Japan-set Assassin's Creed Codename Red is out before the end of March 2025, says Ubisoft
Star Wars Outlaws still coming this year.
Assassin's Creed Codename Red [now Assassin's Creed Shadows] - which takes the long-running series to feudal Japan - will launch before Ubisoft's next financial year ends in March 2025, CEO Yves Guillemot has confirmed, with the publisher's open-world Star Wars Outlaws still targeting a release in 2024.
Guillemot shared the news as part of Ubisoft's latest earnings results - for the third quarter of fiscal 2023-24 - in which he touted a "very promising line-up" for the year to come. That line-up includes a 2024 release for Massive Entertainment's highly anticipated Star Wars Outlaws, suggesting Ubisoft isn't expecting any further slippage after the game was reportedly delayed out of the publisher's current fiscal year - ending 31st March 2024 - and into the next.
The bigger news, though, is confirmation that Ubisoft's next blockbuster-sized Assassin's Creed game - currently only known as Codename Red, despite confirmation of its feudal Japan setting - will be coming in fiscal year 2025, meaning a release before 31st March next year. Historically, the Assassin's Creed franchise has avoided the spring launch window, suggesting Red could also be targeting 2024 - as previously reported - unless Ubisoft is breaking with tradition.
As for when Ubisoft will be ready to share more on Red, that's unclear. Guillemot only said, "We look forward to revealing the full extent of the creative capabilities of Ubisoft's teams who are working hard to make these games a success that will live up to gamers' expectations."
Assassin's Creed Codename Red - which is in developed at Ubisoft Quebec, the studio behind 2018's lovable Assassin's Creed Odyssey - is one of several new series instalments confirmed to be in development back in September 2022. Of the others, Assassin's Creed Mirage has released, the witchy looking Codename Hexe - set in 16th century Europe - appears to be targeting a 2026 launch, while Codename Jade is a mobile-focused collaboration with Tencent.
Beyond the fact Assassin's Creed fans have been clamouring for a feudal-Japan-set series entry for years now, Red is perhaps most notable for the fact it marks the start of a new era for Ubisoft's juggernaut franchise. It's here that Assassin's Creed's divisive modern day narrative will split out from individual games and be told via an over-arching hub platform named Assassin's Creed Infinity, meant to tie together the brand's many games.
Eurogamer's resident Assassin's Creed expert (and editor-in-chief) Tom Phillips spoke to Ubisoft about its ambitious multi-year plans for the series back in 2022 if you're curious to learn more.