Assassin's Creed Valhalla Creative Director Ashraf Ismail has recently announced that he will no longer be working on the game, and that he will be stepping down from the project for personal reasons. This information was shared on Ismail's official Twitter account earlier today, but the tweet has since been deleted.
"I am stepping down from my beloved project to properly deal with the personal issues in my life. The lives of my family and my own are shattered. I am deeply sorry to everyone hurt in this," read Ismail's now-deleted tweet.
For those of you wondering, Ismail's tweet makes allusion to a wave of #metoo allegations of infidelity that surfaced this past weekend, and about him lying about his marital status — which is likely what prompted either him to leave the project, or Ubisoft to lay him off.
Ubisoft then issued a statement in which they refer to Ismail's situation, and reassuring fans of the Assassin's Creed series that the development team is still committed to the project.
"Ashraf Ismail is stepping down from the project to take a leave of absence. The development team is committed to delivering a great game in Assassin's Creed Valhalla," read Ubisoft's statement.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla still hasn't been given an official release date, although Ubisoft has mentioned that the game will be launching at some point this Holiday. This incident with Ismail is very unlikely to delay the project, but we'll still keep an eye out for news pertaining the upcoming title.
In Assassin’s Creed® Valhalla, you are Eivor, a fierce Viking warrior raised on tales of battle and glory. Explore a dynamic and beautiful open world set against the brutal backdrop of England’s Dark Ages. Raid your enemies, grow your settlement, and build your political power in your quest to earn your place among the gods in Valhalla.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla is expected to release for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC, and Stadia this Holiday.