Leaked Footage Reveals Canceled Assassin's Creed Set in Ancient China

Ever wonder what a full-blown Assassin's Creed set in ancient China would look like? Thanks to some newly surfaced leaked footage, we might finally have an answer—and it's a bittersweet one.

According to a report, Ubisoft was apparently working on a game called Assassin's Creed Destiny, a proper open-world AC experience set during 206 BCE, right as the Qin dynasty gave way to the Han dynasty after a brutal civil war. The game likely would have focused on Liu Bang's rise to power. The footage was discovered by MP1st in developer portfolios, showing a hooded assassin battling through a siege led by warlord Xiang Yu.

The prototype appears to have been aimed at modern consoles and PC, not mobile. It also shows a spinning umbrella weapon (yes, really), greybox testing environments for combat abilities, and hints that players might have chosen between a male and female character—or perhaps dual protagonists, similar to what we saw in Assassin's Creed Shadows. The UI even used yin-yangs and ink brushes to tie everything thematically to the setting.

Reportedly, Destiny was supposed to be a partnership between Ubisoft and Tencent, the Chinese conglomerate that owns a 25% stake in Vantage Studios, a subsidiary overseeing some of Ubisoft's biggest IPs. While Destiny was seemingly canceled, the same setting is still being explored in Assassin's Creed Jade, which is targeting mobile. The last we heard about Jade was that it was delayed to 2025. Considering it's 2026 now, it's probably safe to assume they're having some issues getting the mobile game off the ground—which is ironic for a series about assassins who love rooftops.

Elsewhere in the world of hidden blades and leaps of faith, Assassin's Creed Hexe is the next major game in the series. If leaks are to be believed, that one's got its own development issues. One report suggests the Hexe developers decided to rework the game, removing magical abilities from the mix. Hexe's game director Benoit Richer recently departed the project for reasons unknown, following the exit of creative director Clint Hocking. That sparked a major internal reshuffle at the top of the franchise, with Ubisoft veteran Jean Guesdon ascending to become Assassin's Creed Head of Content.

So, what do you think? Would you have loved to see a full Assassin's Creed game set in ancient China, or are you more curious about what's next with Hexe? Let us know in the comments!