A screenshot that's making the rounds is said to be leaked from unreleased Assassin's Creed, rumored to be subtitled Empire. The screenshot features a lightly armored, heavily armed figure standing in front of an open stone doorway. The image is very low quality, but there are some recognizable symbols within it. One is an icon above the door, similar to past Assassin's Creed icons for area transitions; the other is a symbol on the figure's shield. It could very well be a take on the Assassin's insignia, but as with much about this image -- it's not exactly clear.

Let's start by considering the origin of this image. It may come as a surprise, but this is not a new image. The image was originally posted on Reddit a month ago under the title, "Assassin's Creed Empire." The post sits at zero upvotes and has several comments requesting a source, which explains why it didn't make waves at first. The image was reposted on Reddit again two days ago by the same account, titled, "You know what this is?" The posting account has since been deleted. Obviously this second post has been much more widely received, yet there's no additional information regarding the image's source.

Considering the sketchy origin of the image, its low quality, and the suspicious inclusion of symbols that may or may not be Assassin's Creed related, this rumor must be treated with significant skepticism. In fact, if there weren't other rumors pointing to the likely approach of a new Assassin's Creed game announcement, this "leaked" screenshot would likely be better ignored entirely. That said, the rumors do point to an Assassin's Creed Empire that's set in Egypt and this leaked image ties itself into that rumor nicely.

Just for the sake of speculation, if the leaked image were hypothetically real, then there are then some interesting assumptions that can be made based on the image. For instance, the protagonist of the game is Caucasian, perhaps from Greece or less likely a unique character creation. The character appears to be in front of an entrance to a temple built of stone, which could imply an Egyptian pyramid setting. Alternatively, the setting could instead be in Alexandria, Egypt. Imagine scaling the Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria, now lost to time.

Regarding this rumor, it's probably best to ignore it under the assumption that more information regarding the next Assassin's Creed is likely coming soon. Ubisoft said specifically that it was giving the Assassin's Creed franchise a break in 2016, but planned on it returning in 2017. It's almost certain the game will be announced by E3, barring some unforeseen unlikely delay. If anything, Ubisoft can keep to deadlines when it comes to Assassin's Creed. Is this screenshot ultimately a fake? Real or not, it deserves no more attention than it has already garnered.