The gaming community has strongly reignited the request for a direct sequel to Assassin's Creed Origins, released in 2017. Centered on Bayek and Aya, founders of the Brotherhood, the title is considered an underrated gem whose protagonist was forgotten. Unlike Ezio's trilogy, Ubisoft did not continue his story. A recent debate on Reddit highlights the wide support for this demand, pointing out Bayek's charisma and the wasted narrative potential, questioning the developer's strategy of changing heroes in each main installment.
Character Design and IP Management: the Bayek Case 🔍
From the perspective of video game design, the emotional connection that fans feel for Bayek is not accidental. It is the result of a personal narrative and a well-constructed transformation arc, from protector to founder of an ideology. Technically, Origins marked a playable reboot toward an RPG, anchored in its character. The decision not to give him a trilogy responds to an IP management strategy that prioritizes exploring new historical locations over deepening a single hero. This maximizes marketing opportunities and attracts different audiences, but fragments the central narrative and can leave stories unfinished, generating frustration in a portion of the fanbase most committed to the lore.
The Balance Between Innovation and Continuity ⚖️
The request for an Origins sequel poses a key dilemma in saga development: how to balance innovation with community satisfaction. While restarting the formula with each installment keeps commercial freshness, building longer personal sagas generates deeper loyalty. Ubisoft's strategy with Assassin's Creed has been clear in the last decade, but the clamor for Bayek suggests that, at times, players' narrative desire can align with the potential of an already established character, whose journey could offer even more layers in future iterations without renouncing playable evolution.
What technical and design challenges would Ubisoft face to create a sequel to Assassin's Creed Origins that satisfies modern expectations for gameplay and narrative?
(P.S.: 90% of development time is polishing, the other 90% is fixing bugs)