This fall, fans will get the next big adventure in the Assassin's Creed series with Assassin's Creed Valhalla. While both Origins and Odyssey released annually in 2017 and 2018 respectively, the series is honoring its promise to routinely keeping the franchise fresh without constantly iterating for the sake of making more games. This brings into question whether or not Valhalla's release will continue that same trend with another game in 2021. There is a potential gap in the 2021-2022 fiscal year where an Assassin's Creed game could fit into Ubisoft's lineup, but whether it should or not is an entirely different beast altogether.

At the same time, assuming there is another title in Ubisoft's flagship franchise on the way, fans would've presumably found out about it already. It's no secret that Ubisoft titles are prone to leaks, though there haven't been any prominent Assassin's Creed info drops for next year's game yet. For context, fans knew about Valhalla (AKA Ragnarok or Kingdom) as early as April 2019 before the game was confirmed a full year later. It may be too early at the moment, but there's the possibility Assassin's Creed may take next year off to develop a new title specifically for the next-gen consoles.

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A Perfect Gap for Assassin's Creed Next Year

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The main theory is based on the forthcoming fiscal year for Ubisoft, based on some of the big games from the 2020-2021 year so far. The second half of Ubisoft's current fiscal year is going to be jam-packed with some of the publisher's biggest franchises. Starting with Watch Dogs: Legion and Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and presumably Gods & Monsters, Ubisoft's upcoming portfolio has several high profile game releases coming. Then in the spring, there's Far Cry 6 and presumably Rainbow Six Quarantine. The 2020-2021 fiscal year for Ubisoft is so heavily backloaded mainly because of disappointing releases from both The Division 2 and Ghost Recon Breakpoint.

As a result, the next fiscal year for Ubisoft doesn't really have too many options for established franchises for the publisher. The only theoretically possible releases fans already know about for the 2021-2022 fiscal year would be for Skull & Bones and Beyond Good & Evil 2. Both games aren't solid bets, considering Skull & Bones is a brand new franchise based on a popular Assassin's Creed game, and Beyond Good & Evil 2 is the sequel to a cult classic game with big expectations. Yet, it would make sense to place an Assassin's Creed game in the lineup to bolster those games whose sales projections aren't definitive.

Not to mention, it would be the first non-cross-gen Assassin's Creed that's likely already been in development for a while. Assassin's Creed Valhalla has also been in development for a few years, considering it's releasing for PS4/Xbox One as well as PS5/Xbox Series X. Considering Origins and Odyssey released within a year of each other, Valhalla could replicate this with another Assassin's Creed entry.

Shorter Turnover for Another Assassin's Creed Entry

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On the other hand, that could be the reason why Assassin's Creed may not have another annual release after Valhalla. In a lot of ways, Valhalla does share a lot of similarities with Odyssey and Origins before it. Generally, when there's been a break in the annual releases of Assassin's Creed, there's been significant changes to the foundation of the franchise. Origins compared to Syndicate was a vastly different game, taking on more Witcher-like RPG mechanics in a serious shift for the franchise. Assassin's Creed Valhalla admittedly is far similar to Odyssey, without much mechanically differentiating the two.

While that lull could've been in service to developing a truly next-gen 2021 release, there's the possibility that Assassin's Creed could take 2021 off as well. If another Assassin's Creed game has been in development for PS5/Xbox Series X, it's likely going to be a while. Every Assassin's Creed game to come after a next-gen console upgrade has moved to a new game engine, like Unity after Black Flag. That could potentially still ring true for the next game after Assassin's Creed Valhalla, but that would mean a short turnover time for another entry in the series. Not to mention the pandemic may have an effect on development time as well. Plus, considering there haven't been any significant leaks like usual with Ubisoft, the series may skip 2021.

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Another Annual Release for Assassin's Creed?

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It's hard to pinpoint which is the most likely scenario in this case. Inaugural next-gen Assassin's Creed games have had yearly turnover in the past with Unity, but for those who remember the state that game released in, the annual cycle hasn't always been kind to the series. Then again, with Origins and Odyssey releasing annually, both games saw great success in a new engine. Assassin's Creed Valhalla could receive a follow-up title next year, but that would mean another two games without the usual graphical and mechanical revamp at the beginning of the generation.

Either way, Assassin's Creed is on a solid trajectory at the moment. Assassin's Creed Origins and Odyssey are some of the most successful entries in the franchise to date, and Valhalla is a direct reflection of that success. Whether or not that affects the next Assassin's Creed is unclear for now, but Assassin's Creed Valhalla should fulfill fans' desires until the next evolution.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla releases November 17, for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One. PS5 and Xbox Series X versions to follow.

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