Assassin's Creed set to head back to its Rome and Jerusalem roots after Hexe

Assassin's Creed, as we knew and loved it, has pivoted greatly in the last seven years, exploring more settings than ever before - and it continues to do so moving onto the next major release.

Following Odyssey in 2018, the Assassin's Creed series has plunged us into the treacherous waters of UK-Nordic shores through Valhalla, the heavy-hitting samurai temples of ancient Japan in Shadows, and soon-to-be modern-day Germany in the fantastical and witchcraft-filled Hexe.

Even the Black Flag remake is one of Ubisoft's more out-there settings, taking on the pirates of Havana, Kingston, and Nassau in unfamiliar seas.

Yet it seems like Ubisoft has had enough of its region-jumping and has now decided to whisk us back to the roots of Assassin's Creed after Hexe's release.

With two new Assassin's Creed projects reportedly in development, one is said to be taking players to Ancient Rome, while the other could bring the franchise back to Jerusalem.

Assassin's Creed reportedly has two new games in development

Having already alluded to a throwback trip to Jerusalem through a resynced OG game being the Black Flag successor, leaks have now suggested that the two next games to launch in the series will also be a nostalgic foray into the ancient religious capitals.

Leaks from renowned community figure 'Xj0nathan' claim that Ubisoft is working on two projects currently known as Codename Mars and Codename Pocket.

According to the French creator's report, Mars will be set in Ancient Rome, with the setting potentially having some connection to Ubisoft's upcoming Assassin's Creed live-action television series.

It's an interesting prospect, particularly given that the franchise has visited Rome before. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood famously took players to Renaissance-era Rome as Ezio Auditore, but a game set during the height of the Roman Empire would offer something rather different.

Read More: Ubisoft gives update on upcoming Assassin's Creed projects, including future remakes

The second project, meanwhile, is reportedly called Pocket and is said to be a mobile Assassin's Creed game set in Jerusalem.

According to Xj0nathan, the game could feature gameplay similar to the Mastery Challenges found in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, while its visual style is reportedly comparable to the recent Prince of Persia releases.

The report also mentions a character called Myriam, who is apparently set to act as the protagonist's mentor.

The rumours also arrive amid questions surrounding the future of Assassin's Creed Hexe, which is reportedly facing an internal delay that could push its release back to 2028. Ubisoft hasn't confirmed that delay, although it has previously said the game is making steady progress and that its next major update will arrive in 2027.

As for Mars, reports suggest that we might not hear anything about the project until 2029 or 2030, assuming it progresses further into development.

That could mean quite a wait before we get to explore Ancient Rome again, but at least there's plenty of Assassin's Creed history to revisit in the meantime.

Still, the prospect of returning to two of the franchise's most recognisable historical locations is certainly an exciting one.