No New Assassin's Creed In 2016, Destiny 2 Coming 2017
Game franchises can sometimes live on and on for years. Some even for decades. But being old and venerable doesn't always mean you always get it right. Sometimes, you can lose your way and need to find your way back. That might be the kind of soul-searching that Ubisoft will be undertaking, or should undertake, this year when it decided not to launch a new Assassin's Creed title this year. In the meantime, Bungie will be forging ahead with Destiny 2, though it seems that it is the game's destiny not to launch this year either.
When the first Assassin's Creed was launched way back in 2007, it was met with extremely positive reception thanks to the game's unique gameplay and engaging plot backdrop. Since then, the franchise has seen more than a dozen game titles, on PCs, consoles, and even mobile. There is even a live action film coming later this year, starring the famed Michael Fassbender.
The latest launches, however, weren't as warmly received, both by critics and by sales, with some pointing out how the game has been overburdened by its own legacy. Ubisoft isn't going to admit to that, but its announcement pretty much hints at it. They say that they are "are stepping back and re-examining the Assassin's Creed franchise", Perhaps Ubi will be cutting down on the non-essential spinoffs or might even make a clean break from the current plot line.
Either way, thanks to that period of introspection, Ubisoft won't be launching a 2016 title for the franchise, which might not be that bad considering how Syndicate was just released last year. How Ubisoft will fare without its top grossing title, we'll have to see.
One game maker who isn't daunted by criticism is Bungie. It's still on track to launch "Destiny 2". Well, with a bit of delay as rumors have predicted it. The major sequel to the sci-fi MMO shooter isn't coming until 2017. Destiny, the first game, however, will have a lot of work ahead of it to prepare the way.
Highly hyped and launched with a big bang, Destiny has started to get mixed reviews despite the initial thumbs up. The usual culprits of balancing in MMOs as well as content have kept some a bit doubtful of the game's future. To allay those concerns, Acitivision and Bungie are planning to launch a new major expansion to the original game sometime this Spring.