Ezio Auditore Da Firenze is back, and he’s showing up in a tower defense game about demons.
Watcher of Realms, the high-fantasy tactical role-playing game, has announced an official collaboration with Assassin’s Creed. Several of the series’ protagonists are coming along for the ride, with Ezio front and center.
The whole thing goes live globally on August 20.
Five Assassins walk into a demon crisis
The update brings in five of the more recognizable characters from across the franchise: Ezio, Eivor, Kassandra, Bayek and Evie Frye. They enter the game’s world for a limited-time story.
The setup is that all five will be working together to reclaim the corrupted power of the Demon Tide before the crisis on the continent of Tya gets any worse. It’s a lot of centuries of Assassin expertise pointed at one supernatural problem.
And yes, they’ll fight alongside the game’s existing cast, which already includes Anubis, Surtr and Hades. Make of that lineup what you will.
The mode is called Assassin’s Code
On the tangible front, the main focus of the release is a mode known as Assassin’s Code. As the name suggests, it’s about using your stealth skills and timing to progress.
If you don’t know the game: Watcher of Realms blends real-time tower defense mechanics with hero collection. Thematically you’re mostly up against demons, and there’s a huge range of characters to pick from, with over 250 unique heroes across 10 distinct factions.
Developer Moonton hasn’t been shy about the scale here. You won’t have long to wait to see what it’s actually put together.
Why it’s Ezio and not somebody else
Assassin’s Creed has cycled through a lot of protagonists over the years, and quite a few genuinely stand out. Bayek and Kassandra are real high points of the RPG turn. Altair, silent and stoic in the series’ opening outing, still holds up.
But for most people who’ve followed the franchise for a long time, nobody comes close to Ezio. He carried players through three of the best games the series has produced.
He’s been firmly in the rear-view mirror for a while. He’s also still remembered fondly enough that any appearance pulls existing fans back in, which is exactly the bet being made here.
Meanwhile, Project Hexe is doing something strange
The next Assassin’s Creed project coming down the pipeline is Project Hexe. It was set to be very different from anything we’d seen previously, with heavy elements of magic woven in.
Rumors are now swirling that this has been significantly changed, and we might be in for a much more traditional experience than we otherwise would have gotten. Take that for what it is: rumor.
The franchise that keeps expanding sideways
Assassin’s Creed is a multimedia franchise developed by Ubisoft, starting with the release of the first video game in 2007. It’s set in an open world and revolves around the centuries-old conflict between the Assassins, who fight for peace with free will, and the Templars, who want peace through control.
The games are known for their historical settings, intricate narratives, and gameplay that combines action, adventure, stealth and parkour. Over time the series has stretched into novels, comics, films and upcoming TV series, making it one of the most influential and recognizable franchises in gaming.
Which is how you end up with a 15th-century Florentine noble standing next to Hades, defending a continent called Tya from a tide of demons.
