Assassin's Creed Mirage: Everything You Need to Know

Work in the shadows, plan your move—and then strike.

Assassin's Creed Mirage returns to the roots of the franchise with an emphasis on stealth action and parkour movement. Recent Assassin's Creed games have delved into the open-world role-playing genre, but Mirage promises to be different, instead focusing on linear storytelling.

The game is only just around the corner, now that the release date has been moved up. So we've done the research and found everything you need to know about the latest game in the Assassin's Creed universe.

What is Assassin's Creed Mirage?

Mirage is the 13th installment in the Assassin's Creed series and the most recent since 2020's Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Publisher Ubisoft has described the game as a return to the roots of the franchise, with a strong focus on linear storytelling and stealth gameplay.

When is Assassin's Creed Mirage coming out?

Assassin's Creed Mirage is set to release on all platforms on October 5, 2023 at a price of $50 for the standard edition. Two special editions will also be available: the Deluxe Edition and the Collector's Case. 

The Deluxe Edition will include Prince of Persia-inspired add-on content, a digital art book, and soundtrack download, and is priced at $60. The Collector's Case includes a physical figurine of hero Basim, a mini-artbook, and much more—and will cost $150.

Who's the hero in Assassin's Creed Mirage?

The protagonist for Assassin's Creed Mirage is Basim Ibn Ishaq, who made his first appearance in 2020’s Valhalla game.

Basim is faster than previous assassins in the franchise. For this reason, Ubisoft has reworked the characters' animations to enforce this sense of speed. Combat is a last resort—instead, he'd rather work in the shadows with his main approach to remain unnoticed.

Where does Assassin's Creed Mirage take place?

We're going to Baghdad all the way back to the year 861, a little over a decade before Assassin's Creed Valhalla was primarily set. During the 9th century, Baghdad was the center of the civilized world, as described by The Guardian,  attracting the best philosophers and scientists during the golden age.

The Baghdad streets are narrow, dense, and packed with obstacles for Basim to tackle. This presents the player with a wide range of opportunities to get out of tight spaces, make up ground on a target, or ascend to the top of a building.

The story will explore Basim Ibn Ishaq's coming-of-age story as he becomes a master assassin from his humble roots as a street thief. After an act of revenge turns sour, Basim flees Baghdad and joins the Hidden Ones—the first official incarnation of the Assassin Brotherhood.

In joining the Hidden Ones, players will enter the Alamut fortress for the first time in Assassin's Creed history, despite it being a key part of the franchise's wider lore. Your core mission is to hunt and eliminate the Order of the Ancients, with the goal of freeing Baghdad of their influence.

What's new in Assassin's Creed Mirage?

Assassin's Creed Mirage's story is set to have a structure that's "much closer to the first Assassin's Creed games," Narrative Director Sarah Beaulieu said, suggesting a more direct path through the tale.

This return to previous games also goes for the gameplay too, with a keen focus on stealth action and fast-paced parkour navigation. Social stealth is back, giving you a new tool to organically blend into the crowd. You'll also be able to bribe merchants and social groups to create new ways to infiltrate guarded areas. 

New tools at gamers disposal include a blowdart, a red smoke bomb, and a detection mine that releases smoke when triggered. Assassin focus is a new ability that will give the player the option to quickly chain together assassinations. However, this won't be available at all times. Instead, you'll have to perform stealth skills to fill up the assassin's focus gauge.

Fast-paced parkour will be your main way of tracking down enemies or getting out of tight situations. This time around, it's all about keeping flow and momentum going while traversing Baghdad—a city designed around verticality. 

While classic Assassin's Creed elements are making a return—like the corner swing, vaulting objects, and high-ground elevators—new elements are being added too. A notable new feature is the pole vault, which will allow you to cross large gaps between rooftops.

The enemy AI has also been reworked, making their reactions more responsive and reasonable, Ubisoft claims. There are also new enemy types, such as the marksman who can shoot down your eagle, and the spearman who will check haystacks with his weapon.

And a small bonus for old-school fans is a feature that lets you play the game with a nostalgic, desaturated, blue-tinted filter—similar to the very first Assassin's Creed game from 2007.

Are you ready to hunt from the shadows? Assassin's Creed Mirage is set to release on all platforms on October 5.