E3 2023 is set to be one of the strangest years in the event's long history, with all three of the big players, Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo, all confirming that they won't make an appearance during this year's conference. While the big three aren't showing up, E3 2023 still has a few big publishers up its sleeve, and one of those is Ubisoft, whose CEO has just announced that it will likely host a showcase to tie in with the event later this year. While a lot of Ubisoft's future titles are still up in the air right now, Assassin's Creed Mirage is one title that's definitely coming, and it's sure to have a big spot in Ubisoft's E3 showcase.
Ubisoft has always used E3 to showcase its upcoming line-up of titles, whether it's on the show floor's stages, behind closed doors, on a live stream, or all three. Usually titled Ubisoft Forward, these June showcases are used to announce upcoming games and give updates to those in development, and this year, Assassin's Creed Mirage is set to take center stage.
What Could Ubisoft's E3 Assassin's Creed Mirage Presentation Look Like?
The Assassin's Creed franchise has a long history with E3. The very first game in the series, simply titled Assassin's Creed, was first revealed during E3 2006, and since then just about Assassin's Creed entry has held off its announcement until E3. At E3 2009, Assassin's Creed 2 was revealed in full, with a fairly lengthy 9-minute gameplay demo being shown on stage that detailed the game's story, its characters, and some of its gameplay improvements. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood received a similar on-stage demo in 2010, with the devs playing the opening sequence of the game live for the audience. Just a year later, in 2011, the Ezio trilogy's final installment was announced at E3 with a now-iconic cinematic trailer.
At E3 2012, an extended gameplay trailer for Assassin's Creed 3 was shown off, detailing the game's new protagonist Connor Kenway and its take on free-running in the wilderness. A deep-dive for Assassin's Creed 4 was then shown just a year later, and 2014 saw Assassin's Creed Unity get its worldwide premiere. 2016 brought something a little different for the franchise, with Ubisoft instead focusing its showcase on the Assassin's Creed movie, which ended up flopping pretty hard. Assassin's Creed Origins and Assassin's Creed Odyssey were also revealed during E3, though Valhalla had to forego the event due to the pandemic.
For the last 17 years, Assassin's Creed has had a prominent presence at E3, and it seems as though 2023's event is going to be no different. With a lot of Ubisoft's in-development titles reportedly being canceled or delayed, the Assassin's Creed franchise is more important for the publisher than ever, and it's sure to have a big spotlight in this year's Ubisoft Forward showcase. With Assassin's Creed Mirage already having been announced, it seems likely that it'll get a full gameplay demo at this year's E3, just like previous entries in the franchise have. During this demo, fans can expect to see a full breakdown of Assassin's Creed Mirage's new story, characters, and its apparent shift towards more stealthy gameplay.
Additionally, Assassin's Creed Mirage is currently slated for a broad 2023 release window, and according to some recent rumors, it could even arrive as early as August. If this turns out to be true, then fans can expect to see a lot from Assassin's Creed Mirage both during E3 and after it, with Ubisoft likely wanting to push the game's marketing hard that close to release.
Assassin's Creed Mirage is currently in development.