Assassin’s Creed: Mirage depicts main character Basim as a “gangster” who has “mental issues” according to the art director of developer Ubisoft Bordeaux, as the stealth RPG series leaves behind Valhalla and surges forward with Codename Red, Codename Hexe, and Assassin’s Creed: Infinity.
Basim previously featured as a companion to Eivor in Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla but will now star as the central protagonist in the upcoming Assassin’s Creed: Mirage, due to release in 2023. Set in ninth-century Baghdad, the game follows Basim’s initial induction into the Assassins and is set to focus more on stealth gameplay than its RPG-centred predecessors.
The game’s narrative director, Sarah Beaulieu, has previously discussed how Mirage will take inspiration from specific elements of Arabic and Islamic folklore, but now Jean-Luc Sala, art director with Ubisoft Bordeaux, has offered more details on the nature and personality of Basim, who is said to be struggling with a range of internal conflicts.
“At the beginning, he’s over-confident,” explains Sala, in an interview with YouTube channel Access the Animus. “He’s a little bit cocky. He’s a street thief. He’s a gangster. As well as his mastery, he is also discovering he has issues – mental issues and doubts about who he really is, and that’s the conflict within the story. His life is going to be a bit complicated.”
Mirage follows Basim’s journey from a 17-year-old living rough in Baghdad to joining the Assassins and being mentored by Roshan, voiced by 24 and Star Trek Beyond actor Shohreh Aghdashloo. As well as the character’s persona, Sala explains some of the key tenets behind the next Assassin’s Creed.
“Historical setting, more grounded, less mythology,” Sala says. “Trying to remember and celebrate what we loved and what is part of the collective memory of what AC is.” Mirage will launch ahead of Codename Red, set in feudal Japan, and the enigmatic Codename Hexe, which is potentially focused on witch trials in 16th-century Europe. Those two games will form part of Ubisoft’s long-term online hub Assassin’s Creed: Infinity, which the developer says may also reintroduce the dedicated multiplayer modes last seen in Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag.
While we wait for more news on Mirage, Infinity, and the potential return of Assassin’s Creed multiplayer, you might want to try something else from our list of the best sandbox games, or maybe the best stealth games and best multiplayer games on PC. You can also get the most out of AC: Valhalla with our Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla beginner’s guide, which will help you build and improve your settlements.