Rumors and leaks are a reality in the gaming industry, but more often than not, these should be taken with a grain of salt. After all, it's easy enough to invent something out of nothing, and that has happened many a time before. On the other hand, there is sometimes such an abundance of rumors that telling probable and possible apart from likely and legit can be impossible. For many, this is the exact boat they find themselves in with Assassin's Creed Ragnarok. All signs point toward the next Assassin's Creed game being about Vikings, but how much should these rumors be trusted?
Therefore, here is every rumor and leak pointing toward the existence of Assassin's Creed Ragnarok, from its origins and how the subtitle Ragnarok came about to the most recent leaks about the game.
Where It All Started
The first real inclination of a Vikings-focused Assassin's Creed game came about when Ubisoft Milan's concept artist, Michele Nucera, posted images of a viking Assassin's Creed concept on ArtStation. Although Nucera described this as a personal project and is known to be an avid lover of the era, this begun the talks of the next game. Furthermore, the file names of these images include the phrase "Assassin's Creed Ragnarok," which gave rise to the popularity of the title - a title that has for all intents and purposes never been stated to any certain degree. As far as is publicly known, the code name for the next game is Assassin's Creed Kingdoms.
While Nucera's images got the fanbase talking, it was Division 2 that sealed the deal on this popular rumor. Fans found in-game images that seemingly depicted a Viking holding a Piece of Eden, and it wasn't much longer after that when gaming publication Kotaku stated its sources had confirmed a Viking Assassin's Creed game. Following this, more and more rumors/leaks concerning the title found their way online.
The Fake Leak
One of the first "leaks" for the game was quickly determined to be fake, but considering this is a possibility for every rumor, it's worth bringing up here. Supposedly, the above "Assassin's Creed Ragnarok screenshots" leaked online, but since they were determined to be from free assets in the Unity Game Development Engine, it was dashed. This leak did mention several other things that, at the time, had been loosely rumored.
This rumor stated that Northern Europe - countries such as Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland - would all serve as "Kingdoms" that have customizable settlements. The PC would be an ally of Ragnar Lodbrok, a member of the Great Heathen Army, and would have a hidden blade, an eagle, and ship combat. RPG mechanics like Assassin's Creed Odyssey's would return, though there would be more open world exploration. Of course, given that the screenshots were fake, every bit of this deserves heavy skepticism.
The Asgard Leak
Another Assassin's Creed Ragnarok leak purported that the title would indeed be about Vikings and indeed carry that subtitle, but it continued to expand upon game mechanics as well. Reportedly, it will be launched on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Project Scarlett, with the game "likely" to carry the RPG elements forward, bring in Viking naval combat, and allow fans to once again recruit NPCS to their cause a la Assassin's Creed Brotherhood.
This leak also states that AC: Ragnarok would let players visit Asgard and "face the gods," likely meaning Odin, Thor, and others of the Norse pantheon. This heavy supernatural element may just be continue the depth that Assassin's Creed Odyssey explored the Greek pantheon, while also adding more context to the First Civilization who played a similar role in the mythology of that time. Notably, nothing about this leak stands out as either easily dismissable or dead-on to be 100% believed.
Assassin's Creed Ragnarok Reveal Date Leak
Perhaps the biggest surprise to come from a leak is Assassin's Creed Ragnarok's reveal date. For Origins and Odyssey, there is a recognizable pattern of long silence prior to an E3 reveal followed by the release of the game later that year. However, this leak states that Ragnarok would be revealed during a PS5 reveal event on February 12, 2020. Sony would likely be showcasing the power of its next-gen console as well as a line-up of launch games, so while it deviates from past patterns, it makes sense as it could prove to be a huge boost in sales for the game when it and the console launch.
This same leak beats on the same ideas of past leaks, but adds a little more to the conversation. It states that it will release in Fall 2020 for both current and next-gen consoles, which is easy enough to guess, but it also states that players will choose between a man and woman named Jora. Either sex will bear that name, meaning that the other is not likely to do anything with the story unlike Odyssey's Alexios and Kassandra.
The story will focus on a revenge quest, where Asgard, Jotunheim, Odin, Loki, and Yggdrasil all play a major role. It will also conclude the current modern-day storyline, yet that could be surmised from the modern storyline's tendency to have world ending events draw it to a close (Assassin's Creed 3) and the subtitle Ragnarok. While there's no final verdict on the validity of the leak, it's worth mentioning that it misspells both Jotunheim and Yggdrasil and misdates the Viking Era to 800 BC. Granted, spelling may not have been a big concern, and that 800 is right - it's just AD, not BC.
Ultimately, fans should hold final verdict until Ubisoft does confirm something, and whether or not it is showcased in February may do much to corroborate these claims. Only time will tell what's in store for Assassin's Creed 2020.
Assassin's Creed Ragnarok is rumored to be in development.