Assassin’s Creed Mirage is fast approaching, and as great as the recent titles were, the thought of returning to the franchise roots that’s centered upon stealth and assassinations is an extremely exciting prospect for longtime fans.

Ahead of its launch, I got the chance to attend a preview event for Assassin’s Creed Mirage, play more of it, and even talk to key development personnel to share their thoughts on the game and how it is shaping up to be a highly anticipated release for fans and newcomers alike.

Related – Read our Assassin’s Creed Mirage Review

As many would know, Assassin’s Creed Mirage is not your typical installment, at least based on the recent Origins/Odyssey/Valhalla trilogy. Assassin’s Creed Mirage takes inspiration from these but also goes back to its roots to put stealth and assassinations at the forefront. Ubisoft Singapore Associate Producer Justin Ng says that Mirage is a love letter to the AC games of old, especially as the franchise approaches its 15th year anniversary.

“The game is more condensed and focused on Baghdad and the Hidden Ones, and it’s because it really is a love letter to the franchise. The 15th anniversary pushed us to bring all of the assassinations, the stealth, and the parkour again,” says Ng. “With Assassin’s Creed Mirage, we tried to offer something to everyone—there’s still a bit of RPG, a bit of open-world.”

“With Assassin’s Creed Mirage coming out, there will be a lot of focus and time spent listening to the fans, listening to their feedback, and seeing what interests them. Eventually, we’ll use that information to let the brand and the franchise evolve more. That’s one of the strengths of Assassin’s Creed – we started to offer action and then RPG and then back… The future is bright for the franchise and I’m glad to be part of it.”

The future is indeed bright, and as these games continue to be made, the amount of detail and cultural accuracy will only improve with time. That fact is very much evident in Assassin’s Creed Mirage as well, as Ubisoft has made an effort to partner up with historical and educational institutions as it aims to be a gateway for players to learn more about the eras they are made to explore.

“We know this is part of what makes Assassin’s Creed special – going back to the past and being immersed in the setting,” Ng explains. “All of the developers, including myself, spend a lot of time reading up to understand what it was like back then. Through that, we are able to make creative calls that are coordinated with experts about accuracy and authenticity. It’s something we put a lot of effort into, and I hope it shows.”

“The creative thought process is pretty much driven by ‘this is what it was like in the past, this is the story we want to tell, and then how do we put those together while considering history, gameplay, fun, and narrative.”

Lastly, I got a chance to ask Lead Quest Designer Meng Yim Chee about what players can expect with this pre-Valhalla version of Basim and what specific connections can players make between Mirage and Valhalla. While pointing it out specifically will obviously be a spoiler, Chee says that players can expect “some tie-ins and callbacks to existing Assassin’s Creed games” and that we should very much look forward to playing the game when it comes out.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is scheduled to launch on October 5, 2023 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC.