Though Assassin's Creed Mirage has since received its official title, fans can look back to its earlier working name Assassin's Creed Rift to try and glean potential clues to the game's story ahead of its launch planned for 2023. This stems from Ubisoft's recent trend of providing code names or early conceptual titles to tease its current Assassin's Creed projects, with the recent likes of Assassin's Creed Red and Assassin's Creed Jade joining the series' future releases. But while some codenames can be self-explanatory, it's the likes of Assassin's Creed Valhalla and its original codename that help fuel speculation around Assassin's Creed Mirage.
Prior to confirming its official title, Valhalla was given the working name Assassin's Creed Kingdom, something which fans noted was a contrast between the strong Viking theme that the game ultimately settled upon. Since "Kingdom" could have given possible hints to Valhalla in early development, so too could "Rift" for Mirage. Between what players already know about the upcoming standalone game centered around Basim and how Mirage might connect to Valhalla, "Rift" could further expand fans' expectations for what Mirage might introduce to Assassin's Creed's lore and canon.
Other Codenames in Assassin's Creed
Among the multiple upcoming projects announced for the series alongside Assassin's Creed Mirage, several other games were given preliminary working titles that give players an early indication as to what each game will be about. Assassin's Creed Red and Assassin's Creed Jade are the best examples of this idea, where "Red" might be based on the Japanese flag and reflects the game's feudal Japanese setting, while "Jade" ties to China's long-standing relationship with jade sculpture, jewelry, and other artifacts or decor. However, Mirage's "Rift" isn't as straightforward as these instances, forcing speculation to turn to other codenames.
Alongside Jade and Red was Assassin's Creed Hexe as another upcoming project, and while its name has led many to suspect it will be inspired by history of witchcraft across medieval Europe, it's similar to "Rift" in that it's difficult to confidently discern fully what it will mean for the game. Instead, even earlier examples of working titles then such as "Kingdom" for Assassin's Creed Valhalla serve as better starting points for speculation. For instance, "Kingdom" was likely an early indication that Valhalla would be set within the expanding Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Britain during the Dark Ages.
Deciphering What Rift Means For Mirage
In light of revelations such as Mirage was planned to be Valhalla DLC before it expanded beyond its initial scope, it's possible that "Rift" could have been a placeholder to signify the gap between it and the rest of the Assassin's Creed series. This is supported by additional confirmation that Mirage would parallel the first Assassin's Creed and be a return to tradition in setting, gameplay, and story, meaning "Rift" was an acknowledgment of the series' evolution over the years. Since Mirage was directly influenced by Valhalla and in recognition of this "Rift", it could be an attempt to harmonize the older games with the new.
However, comparing the official title Valhalla with its codename "Kingdom," it's easy to see the connections between medieval Anglo-Saxon Britain to the Vikings. This means that "Rift" could also tie to Mirage and hide clues connecting the two. With what's known so far about Mirage's plot, it seems that the word "Mirage" is being used for various meanings, from the visions Basim experiences akin to mirage as an illusion or hallucination, or mirage as an unattainable idea or hope which could work back to "Rift." The game's story, therefore, might have a strong focus on Basim's backstory and his visions instead of the Brotherhood of Assassins overall.
Assassin's Creed Mirage is planned for release in 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.