Update @ 3:30 p.m.: The graphic art by BossLogic confirms the next Assassin’s Creed game will be set in the Viking era, with the main character sporting an axe, braided beard and a fur outfit. The background also shows a viking fleet exploring uncharted waters as battles happen near ancient structures.
A quiz game over Twitch also challenged viewers on Nordic trivia and Viking mythology as these elements are being included in Assassin’s Creed.
Entertainment artist BossLogic has teamed up with Ubisoft in showing fans the next setting behind a new Assassin’s Creed game.
Breaking trailer norms, a slower-paced live stream shows a digital painting being crafted over Adobe Photoshop. BossLogic, who has worked with major studios such as Marvel for graphic art, has taken his expertise to a new world for Assassins. Pixel by pixel, images from a specific boat to detailed battlefields hint at a Viking setting.
While BossLogic worked on the background first, he saved the character’s reveal for last and kept the figure in a silhouette. The main character also wore pelt and was kitted out with other Nordic attire to fit the setting.
Previous rumors also alluded to Ubisoft looking to take the franchise into a new world, starting with Odyssey which traded a hidden blade for Centurion armor and weapons. The next game would capitalize on the formula with a fresh start. Putting players in the shoes of Vikings would also keep the series fresh as Assassin’s Creed had explored regions such as Italy, the Middle East, China, India, France and Russia. Other titles have also brought players into Canada and even present-day U.S. through Assassin’s Creed III‘s sequences.
The graphic showed boats similar to ones seen around 800 A.D. According to History, it was also the time when Norseman took to the seas in finding new settlements while battling rival armies for control over land. These conflicts also marked opportunities for raiding ancient structures along the coastline – many of which could be settings for players to explore.
The teaser began on April 29 at 8 a.m. with BossLogic starting the graphic from blank, before it materialized into a full poster by late afternoon. Remixed versions of soundtracks from previous Assassin’s Creed games played over the painting as it happened as fans speculated together in the comments. His art stream is also one of the alternative ways studios such as Ubisoft are unveiling a new project during COVID-19, following the cancellation of E3.
You can view the whole live stream here, showing the graphic from start to finish.