Assassin’s Creed Expansions: Jade and the Cancelled Project Destiny

Return to Ancient China with Assassin’s Creed Jade

Ubisoft is set to reintroduce players to the rich history of China with Assassin’s Creed Jade, a mobile-exclusive game. This title marks the franchise’s return to the region since the less conventional 2.5D spin-off released in 2015. Initially unveiled in 2022, Jade is a collaborative effort between Ubisoft and Level Infinite, Tencent’s gaming subsidiary, and is set during the Qin Dynasty.

After a series of beta tests, updates on Jade had been sparse until March 2023, when Ubisoft reaffirmed that the development of this anticipated title was ongoing.

Assassin’s Creed Destiny: A Project That Wasn’t Meant to Be

Alongside Jade, there was an ambitious project in development known as Assassin’s Creed Destiny. This game, also developed by the TiMi Studio Group, was intended for current gaming platforms but was ultimately scrapped before it could fully materialize. The project shared the Qin Dynasty setting with Jade but was set a few years later in 206 BCE.

Details about Destiny have emerged from various development portfolios, revealing a prototype that surfaced in February 2025. The gameplay footage showcases a mission where players control a female assassin navigating a sacred palace besieged by the historical figure Xiang Yu and his forces.

Gameplay Insights and Visuals

The gameplay highlights from Assassin’s Creed Destiny include:

• A mission focused on retrieving a mysterious artifact within a palace.
• Stealth mechanics and the iconic leap of faith maneuver typical of the series.
• Unique weaponry, such as a spinning umbrella utilized by the player, and Xiang Yu’s formidable halberd.

Other gameplay features included the use of parkour for enemy takedowns, indicating that players might have had the option to select their character’s gender.

Development Challenges and Cancellations

In early March 2025, TiMi Studio announced major restructuring, dividing into four teams focusing on different projects, which likely contributed to the early cancellation of Destiny. This led to the cancellation of several other titles as well, including:

• Athena: A third-person action game inspired by Greek mythology.
• Invictus: A cyberpunk open-world game overseen by veteran Ashraf Ismail at TiMi’s Montreal division.

These cancellations followed a strategic shift at Tencent, which moved away from Western franchises to prioritize domestic casual games, impacting ongoing projects like Jade, where several developers were reassigned.

The Future of Assassin’s Creed

While Assassin’s Creed Destiny has been shelved, Jade continues to progress in development. Ubisoft has yet to announce a specific release date for this mobile title. Meanwhile, fans of the franchise can look forward to exploring new narratives with future entries, such as Assassin’s Creed Hexe, which is set in Germany during the witch trials.