Assassin’s Creed Mirage Release Date,Price and Gameplay Details

You’ve been waiting patiently for Ubisoft to announce the next Assassin’s Creed game after the massive Valhalla, and the wait is finally over. Assassin’s Creed Mirage is officially on the way, and it’s shaping up to be an exciting return to the series’ roots. Set in 9th-century Baghdad, Mirage will let you embody the role of a stealthy assassin during the Islamic Golden Age. If you’ve been longing for the glory days of the very first Assassin’s Creed games, it looks like Mirage is going to deliver.

What Is Assassin’s Creed Mirage? A Return to the Series' Roots

Assassin's Creed Mirage is shaping up to be a return to the series' roots. Set in 9th century Baghdad, you'll play as Basim Ibn Ishaq, a cocky young thief who joins the Hidden Ones, the precursor to the Assassin Brotherhood.

A Familiar Style of Gameplay

Mirage will feature classic Assassin's Creed gameplay, focusing on stealth, parkour, and assassination. You'll sneak through the city, climb buildings, and take out targets up close with your hidden blade. No RPG mechanics or dialog choices here - Mirage is meant to evoke the style of the first Assassin's Creed games.

The map will include iconic locations from 9th century Baghdad, like the House of Wisdom and the Grand Mosque of al-Mansur. As Basim, you'll run across rooftops, hide in crowds, and uncover the city's secrets as you complete missions for the Hidden Ones. Expect challenging stealth sequences and plenty of opportunities for creative assassinations.

A New Era to Explore

While the gameplay is old-school, the setting is fresh. 9th century Baghdad was a center of learning and culture during the Islamic Golden Age. As an Assassin operating in the city, you'll interact with historical figures like the Caliph al-Mu'tasim and encounter scholars, merchants, and others who made the city prosperous.

Mirage has the potential to explore an era rarely seen in games and give players insight into life during the Islamic Golden Age. Combined with traditional Assassin's Creed gameplay, Mirage could be a winning combination of the familiar and the new. After years of more RPG-focused entries, Mirage may be just the course correction Assassin's Creed needs.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage Release Date and Platforms

Ubisoft surprised fans by announcing Assassin's Creed Mirage during its Forward event in September 2022. The next installment in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, Mirage is meant to be a return to the series’ roots set in Baghdad during the late-9th century.

Release Date and Platforms

Assassin’s Creed Mirage will launch in 2023 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Stadia. There is official release date October 5, 2023.

When it does release, Mirage will likely cost the standard $59.99 USD for next-gen console versions and PC, with PS4 and Xbox One versions possibly slightly cheaper. You'll also likely be able to purchase special editions with extra content for a premium and find discounts if you pre-order.

AC Mirage is meant to evoke earlier games like AC1 and the Ezio trilogy, focusing on traditional stealth gameplay and assassination missions within a large open city. After multiple entries of RPG-inspired mechanics, dialog options, and fantasy elements, Mirage will take the franchise back to basics. You’ll once again play solely as an Assassin in a historical Middle Eastern setting, stalking targets and using stealth and melee combat to take them out.

While more details are still to come, Assassin’s Creed Mirage looks to be a promising return to the roots of Ubisoft’s long-running stealth action franchise. After 15 years and many entries, it may be just what the series needs. Fans of the classic Assassin’s Creed experience should be eagerly awaiting its 2023 release.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage Setting and Story Details

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is set to take players back to Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age, around 861 AD. You’ll explore the city as Basim Ibn Ishaq, one of the first assassins in the Brotherhood. The game is meant to celebrate the early years of the franchise by returning to the series’ roots in the Middle East.

Story and Setting Details

The story of Mirage will center around Basim, a street thief with mysterious origins, as he navigates ninth-century Baghdad. Little is known about the main plot so far, but Basim will encounter historical figures like the Abbasid Caliph Al-Musta'in and meet other assassins like his mentor Roshan. The game aims to showcase Basim's transformation into a master assassin.

Baghdad at this time was a center of culture, trade, and power in the Muslim world. As Basim, you'll get to explore the city in all its glory, climbing minarets, infiltrating palaces, and dashing over rooftops. Key landmarks like the House of Wisdom library and the Grand Mosque of Baghdad are likely to feature prominently. The devs have described Mirage as a "love letter" to fans of the first Assassin's Creed game, indicating a return to more grounded, historically-focused storytelling and gameplay.

Overall, Mirage looks set to provide an exciting glimpse into the early days of the Assassin Brotherhood in a richly detailed recreation of 9th century Baghdad. While still mysterious, its story and setting have the potential to revitalize the franchise by honoring its roots. If Mirage can deliver the intrigue and atmosphere of the first Assassin's Creed, it'll surely satisfy long-time fans and newcomers alike.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage Gameplay Rundown

Assassin’s Creed Mirage will bring back classic Assassin’s Creed gameplay, focusing on stealth, parkour, and assassinations. If you’ve been longing for the series to return to its roots, Mirage aims to deliver.

