idea or hope which could work back to “Rift.” The game’s story, therefore, might have a strong focus on Basim’s backstory and his visions instead ofthe Brotherhood of Assassins overall.
Assassin’s Creed Mirageis planned for release in 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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