Assassin’s Creed is Ubisoft’s longest-running franchise and has received over 20 entries between core titles and spin-offs in the pat 12 years. As such, it can sometimes be hard for even the biggest history buff to keep the events of the Assassin’s Creed franchise in chronological order, especially given the wide time frames between games and sub-collections. For example, the original Assassin’s Creed and Assassin’s Creed 2 find themselves snugly fit into the Crusades and the Italian Renaissance, but the Kenway’s story spans from the Seven Years’ war through the American Revolution, and then the franchise even goes into the French Revolution. Yet, just a few short games later, the franchise jumps back to ancient times.
Because of these somewhat confusing time jumps, many may be wondering where Assassin’s Creed Ragnarok comes into play. It’s worth mentioning that Ubisoft has neither denied not confirmed these rumors, which only seem to grow with every passing month, so everything should be taken with a grain of salt. As a recap, Assassin’s Creed Ragnarok is said to launch late 2020 and take place during the Viking era.
Other details have recently surfaced via rumors, with the most recent stating that players would take on the role of Jora, who could either be male or female. The map of Assassin’s Creed Ragnarok would also feature Scandinavia and parts of England, and naval sections would return but not be as vast as Odyssey. Players will also be traveling to Asgard and meeting Norse deities like Odin and Loki, and the fan-favorite Brotherhood system would be returning. Perhaps chief among these is the Assassin’s Creed Ragnarok reveal date, which is said to be at the Sony PlayStation 5 event in February.
As all rumors, this should be taken with a grain of salt because, while it makes sense and sounds plausible, it would be a serious break from tradition given that Origins and Odyssey were wrapped as tight as possible until the E3 conventions of their respective years. However, the big difference here is the publicity it could get if it were showcased as a PS5 launch title.
Either way, assuming the leaks have been at least partially accurate and the next Assassin’s Creed is about vikings, when will the game take place and how will it fit into the overarching chronological order of games? First, it’s possible to narrow down the years, as the Viking era lasted from roughly 800 AD to 1066 AD. It is said to have begun in 793 when Vikings destroyed the abbey on Lindisfarne and ended in 1066 after a failed invasion attempt. Vikings would still exist a couple for some time after, but their golden era had long since fallen by then. Rumors help rule this out though, as many have focused on 800 AD, meaning it’s likelier to be near the start of it all than the end of it.
This means that, in the grand scheme of things, Assassin’s Creed Ragnarok would take place nearly 850 years after the events of Assassin’s Creed Origins and nearly 300 years before the first Assassin’s Creed. This would mean that the Brotherhood hadn’t been reinvented yet, and the traditions followed by the Vikings may more or less relate to either the corruption Altair fights against years later or be more like Bayek’s Hidden Ones.
Either way, it’s a not-so-clear fit that may serve to be confusing, but between the latest game and the first game is the safest answer. The modern day Assassin’s Creed storyline would no doubt continue on from the final events of Odyssey, which actually also hints at the existence of Assassin’s Creed Ragnarok. At the end of Odyssey, players have captured Juhani Otso Berg, a recurring antagonist and Templar known as the Black Cross.
Sprinkled throughout Otso Berg’s history are references to the Viking era. When players meet him in Assassin’s Creed Rogue, he looks notably similar to Shay Patrick Cormac with each wearing an esignia similar to Yggdrasil. On top of this, Otso Berg reveals that he has Viking ancestors, meaning the concept has likely been there since around the time of Rogue. After all, it cannot be coincidence that the next game is said to be focused on Vikings when the modern-day Assassins have captured a Templar with Viking ancestors.
This could manifest in several different ways, of course, with perhaps players taking on the role of Otso Berg’s ancestor, the playable character knowing Otso Berg’s ancestor, or perhaps Otso Berg is just there to warn players against exploring this day and age. Regardless, players should be ready for some Viking excursions and try not to make the order of events more confusing for themselves.
Assassin’s Creed Ragnarok is rumored to be in development.
