We are nearing the reveal of the new Assassin’s Creed game (which was formerly leaked as Assassin’s Creed Victory, but will almost certainly be called something else, judging by recent reports), and in the meantime, series fans are scrambling to learn more about the game ahead of its official announcement. Fans found a new teaser picture that can be grabbed from the background code of the North American Assassin’s Creed website, which includes some interesting details.

The image might easily have been mistaken for not being Assassin’s Creed, actually, were it not for the context- the weapon prominently displayed in it is very un-Assassin’s Creed, and might hint at the nature of the game’s primary combat and gameplay. Carved on the handle of the brass knuckles is the motto “strength through loyalty,” which sounds very Assassin’s Creed-ey.

Also in the background is a lot of text that pretty much confirms the British setting-  “We forge the chains we wear in life,” which is a quote from popular Charles Dickens story The Cricket on the Hearth.

The new Assassin’s Creed game will be fully revealed on May 12. Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more information and coverage.

What once was thought of as Assassin’s Creed: Victory is now apparently Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate. We already knew that the full reveal of this year’s version is coming next Tuesday but now that the cat is out of the bag, more info is slipping out as well.

The next Assassin’s Creed has been game has been getting referred to as Victory for the last few months, though it should be pointed out Ubisoft never actually confirmed that as the name. It appears that with E3 creeping ever closer, the company wants to make sure we all know what we’re supposed to call this year’s offering.

It should be pointed out that Ubisoft also hasn’t confirmed the name change, but Kotaku is reporting the same source who first clued them has also filled them in on the game being called Syndicate. Other teasers and hints have included a picture of a pair of brass knuckles. Included in the picture are a couple of quotes engraved in the wood in the background.  “We Forge The Chains We Wear In Life” seem to underline earlier rumors that the game will take place in Victorian London. The quote is from a Charles Dickens story “”The Cricket on the Hearth,” which was originally published in 1840. There are also said to be some brand new features that haven’t been offered up in the series before. From

There are also said to be some brand new features that haven’t been offered up in the series before. Grappling hooks will apparently play a part in this year’s game. There is also talk that players will be able to carry out some battles on top of carriages. While none of this information has been officially confirmed, we at least won’t have to wait long to find out if Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate is indeed the name as well as other important info. Stay tuned until May 12.

It’s that time of the year again. Ubisoft has released a teaser for the next Assassin’s Creed game, with a world premiere trailer set for May 12th, 5 PM UK time. Check out the teaser above which features the tagline “Oppression Has to End” and shows what seems to be an Assassin with a hidden blade glove and a vulture-headed cane.

Interestingly, Ubisoft’s next Assassin’s Creed was leaked last year in the form of several screenshots which showed the game taking place in Victorian England. Not much was known about the game, aside from it possibly being called “Assassin’s Creed: Victory” but suffice to say that several features like the abundance of civilians and a vendor to change outfits at were revealed.

Could this be Victory though or will it be something else? Has Ubisoft learned from the mistakes that resulted in Unity’s downfall? Will it be coming to current gen consoles? Stay tuned for more information on May 12th and check out the main site for future announcements.

It may have shipped 10 million units together with Assassin’s Creed: Rogue but Assassin’s Creed: Unity was arguably Ubisoft’s most controversial release to date, plagued by issues with the frame rate, animations and other bugs.

In a recent financial report, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot talked about the issues that plagued Unity, which came primarily from building a new engine.

“When you [build a new engine and tools], it’s painful for all the group, and everything has to be recalibrated. And with [Unity], a few things were not perfect when the game was launched.

“Those steps are sometimes painful, but they allow us to improve the overall quality of the brand. So we think this will help the brand in the long term.”

He noted that Ubisoft was taking the launch issues seriously and growing pains of the new engine notwithstanding, Guillemot believes it will ultimately benefit the next iteration.

“We are very confident that the experience earned and lessons learned on Unity, along with the customer feedback, will help us take Assassin’s Creed to the next level of quality and innovation.”

As for steps taken to address Unity’s disaster, Guillemot said, “At launch, the game had suffered from framerate issues and bugs which have had a strong resonance among the community. We are blessed to have such passionate and committed fans, and we will always strive to earn their trust and support. We took that situation very seriously, and our teams have been working relentlessly since launch and have provided constant and direct progress updates to our fans.”

What are your thoughts on the future of the franchise? Let us know in the comments.

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What are some top open world/sandbox games to look forward to in 2015? Let’s find out.

Batman: Arkham Knight

One of the most anticipated titles of 2014…until it was delayed into 2015. Then again, given the flawed nature of many of the big-name titles – especially those taking place in an open sand-box – we’re more than happy to see Rocksteady Studios taking the time to polish this adventure.

All that polish seems to be doing wonders for the gameplay. On top of a much larger Gotham City to explore, Arkham Knight features improved combat mechanics, significantly bumped up visuals and the Batmobile to play around with. You’ll transition in and out of the Batmobile during missions, fighting unmanned drones but also using it to open up new paths. As the Scarecrow missions teased at PlayStation Experience indicate, it seems there will be new hallucinatory missions taking place in the Batmobile as well.

Set to release in June 2015, Batman: Arkham Knight should be an experience to remember.

Finished Assassin’s Creed: Unity yet? According to an early leak via Kotaku, it seems that the next Assassin’s Creed is already well underway. Set to release in Fall 2015, it will apparently take place in 19th century London and be code-named “Victory”.

The next game will only be available on Xbox One, PS4 and PC and it doesn’t seem as though there will be another game next year a la Unity and Rogue this year. There will also be a new development team with Ubisoft Quebec apparently taking up the reins over Montreal. The last projects the studio worked on? Assassin’s Creed 3: The Tyranny of King Washington and Assassin’s Creed 4: Freedom Cry, two DLC packages that weren’t very good.

As of now, the Assassin’s Creed series is at the same point as when AC3 released with most fans wary of future releases. Will Assassin’s Creed: Victory be the game to redeem the damage done by Unity? Let us know in the comments and stay tuned for more information.