Japan might be featured in an Assassin's Creed game after all.
Ubisoft is allegedly planning on creating a full-length Assassin's Creed game that takes place in the much-demanded and long-awaited setting of Japan, according to journalist Jeff Grubb.
An Assassin's Creed game set in Japan has been a fan favorite idea even before the days of Assassin's Creed 3 due to the setting fitting perfectly in the game's mechanics and lore, per US Gamer.
Assassin's Creed In Japan Rumor Details
Jeff Grubb mentioned in his recent podcast that a source familiar with Ubisoft's plans for the series reported that the company is planning a full-length game set in Japan, and it would have similar gameplay to the series' older RPG entries in the series, per Games Radar.
The source may be referring to the Assassin's Creed games that are still playing with the idea of having players purchase and equip various weapons and armor to improve the character they're playing, such as Assassin's Creed: Unity.
However, PlayStation Universe suggests that the "older RPG entries" Grubb's source is referring to could be Assassin's Creed: Odyssey and Assassin's Creed: Valhalla.
Although Grubb's source didn't mention in which period of Japan the game will take place, they did say that it could be a part of Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed live-service game, Assassin's Creed: Infinity, or the installment that comes after it.
Unfortunately, Grubb stressed that he wasn't able to confirm what his source said, and as such, the information they gave should be taken with a grain of salt.
Why Ubisoft Won't Probably Go For It
A Japan-based Assassin's Creed game has been high on the wishlist of the series' fans for years, even before the release of Assassin's Creed 3.
However, Alex Hutchinson, the creative director for Assassin's Creed 3, shut down the idea in an interview with OXM, saying that it was one of "the most boring settings."
"People on the internet suggest the most boring settings," Hutchinson said. "The three most wanted are WWII, feudal Japan, and Egypt. They're kind of the three worst settings for an [Assassin's Creed] game."
Ironically, Ubisoft greenlighted an Assassin's Creed game set in Egypt with Assassin's Creed: Origins, which is set during the time of the Roman civil war during the last days of the late Roman Republic.
Hutchinson was also credited to have said before the release of Assassin's Creed: Unity, a game set during the French Revolution, that while feudal Japan works as an Assassin's Creed game, it would feel too familiar due to the many games featuring that period in Japanese history.
Hutchinson's comment still rings true to this day. There have been some games based on feudal Japan that have been previously released and have received critical acclaim, such as Nioh, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Ghost of Tsushima.
Although two of these games do not feature historical characters or settings, all three give players the feel of being a ninja or samurai, especially in Ghost of Tsushima, which is its main selling point.
Despite that, there is still support for a Japan-based Assassin's Creed game. So much so that a fan of the series created a trailer that showed what a Japan-based Assassin's Creed game could look like in today's technology.
Said trailer, which is set during Japan's Kamakura Period, the time of the samurai's rise to power, can be viewed on YouTube.
