Summary
Assassin’s Creedis about to enter the next leg of its ever-evolving journey later this year, with the next mainline entry,Assassin’s Creed Shadowsdropping this Fall. Ubisoft’s tentpole stealth-action series has plotted a path through nearly 20 years, iterating on its core loops and mechanics throughout while expanding the story of the millennia-long conflict between the Templars and Assassins by introducing more elaborate lore with each subsequent entry. And recently,Assassin’s Creedmade the leap into another format, in the form of a set for Wizards of the Coast’s long-running CCG,Magic: The Gathering.
Magic: The Gatheringitself has been around even longer thanAssassin’s Creed, steadily releasing new collections that build upon its own richly detailed Multiverse of magical planes. In 2021, Wizards of the Coast introduced the Secret Lair and later,Universes Beyond projects, which sought to bring a number of other popular properties, including, among others:Doctor Who,The Walking Dead, andStranger Thingsinto the realm ofMTG.It was almost inevitable then that this would eventually expand to encompass videogame worlds and characters, andACis now the latest to receive the treatment. With the hype forAC Shadowsramping up as well as some of the other known and rumored entries in the works, the franchise’s crossover withMTGcomes at a favorable time.
Magic: The Gathering’s upcoming main story set,Bloomburrow,will dropAugust 2, 2024, whileAssassin’s Creed Shadowswill release onNovember 15, 2024.
Assassin’s Creed’s Magic: The Gathering Collaboration Strikes at a Great Moment
Magic: The Gathering is on a Streak of High-Profile Videogame Collaborations
In addition to theAssassin’s Creedset, among the past and upcoming videogame-related collections thatMagic: The Gatheringhas featured, these include:
These crossovers serve as a great way to introduce fans who may have previously been unfamiliar with one property to the other, while providing excellent content for those who are already well-versed in both. TheACset includes within it two ready-to-play standard decks designed to highlight recognizable aspects translated intoMagic: The Gathering’s mechanics and rules.
The cards depict some of the mosticonicAssassin’s Creedcharacters, locations, and items, and adapt them intoMTGmechanics and abilities that reflect the nature of the world and elements seen across the games. One other neat touch unique to theACset is certain cards being printed in languages native to the related characters, for example, an Italian text version of Leonardo da Vinci.
The Assassin’s Creed x Magic: The Gathering Crossover Gives the Former a Big Boost
Assassin’s Creed Shadowswill finally bring fans to the feudal-era Japansetting that many have long wished for prior to its reveal, and thus has a lot of buzz heading toward release, as it was given a more in-depth preview at the Ubisoft Forward showcase in June.Shadowsis still a couple of months away at this point, though, and fans who are craving someACaction could check out what theMagic: The Gatheringcrossover has to offer in the meantime, as the collaboration does an excellent job of capturing the essence of the games.
There are various otherAssassin’s Creedprojects known to be in the works, like theAnimus Hub (formerly titledInfinity.)While it’s currently unclear exactly what this will entail, based on some information, it’s thought to be a launching platform for a potentialAssassin’s Creedmultiplayer experience, and/or connecting other stories and spin-offs. The next release is assumed to beAssassin’s Creed Hexe, possibly set for a 2026 window, though this isn’t official. Given the spotlight thatACis currently enjoying, however, theMagic: The Gatheringcrossover serves to keep the series in the forefront of the public eye, continuing the momentum it has built during the year so far.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
WHERE TO PLAY
Experience an epic historical action-adventure story set in feudal Japan! Become a lethal shinobi Assassin and a powerful legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open world in a time of chaos. Switch seamlessly between two unlikely allies as you discover their common destiny. Master complementary playstyles, create your shinobi league, customize your hideout, and usher in a new era for Japan.
