It's another day which means, another cancellation at Ubisoft. The French giant has reportedly pulled the plug on AC League, a cooperative multiplayer Assassin's Creed project in development at its Annecy studio. First detailed by French outlet Origami, the news confirms whispers from last year and underscores the brutal reality of Ubisoft's ongoing "creative reset."
AC League first started life as planned DLC for Assassin's Creed Shadows, the feudal Japan-set entry starring dual protagonists Naoe and Yasuke. It would have featured four players teaming up as assassins for scripted missions, wrapping up the story originally slated for Shadows' now-canceled Season Pass. The ambition grew: developers at Annecy envisioned it as a proof-of-concept for bringing back hybrid solo/multiplayer elements reminiscent of classics like Assassin's Creed Unity's co-op or Black Flag's naval skirmishes and PvP. As work advanced, concerns about timelines led to a pivot. The team decoupled it from Shadows, reimagining AC League as a compact standalone borrowing chunks of that game's open world. An invite-only alpha was even lined up for May 2026.
That future is gone now. Leadership at Annecy got the ax last week, making AC League the latest casualty in Ubisoft's scramble to stabilize finances. The company has shuttered studios, like the unionized Halifax team behind Assassin's Creed Rebellion, laid off hundreds, and scrapped six projects including the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake. They've slashed fiscal guidance, handing reins of flagship series Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six to Vantage Studios - a new Ubisoft entity with a 25% Tencent stake for more autonomy. Quarterly earnings drop on February 11th, where investors will gauge if the bloodletting works. So keep your ears open for more updates then if not earlier.
There's a faint silver lining however. A small group from Annecy's 270-strong team will port key tech advancements into Ubisoft's Anvil engine. The goal? Streamline replayable multiplayer for future Assassin's Creed games without breaking the bank. Vantage, overseeing the franchise, could pitch these modes down the line. Still, over a quarter of Annecy staff sit idle, fueling layoff jitters.
Assassin's Creed multiplayer has a storied, if rocky, past. From Brotherhood's tense PvP hunts to Unity's buggy-but-brilliant co-op, it added replayability to the series' stealth-action core. Black Flag blended sea battles with competitive modes, while recent entries like Valhalla and Mirage went fully single-player. AC League could have bridged that gap, especially with Shadows' dual-character focus lending itself to squad play. Instead, it joins XDefiant and others in Ubisoft's scrap heap.
Ubisoft has yet to give public comments about the game cancelation, but the pattern is clear. As Shadows launched to mixed buzz on its solo strengths, fans wonder if multiplayer's exile is permanent. Salvaged tech offers hope, yet Annecy's anxiety mirrors an industry in flux. With earnings looming, Ubisoft must prove this reset reignites the franchise - not just douses more flames. For now, co-op Assassins Creed remains a dream that is not yet reality.
What are your thoughts on the canceled game? Do you think a co-op Assassin's Creed game is what the franchise needs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! As always, stay tuned to Gamefragger.com for more video game related news and updates!