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Assassin's Creed Hexe: What Leaks Reveal About AC's Horror Game
The Assassin's Creed series is no stranger to the supernatural, but it looks like the upcoming Assassin's Creed Hexe will delve more into magic and occultism than its predecessors. AC Hexe's reveal trailer showed off some vague hints as to the nature of the game, with Assassin's Creed executive producer Marc-Alexis Côté providing some clues of his own. Even with as little as has been shown of Assassin's Creed Hexe thus far, it's clear that it could be a much-needed breath of fresh air for the franchise.
During the Assassin's Creed 2022 Showcase, a brief trailer for Assassin's Creed Hexe debuted alongside its announcement, ending with a twig-and-twine Assassin's Creed logo in the center of a runic circle. Besides the title, this imagery was essentially all the showcase gave fans to go off of, but it was enough. The game's codename, "Hexe", is German for witch, which fits with the trailer's tone and aesthetic. Previous rumors about Assassin's Creed spin-off games, especially one revolving around 16th-century Europe, further corroborated this concept. Theorycrafting has only just begun, but it seems like Assassin's Creed Hexe will put players in the midst of a witch hunt.
Considering the Assassin's Creed franchise's usual dichotomy of Assassins versus Templars, it seems likely that the player will be on the side of the witches in Assassin's Creed Hexe, while the Templars will be hunting them. This would be an interesting return to putting players on the back foot, as opposed to Assassin's Creed Valhalla's epic saga of conquering England while hunting down cultists. As for how this would tie into Assassin's Creed's meta-narrative, the series' alternate timeline could tie witches' magic to its ancient, advanced technology. While previous games have included actual magic, such as AC Valhalla's druids, Assassin's Creed's Isu mythology would be an interesting framing device for introducing witchcraft.
Assassin's Creed Hexe Looks Like The Series' Foray Into Horror
Much of the information surrounding Assassin's Creed Hexe can be deduced from rumors and prior leaks, but Marc-Alexis Côté also provided more information outside the Showcase. In an interview with Video Games Chronicle, Côté discussed the slate of announcements made across the Assassin's Creed franchise. According to Côté, AC Hexe will be the next game after Assassin's Creed Red, and the two will be supported simultaneously post-launch, ostensibly on the Assassin's Creed Infinity hub. Côté revealed that Ubisoft is moving away from releasing massive titles consecutively, and will begin developing smaller, more focused titles to go between the flagship titles. As for AC Hexe specifically, Côté stated that "Hexe will provide a different experience in terms of game and game structure," which will be heartening news for fans wary of the next Assassin's Creed repeating the problems of AC Valhalla.
Assassin's Creed Hexe won't be the first game in the series to include supernatural elements, but it has an opportunity to use those themes uniquely. If AC Hexe embraces the ominous atmosphere of its reveal trailer, it could exceed any fans' expectations. By putting the abilities of both Assassins and witches in the hands of players and tasking them with survival in the face of witch hunters, AC Hexe would simultaneously be entering a new genre for the franchise and returning it to its stealth-based roots. As unknown as it is, Assassin's Creed Hexe has the potential to engage new and old Assassin's Creed fans alike.