Navigation and Parkour

You’ll once again be navigating historical city streets, scaling buildings, and leaping across rooftops as a nimble assassin. Mirage reintroduces a streamlined version of the parkour system from early Assassin’s Creed titles, allowing you to quickly climb, run and jump across the city of Baghdad.

Stealth and Assassinations

Stealth will again play a major role in Mirage, requiring you to sneak through heavily guarded areas without being detected. You’ll need to study guard patrols, hide in crowds, and use environmental distractions to your advantage. When the time is right, strike from the shadows to silently assassinate your target before disappearing again.

Weapons and Combat

You’ll have access to a variety of weapons for both stealth assassinations and open combat, including the iconic hidden blade, sword, daggers and throwing knives. While combat will be an option, stealth is still the preferred approach for an assassin. When fighting breaks out, a simplified combat system will allow you to take on multiple opponents at once and dispatch them quickly.

Modern Day Storyline

The modern-day storyline will continue in Mirage, with references to previous games connecting the historical setting to the present. However, Mirage aims to focus primarily on the historical narrative set in 9th century Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age. The modern-day segments will be more minimal, acting mainly as short transitional periods between the historical open world gameplay.

If you’ve been wanting Assassin’s Creed to get back to basics, Mirage looks to be a return to the series’ roots with its emphasis on navigation, stealth and assassinations in a historical open world. While still connected to the broader modern-day Assassins vs Templars storyline, Mirage puts the focus squarely on classic Assassin’s Creed gameplay.

Stealth and Parkour Mechanics in Assassin's Creed Mirage

The stealth and parkour mechanics in Assassin’s Creed Mirage are said to be going back to the series’ roots. According to early reports, Mirage will focus more on actual assassinations and stealth gameplay versus the RPG elements of recent titles like Odyssey and Valhalla.

Stealth

As an assassin, stealth is your greatest weapon. Mirage will emphasize stalking targets from the shadows, blending into crowds, and using diversions to avoid detection. Instead of open combat, you’ll rely on stealth kills, hiding bodies, and escaping without raising an alarm. Familiar stealth tools like smoke bombs, throwing knives, and the hidden blade will aid you in your clandestine missions.

Parkour

Parkour, or freerunning, allows you to traverse environments in innovative ways. In Mirage, you’ll be able to scale buildings, leap across rooftops, slide under obstacles, and grab onto ledges to navigate the city. The parkour system is said to be more fluid and immersive than previous games. You’ll feel the weight and momentum of your assassin as you swiftly climb, run, and jump over the landscape. Parkour paths will be more integrated into levels, allowing multiple routes to your objectives.

According to early reports and leaks, the city of Basra in Mirage has been built specifically with stealth and parkour in mind. Narrow alleyways, dense crowds, rooftop gardens, and minarets provide ample opportunities for you to use your assassin skills. Levels will have more verticality, encouraging you to think in three dimensions as you plot your course.

While we don’t have official confirmation yet, it seems Mirage will deliver an experience focused on the core pillars of the Assassin’s Creed franchise: stealth, parkour, and assassination. A return to basics with the stealth and movement mechanics that made the early AC games so compelling. If the rumors are true, Mirage may well be a welcome surprise for long-time fans of the series.

Combat and Progression Systems Overview

Combat in Assassin’s Creed Mirage should feel familiar to longtime fans of the series. According to reports, the game will focus more on stealth and assassination, harkening back to the gameplay of early Assassin’s Creed titles.

Melee Combat

You’ll likely rely on a variety of melee weapons for stealth kills and open combat, such as hidden blades, swords, daggers. Combat is said to emphasize parrying, dodging, and counterattacking. Chaining attacks together in quick succession may allow you to unleash brutal finishing moves.

Ranged Combat

In keeping with the classic Assassin’s Creed formula, ranged weapons such as throwing knives, darts and the iconic “phantom blade” hidden gun will probably allow you to assassinate targets from a distance or create distractions.

###Progression

To become a master assassin, you’ll need to hone your skills. Completing missions, discovering locations, and assassinating targets may award you experience points to spend on new abilities and gear. Investing points in skill trees focused on stealth, combat and traversal will allow you to learn new techniques like ledge assassinations, smoke bombs and grabbing enemies from hiding spots.

Finding rare artifacts and looting chests could unlock schematics to craft improved armor and weapons. Tailoring your gear to match your playstyle may give you an edge in your quest for vengeance.

While details on Mirage’s progression systems are still scarce, the return to a more traditional Assassin’s Creed experience suggests a focus on honing your skills as a stealthy killer through practice and investment in your character’s abilities, weapons and armor. Combat abilities could provide new ways to approach each assassination, creating opportunities for replayability.

If Mirage ends up resembling early Assassin’s Creed titles like AC II and Brotherhood, leveling up your abilities and acquiring the tools of the assassin’s trade should be deeply rewarding. Only by fully embracing the role of a lethal assassin may you find the closure you seek.

