In September, Ubisoft delighted fans by unveiling Assassin’s Creed Mirage, the next installment in the iconic series, during a special livestream celebrating its 15th anniversary. Priced at $49.99 for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, Mirage takes a scaled-back approach with a shorter runtime, aiming to capture the essence of the original game and serve as a spiritual successor to Altair’s adventure.

But what many may not know is that Mirage had humble beginnings as DLC for 2020’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.

Creative director Stephane Boudon explains, “Originally, we were working on Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and developing DLC when the idea came up to create a dedicated expansion and return to the Middle East. As longtime fans of the series, we wanted to revisit that environment and capture its unique vibe, especially given that it coincided with the series’ 15th anniversary. So, bringing it back for the players was a personal goal for us.”

The Mirage DLC initially started as a pitch for Valhalla, but the newcomer studio, Ubisoft Bordeaux, saw immense potential and managed to secure approval to transform it into a standalone game.

Boudon reveals, “Originally, it was just a pitch on paper, and it even involved Eivor going to the Middle East. However, as soon as we made the switch, we decided to go with Mirage.” The team’s confidence in Mirage as a standalone experience was apparent during the pitch, with the presentation ending on a high note that emphasized its potential for growth. As Boudon explains, “We did all the work for the DLC pitch, but we could already see that it had the potential to be something more. So, we pushed a little bit, and fortunately, it worked out wonderfully for everyone involved.”

While Mirage is not on the scale of a hundred-hour open-world RPG like Valhalla or its predecessors, Ubisoft emphasizes that it is still a fully-fledged entry in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. With a price point of $49.99, Mirage offers players a breath of fresh air. Having had the opportunity to play it for several hours as part of Game Informer’s cover story, it is clear that Ubisoft made the right decision in transforming it from a mere DLC into a complete Assassin’s Creed game.

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