Recent leaks about the Norse-themed Assassin’s Creed game, previously thought to be called Ragnarok, may not be entirely accurate according to one reliable insider. Ubisoft hasn’t confirmed either way, given they’ve spent much of the last year supporting 2018’s Assassin’s Creed Odyssey with post-launch expansions.  When it comes to when and where the next entry in the blockbuster franchise will occur, the publisher remains tight-lipped. 

The possibility of an Assassin’s Creed set in the era of vikings first came to light thanks to an in-game poster in Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 that referenced the series’ Apple of Eden and Valhalla. Speculation ramped up in November when a leak revealed the Ragnarok name and a planned February 2020 announcement. This month, alleged listings for Assassin’s Creed Ragnarok appeared on several online storefronts before being quickly pulled down.

A ResetEra forum thread added fuel to the fire with an alleged screenshot of the game in action. The blurry photo leaves quite a bit to the imagination, but that hasn’t stopped speculation from running rampant. Daniel “ZhugeEX” Ahmad, senior analyst at Niko Partners and a trusted industry insider, chimed in to douse those flames by debunking much of the game’s rumors. Ahmad previously helped leaked FromSoftware’s upcoming Elden Ring prior to its E3 2019 reveal, and had this to say about the reported leaks thus far:

Ahmad goes on to state that many of the leaks derive from Kotaku’s original AC Kingdom leak (the supposed codename for Ragnarok) from last April. He also believes much of the information on the game is based on “educated guesses” that may or may not be far off from the truth.

“For what it’s worth. All of the new AC leaks so far have been incorrect. It’s not even called Ragnarok. Sure. Some of the details are right. Like improved combat or whatever. But in general they’re not that accurate.”

Regardless of what the game actually is, it appears increasingly evident that a new Assassin’s Creed will launch in 2020.  The question is when Ubisoft plans to announce the project. The game was absent during the publisher’s E3 2019 briefing, which saw the debuts Watch Dogs: Legion, Rainbow Six: Quarantine, and a new IP called Gods & Monsters. Those three games were scheduled to launch this year but were later delayed to unspecific dates during Ubisoft’s next fiscal year. It seems plausible Ubisoft would compensate for this setback by announcing Ragnarok (or whatever it’s called) in the near future, then launch it this holiday alongside the new consoles ala Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag in 2013. Whatever the case, 2020 is shaping up to be an exciting year for Assassin’s Creed fans.

Next: Google Snags Crucial Assassin’s Creed Devs to Make Stadia-Exclusive Game

The next Assassin’s Creed game is rumored to be in development and may be announced some time during 2020.

Source: ZhugeEX/ResetEra