Key Features and Modes in Assassin’s Creed Mirage

Assassin’s Creed Mirage promises to bring back many of the features that made the early AC games so beloved, with a focus on stealth, parkour, and assassinations. Here are some of the key features and modes you can expect in Mirage:

Stealth mechanics

• Sneak through the shadows, hide in haystacks and blend into crowds to avoid detection. The stealth gameplay that defined early AC titles is making a comeback.

Parkour movement

• Freely traverse the city of Baghdad using Mirage’s improved parkour system. Climb buildings, leap across rooftops and find new paths to your target.

Assassinations

• As an assassin, your goal is to eliminate key targets while avoiding open combat. Study your targets, learn their routines and find the right moment to strike using your hidden blade.

Modern day sequences

• Mirage will continue the modern-day storyline, with players controlling Basilisk, a member of the Assassin cell in the present. How these sequences connect Mirage to the broader AC universe remains to be seen.

Side missions

• In addition to the main story, Mirage will offer side missions like assassinating targets of opportunity, pickpocketing valuables, or rescuing civilians. Completing side missions provides extra experience and gear.

Customization

• Choose from a variety of outfits, weapons and gear to suit your playstyle. You can also upgrade and improve your equipment over time using resources gathered from missions.

Difficulty levels

• For players who want an extra challenge, Mirage offers adjustable difficulty levels. Raising the difficulty improves your opponents’ awareness and combat skills for a more realistic experience.

With its focus on the core pillars of the AC franchise and the open world of 9th century Baghdad to explore, Assassin’s Creed Mirage looks poised to recapture the magic of the early games in the series. We’ll have to wait until its planned 2023 release to experience all Mirage has to offer.

How Much Will Assassin’s Creed Mirage Cost?

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is expected to launch sometime in 2023, though Ubisoft has not announced an official release date yet. As for pricing, if it follows the model of recent AC titles, you can expect Assassin’s Creed Mirage to cost between $50 to $60 at launch.

• Standard Edition: The base game will likely cost $59.99 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. This will include the full Assassin’s Creed Mirage experience with Basim as the protagonist set in 9th-century Baghdad.

• Deluxe and Gold Editions: For $69.99 to $99.99, special editions may include extras like a season pass, exclusive missions, weapons, outfits, and other digital content. These provide more in-game goodies for hardcore AC fans and collectors.

• Season Pass: If Mirage follows the model of Valhalla, a season pass for around $40 could include major post-launch DLC expansions, gear, and other bonuses released over time. The pass may save you money compared to buying expansions individually.

• In-Game Purchases: While the main game should not include loot boxes or pay-to-win mechanics, Ubisoft may sell optional gear, outfits, weapons, and other digital items for real money after launch. These provide ways to further customize the experience but are not required to progress.

As with any AAA game release these days, various retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, and Ubisoft’s own store will likely offer pre-order bonuses, discounts for buying early, and special editions with physical collectibles. Waiting a few months after launch may net you the best price through sales on the digital console stores or third-party key sellers. But if you want to experience Assassin’s Creed Mirage on day one, pre-ordering from your preferred retailer is the way to go.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage FAQ: Answering Your Biggest Questions

When will Assassin’s Creed Mirage release?

Ubisoft hasn’t announced an official release date for Assassin’s Creed Mirage yet. Given that the game was only just announced in September 2022, we expect it to launch sometime in 2023, possibly in the first half of the year. The good news is Mirage will release for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Luna, so you'll have options on how you want to play.

How much will Assassin’s Creed Mirage cost?

Pricing details haven’t been revealed yet for Assassin’s Creed Mirage. We anticipate the standard edition will retail for $59.99 in the US, £54.99 in the UK, and $89.95 in Australia, in line with recent entries in the franchise. There will likely also be deluxe and collector’s editions with physical items, DLC and season passes available at a higher cost.

What do we know about the gameplay so far?

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is said to be a return to the series’ roots, focusing on stealth and assassinations. Set in Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age, you’ll play as Basim Ibn Ishaq, a cunning street thief-turned-Assassin seeking revenge against the city's corrupt elite. Gameplay will center around parkour, stealth combat and assassination missions in an open world.

Ubisoft has said Mirage will have a strong emphasis on “the art of assassination and parkour”. You can expect to scale buildings, sneak through enemy compounds and orchestrate assassinations of key targets. Basim will have a variety of tools and weapons at his disposal, from hidden blades and throwing knives to smoke bombs for stealthy escapes.

While we have some idea of what to expect based on Ubisoft's comments, full details on Assassin’s Creed Mirage’s gameplay mechanics, story, open world map and additional features will be revealed closer to launch. Stay tuned for more info!

Conclusion

So there you have it, everything we know so far about Assassin’s Creed Mirage. It looks like Ubisoft is taking the franchise back to its roots with a more stealth-focused game set in 9th-century Baghdad. You’ll once again play as a master assassin, this time as Basim Ibn Ishaq, and carry out assassinations and parkour across the city. The smaller scope and classic gameplay are exciting for long-time fans who fell in love with the early games. Mirage is shaping up to be an old-school Assassin’s Creed experience. Now all that’s left is for Ubisoft to announce an official release date so you can start planning your return to the Animus. The hidden blade is calling.