Fans got their taste of Viking lore with games from God of War in 2018, and now again in 2020 with Assassin's Creed Valhalla. If anyone compiled a list of their favorite moments in history for Assassin's Creed games to adapt, certainly the Viking age would be high on many lists. The brutal melee combat and mythical undertones fit in perfectly with the series' current RPG-like trajectory, although it seems safe to say Vikings have not been at the top of many fan-made lists.
Most fans have been consistently requesting a Japanese setting for Assassin's Creed as early as Assassin's Creed 2. Although there's no consensus on what time period from Japanese history is worth visiting the most, Feudal Japan or Classical Japan usually comes to mind. And on top of that, previous entries in the franchise have often referenced Japanese historical time periods in database lore. Other teased time periods have turned into fully fledged games, yet the series continues to skip one of the most requested time periods for the franchise.
Hints of the Series' Future
Before Valhalla and Odyssey were revealed, these and other time periods have been consistently teased in Assassin's Creed lore. Database entries from each subsequent game have hinted at famous Assassins or pivotal Assassin cells throughout world history. Mongolia, Istanbul, Caribbean, Russia, China, India, there have been plenty of Assassins and/or Hidden Ones all across history. Especially in Assassin's Creed 2, which expanded the lore database through the discovery of landmarks and finding collectibles all around Italy. It's in the database where fans really learned about the overarching history of the Assassin Brotherhood all around the world.
More overt teases came with the ending of Brotherhood, where the Isu presented Desmond and his team with visions of iconic symbols throughout history. Shaun Hastings literally points out a Masonic Eye and Phrygian Cap, the combination of which directly referenced the setting of Assassin's Creed 3 during the American Revolution. After that many fans have studied the potential references and bread crumbs Ubisoft places throughout each Assassin's Creed game, hoping to find which turbulent time period the series will go next. It even got to the point where an Abstergo internal email in Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag got real cheeky and hid a list of potential time periods the series could go. Even if it was a red herring, some of these locations (like Egypt in Assassin's Creed Origins--it listed the wrong time period though) did turn into games later on.
References of Japanese History
Among these references, there have been a few tidbits of Japanese history sprinkled throughout data entries and cutscenes in the series. Most notably, during the beginning cinematic of Assassin's Creed 3, there were three symbols displayed: the Eye of Horus, the Omega (Greek letter), and a Japanese Torii. The Torii is a traditional gate in Japanese culture symbolizing the divide between mortal and sacred land, often placed at the entrance or near a Shinto shrine. Using such an iconic symbol couldn't be a more obvious symbolization of Japanese culture, but that's not what makes this image more interesting now. As of 2018, both the Eye of Horus and the Omega symbol can be directly related to Assassin's Creed Origins and Assassin's Creed Odyssey respectively.
These teases did directly reference games coming in the future of the franchise, even though the most recently revealed Valhalla went against the order. Backing up this theory comes from the aforementioned Abstergo email listing the "Ashikaga Shogunate in Japan" as part of Desmond's matrilineal line of DNA. The Ashikaga Shogunate (or Muromachi Shogunate) was the clan of Ashikaga Takauji who ruled Japan from the city known today as Kyoto, Japan. That portion of Japanese history is smack dab in the middle of the Feudal Japan period, which approximately lasted from 1185-1600 AD.
Why Not Feudal Japan?
Conceptually, it makes sense to have an Assassin's Creed title set in a Feudal Japan setting, considering the game's core subject matter and mechanics lends to the tumultuous time period very well. Bloody Samurai battles and elusive Ninjas in the dark align with the themes of Assassin's Creed very well. Only problem is how an Assassin's Creed set in Japanese history would be able to distinguish itself from the massively popular Japanese-inspired games that have come out recently; Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Nioh 2 are both critically acclaimed games based on Japanese mythology. The upcoming Ghost of Tsushima also intends to be grounded in Japanese history, despite being set during the time period of the Mongol invasions circa 1274 AD.
Understandably, if there's a concern on over-saturation ending any momentum Assassin's Creed may have, it may work in the franchise's favor to shelve the concept in favor of something different. Japanese history has been one of the most hyped fan requests for Assassin's Creed since the beginning, and releasing during the peak of Japanese myth-inspired video games could ruin any chances of its success in the wake of several similar titles.
At the same time, assuming Ubisoft and the Assassin's Creed development team can craft a unique experience from a similar concept, now (relatively) would be the best time to do it. This resurgence in Japanese-inspired games proves at bare minimum that an Assassin's Creed game would not go ignored considering the popularity of Japanese history in gaming culture at the moment. It's hard to gauge when a Japanese history-inspired Assassin's Creed title may be coming, but general gaming interests are welcoming other similar games with open arms. Could be that Assassin's Creed may head to Feudal Japan soon, or Ubisoft wants to sit on the idea until the time is right.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla releases Holiday 2020 for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.