Ubisoft is bringing Assassin’s Creed to the theatre, with ‘urban parkour and choreographed combat.’
While video game movies are all the rage nowadays, many games have been adapted for the theatre as well. This is a far more common practice in Japan, though, with franchises like Persona, Ace Attorney, and Danganronpa all turned into full on musicals.
Aside from an unofficial parody of The Oregon Trail, stage plays based on video games have never really been a thing in the West, but Ubisoft is breaking new ground with its Assassin’s Creed franchise.
It’s not a musical (you can decide whether that’s a pro or a con), but Assassin’s Creed is seeing a stage adaptation, albeit one not based on any game in particular, not even the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced.
Titled Heredis Echoes Of The Past (Ubisoft sure is allergic to semicolons lately), it’ll star a brand-new character called Naël, who is searching for his missing father, according to the show’s website.
It sounds like Ubisoft is revisiting the modern day aspects of Assassin’s Creed, that the games have been gradually moving away from, although it will still involve ‘a series of trials across different historical eras.’
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‘On stage, 17 performers combine acrobatics, urban parkour, choreographed combat, and physical feats within immersive environments from Assassin’s Creed video games, drawing audiences deep into the past,’ reads the website’s blurb.
It also sounds like it won’t be as violent as the games, as the show is billed as being suitable for ages seven and upwards. Ironic, since any kids who enjoy the show won’t be allowed to buy any of the games.
The show is scheduled to premiere in Montréal, Canada (appropriate since Ubisoft Montréal is the main developer of the Assassin’s Creed series) on December 3, followed by a European premiere in Paris on January 21, 2027.
There’s no word on whether Ubisoft will bring the show anywhere else in the world but considering Assassin’s Creed is one of the company’s flagship franchises, it might go on a world tour if it’s popular.
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In related news, former Ubisoft director Clint Hocking has announced his own studio dubbed Build Machine Games. A LinkedIn post by Hocking says, ‘We aspire to expand the expressive range and power of the medium with emotionally resonant, socially relevant games that challenge players’ perspectives, pre-conceptions and empathy as much as their reasoning and reflexes.’
Hocking was the creative director behind Assassin’s Creed Hexe, the next mainline entry in the series, but he suddenly departed Ubisoft just a few months ago, with Jean Guesdon (who also directed the original Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag) taking over.
Last month, game director Benoit Richer also left Ubisoft and around 50 developers were reportedly moved off the project. It’s possible, then, that Hexe has undergone some drastic changes, with rumours that despite being themed around witch trials, all the magical elements have now been removed.
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