14 DAY TRIAL // The Assassin's Creed franchise has been one of the main workhorses for French publisher Ubisoft, and after the revival of 2015's Syndicate, it seems that the company is willing to give the developers in charge of it more time to ensure that they deliver a lot of quality.
Some inside sources quoted by Kotaku are saying that the next installment might be launched in early 2017 rather than in the fall of this year to make sure that the gameplay and the story deliver an increased level of quality.
The rumor also says that Assassin's Creed is preparing to head to Egypt for the first time and that the current codename used for it is Empire, even if it will probably be replaced by something more suggestive before an official announcement is made.
The inside source is also saying that some content has been removed from the coming game and that Ubisoft might be preparing to use the same character for a trilogy of titles, with Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire set to offer the setting for the sequels.
The publisher has not offered any comment on the rumors and will probably only offer actual details later in the year.
At the moment, Ubisoft is focused on launching the final two Chronicles video games associated with Assassin's Creed, one set in Russia and the other in India, which will use a very different set of side-scrolling mechanics.
A Collection of previous titles in the franchise that have not yet been offered on the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 is also rumored to arrive later in 2016, presumably with improved graphics and mechanics.
Ubisoft is also working with Sony Pictures on the Assassin's Creed movie, which will be offered worldwide on September 21 and will star Michael Fassbender in the main role, offering a new take on the familiar ideas of the franchise.
Watch Dogs 2 might replace Empire in the fall
If the new Assassin's Creed gets more time to deliver improved quality and a deeper story, rumors are suggesting that the title that will take its place during the fall release schedule is a Watch Dogs sequel.
The new title will use the core ideas of the series and will be set in San Francisco, with gamers once again able to mix shooting and hacking mechanics to deal with a city-wide threat.
Ubisoft has not offered any information about the game, and an official reveal will probably only take place towards the end of spring if the title is in development.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate has been well-received by both fans of the series and by critics, who have praised the interplay between the two main characters and the way the developers have managed to recreate London and its unique XIX century look.
The franchise was severely affected by the problems that Unity encountered when it launched in 2014, and Ubisoft has said that it will use its resources to make sure that the fan base does not have to deal with similar issues for any future release.