DEEP DIVE
The Secrets of Assassin’s Creed
Assassin’s Creed Rebellion
An Epic RPG Adventure Quest
Assassin’s Creed Rebellion’s adorable art style and thrilling missions ensure anyone can jump in and have fun. But the game also throws bones to longtime fans of the beloved action series. Read on for five little-known facts about the people, places, and adventures that await.
1. It shares the movie’s setting
Like the 2016 Assassin’s Creed film, Rebellion takes place in the late 1400s during the Spanish Inquisition. Why there, when the franchise spans so many cities and timelines?
According to the developers, the nebulous danger posed by the Inquisition was a great way to explain why members of the Brotherhood—the assassins you play in the franchise—needed to reunite in Spain. Your struggle against the evil Templar order pits you against famous foes like ruthless army commander Ojeda and Torquemada, Spain’s first grand inquisitor. Like you, these nemeses are looking for powerful artifacts called the Pieces of Eden.
2. It’s full of familiar faces
The creators of Rebellion wanted it be the first Assassin’s Creed where you can play as characters from across the franchise—all of whom have answered the call to help Brotherhood pals Ezio and Aguilar. Those heroes include:
• Shao Jun, personal spy for a Chinese emperor who joined the Brotherhood when a Templar faction tried to take over her country. An agile martial artist, this famous assassin surprises foes with her deadly foot blade.
• Yusuf Tazim, son of an assassin and raised on the streets, only to become leader of the Ottoman Brotherhood of Assassins.
• Claudia Auditore da Firenze, a Florentine noblewoman and Ezio’s sister. Initially a savvy finance expert who managed the Brotherhood’s assets, she was promoted to the Assassin’s Order after proving her fighting skills, especially with knives.
• Niccolò Machiavelli, the Italian philosopher, humanist, and writer who mentored the Italian Brotherhood of Assassins. A cunning tactician, he improves allies’ critical hits and helps his squadmates anticipate enemy moves.
3. Wild origin stories
Joining Rebellion’s recognizable characters are some awesome originals with some surprising inspirations:
• Stealthy thief Luis Chico looks similar to Lanz, the leader of a gang of bandits whom Ezio pursued in console/PC game Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood.
• Hammer-wielding enforcer Domingo de la Torre was modeled after Rebellion’s creative director, Dominick Meissner. Like Meissner, says the team, Domingo is a “wise veteran.”
• French hero Jean Delacroix was based on the game’s equally strong-willed project content manager Jonathan Lavergne
4. Unpredictable slaygrounds
Some of Rebellion’s recurring special events have deep connections to franchise lore. In “The Ottoman Connection” you’ll team up with both Yusuf Tazim and Ishak Pasha (from console/PC game Assassin’s Creed: Revelations) to recover a journal full of secrets about series hero Altair. And “Spears for Hire” has you fighting Spartans in the Peloponnesian War—with the chance to unlock playable characters Kassandra and Alexios (the heroes of Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey).
5. The game is a game
In a self-reflexive twist, Rebellion isn’t just a game in real life—it’s also one within the Assassin’s Creed universe.
According to lore, what you’re playing is a simulation created by Abstergo Entertainment via a mobile version of the Animus (the VR machine that lets you experience different characters’ lives in the various Assassin’s games).
As you play Rebellion, you’re exploring DNA fragments linked to the Spanish inquisition period—and when you recruit new heroes, it’s because you unlocked more of those fragments. Also, those cool in-game events are just the simulation mixing different sets of genetic memories from the Animus. Whoa!