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Assassin’s Creed Codename Jade: Everything We Know
Ubisoft is on the verge of bringing Ancient China—a setting that fans have been longing for since, I don’t know, forever—to the Assassin’s Creed timeline, courtesy of the aptly titled Codename Jade. The only real downside to this terrific news is that, you know, it’s exclusive to mobile devices. Now, whether that tickles your fancy or not is another question, yet the fact of the matter is, fans of the saga are beyond stoked to finally get a whiff of that sweet, sweet historical nectar.
So, what do we know about Codename Jade, other than the fact it’ll be heading to Android and iOS at some point in the not-so distant future? Well, here’s everything we’ve been able to collect on the subject, right down to its leading heroes and the gameplay style itself. Assassin’s Creed Codename Jade: just what is it, and how will it look to reinvent the wheel on a much smaller scale? Let’s talk.
What Is Assassin’s Creed Codename Jade?
In case you missed the initial announcement that aired just short of a year ago, Assassin’s Creed Codename Jade is an upcoming open word stealth-adventure game—a love letter, of sorts, to the traditional entries in the Assassin’s Creed saga. This time, however, the series will cast its focus on Ancient China — during the Qin Dynasty, in 215 B.C., to be precise.
“This is a very exciting part of China’s history,” said Andrei Chan, executive producer at Level Infinite. “This is the establishment of essentially the first empire of China. It was also a time when the connection between China and the rest of the world was stronger than ever.”
The good news is, Codename Jade will be a free-to-play title, which means you’ll be able to get your hands on a copy via the Play Store or App Store the moment it drops — without any cheeky tie-ins. That is, of course, providing it isn’t latched to a slew of in-game transactions (which it probably will, thinking about it.) Either way, here’s hoping they won’t lean to heavily on pay-to-win schemes and instead offer them up as optional and purely cosmetic.
Story
Codename Jade will take place between the events of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Assassin’s Creed Origins, in the imperial city of Xianyang—“one of the first unified empires in China.” You will follow the path of Xia, a noble warrior who’s despatched to unravel a thread of conspiracies surrounding not only the betrayal of one of their closest friends, but a powerful force that looms between the shadows of the ever-changing society. From the Great Wall to Xianyang, a new journey will come to light, and it’ll be you who takes the steps and becomes the guiding light that the people of China call out for.
Gameplay
Ubisoft has promised fans of the series that Codename Jade will feature all the same signature gameplay elements as seen in previous iterations. What this means, really, is that there will be plenty of open world exploration, parkour-littered maneuvers, stealth-based combat, and of course, more than enough towering landmarks to synchronize with. All of this will come wrapped up in one of the most sought-after settings in video game history — Ancient China. In the province of Shaanxi, to narrow it down.
According to the devs, Codename Jade will also include the series’ first-ever avatar creator, which will allow players to mold Xia into a warrior of their own design. Whether this means there’ll also be a number of purchasable weapons and cosmetics remains unclear, though given the fact that it’s a free-to-play game, we’d be surprised if there isn’t one or two lavish prizes hidden behind a paywall of some sort.
Development
Step into ancient China and journey through 2000 years of history.
Play @AC_CodenameJade during the upcoming Closed Beta Test: August 3-11Register now: https://t.co/rKOuwJcQzC pic.twitter.com/aOrY121ZOU
— Assassin's Creed (@assassinscreed) July 18, 2023
Ubisoft and Level Infinite announced its plans to bring Codename Jade to mobile back in 2022, at Ubisoft Forward, the studio’s annual showcase that teases all its upcoming projects. Since then, Jade has slipped into an Alpha phase, as well as shed light on a closed Beta, which is currently scheduled to go live on August 3, 2023. You can sign up to that here.
Trailer
Thanks to the Ubisoft Forward event that aired back in 2022, we do actually have a clearer idea of what Codename Jade will at least look like, and, moreover, how its gameplay will compare to its console counterparts. You can check out the most recent trailer that was featured at Ubisoft Forward 2023 above.
Release Date, Platforms & Editions
At the time of writing, Ubisoft has yet to formally announce the release date for Codename Jade. That said, given the fact that there’s already a Beta for it, chances are it’ll be nearing the end of its development cycle sooner than later. But as for when it’ll launch is still anybody’s guess at this point. Rumor has it that, with Assassin’s Creed Mirage set to release in late 2023, Codename Jade will look to release in 2024, if only to avoid stealing its thunder during the same timeframe. But again, who knows? Maybe we’ll see it grace the system sooner than we’d initially expected?
So, where exactly does this leave us in regards to seeing a console or PC port jolt to fruition? Well, not anywhere great, as it turns out. Rather frustratingly, Ubisoft has made it clear that Codename Jade will be keeping ahold of its mobile-friendly skin for the foreseeable future. In other words, if you had any hopes of seeing it come to Xbox, PlayStation, or Steam — then you may want to reconsider your options.
If you’re interested in staying up to date with Codename Jade, then be sure to check in with the official Assassin’s Creed social feed for all the latest updates here. If anything happens to change ahead of its debut on mobile devices, then we’ll be sure to fill you in on all the key details right here on gaming.net.
So, what’s your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Assassin’s Creed Codename Jade when it eventually comes to Android and iOS? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.
