Ubisoft® announced collaborations with a host of acclaimed publishers, talented authors and illustrators to continue expanding the Assassin’s Creed universe to new forms of media. Assassin’s Creed fans around the world can find out more about the various stories springing from their favorite franchise by visiting the new website detailing the publishing line for 2021 and beyond at www.assassinscreed.com/stories.
With the upcoming launches of new novels, graphic novels, manhuas*, webtoons** and more recently a series of podcasts***, the Assassin’s Creed narrative is expanding across all formats: novels, illustrated fiction, and digital works. “With a license as rich as Assassin’s Creed, many creators are excited to offer their vision of the franchise!” explained Aymar Azaïzia, Transmedia Director at Ubisoft Montreal. “It’s a great creative opportunity to publish a work that is relevant to the genre in question and produced by authors or illustrators who are recognized in their field.”
Ubisoft is currently working with a large network of publishing partners, each bringing their own expertise, to further develop the Assassin’s Creed universe. Aconyte Books, Editis, and Starfish are developing original novels in their respective languages (English, French, and Chinese). On the comics and graphic novels front, Glenat will publish original French graphic novels, while Dark Horse Comics has released an Assassin’s Creed comics mini-series in English and Ulab has developed original manhuas. On the digital side, Chinese partner Ximalaya is about to launch its first Assassin’s Creed narrative podcast, while Korean studio Redice will produce the very first Assassin’s Creed webtoon.
To better classify the wide range of existing and upcoming Assassin’s Creed transmedia offerings, Ubisoft is creating three labels that will help fans to choose their next read:
- Classics: direct adaptations based on stories from the video games
- Chronicles: new adventures featuring favorite iconic Assassins
- Originals: new narratives featuring new protagonists and time periods
Some of the newest transmedia creations this year come from collaborations with talented Asian authors and artists, notably in China, Japan and Korea, with several manhuas or webtoons currently in development. “With so many creators from all over Asia delivering innovative content, a priority for Ubisoft has been to forge new relationships with talented partners in the region”, highlighted Julien Fabre, Associate Director of Publishing at Ubisoft.
By bringing talents from all other the world to craft new transmedia narratives, Ubisoft aims to enrich the Assassin’s Creed universe with stories that are authentic and that resonate with local fans. “We are all consumers of stories. With this global vision and local approach, we seek to offer our fans new content in formats they are familiar with, and with stories that are rooted in their cultural background and their history,” adds Etienne Bouvier, Publishing Content Manager at Ubisoft.
Here is a selection of the new releases slated for this year:
NOVELS:
- ASSASSIN’S CREED® FRAGMENTS YOUNG ADULT TRILOGY (ORIGINALS): Fragments is a new young adult book series developed in partnership with the French publishing house Editis. This action-adventure historical fiction saga will feature teens caught up in the centuries-old Assassin-Templar feud and explore the nature of the relationship between the siblings. Each book in the series will take readers to a different time period and location, with new protagonists. The first volume is set in 19th Century Japan, the second in 13th Century Scotland and the third in 17th Century France.
- ASSASSIN’S CREED® THE JADE SEAL COLLECTION (ORIGINALS): From the Zhou Dynasty (4th Century BC) to the Ming Dynasty (17th Century), this collection expands our franchise through a range of ten novels exploring Chinese history at large. Emperors, courtiers, legendary martial artists, poets, philosophers, and many other important figures from Chinese history will play their part in this multi-secular fight. New Assassins, but also new archenemies will join the ranks of our franchise from these epic novels written by six well-known Chinese writers and soon to be available in China.
- ASSASSIN’S CREED® THE MING STORM (CHRONICLES): Written by best-selling Chinese author Yan Leisheng, this novel is the start of an action-packed trilogy set in 16th century China featuring Shao Jun , a young Assassin and already a fan favorite from the franchise as the main protagonist of the Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China video game. Aconyte Books, Ubisoft’s key partner for English prose novels, will publish the Ming Storm in the US and Canada on June 1, 2021. More exciting new novels, including a trilogy of books set in the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla universe, are to be released by Aconyte Books in 2022.
ILLUSTRATED FICTION:
- ASSASSIN’S CREED® DYNASTY (MANHUA) (ORIGINALS): First launched as a webcomic in China by local developmentpartner ULAB, Assassin’s Creed Dynasty has already garnered more than 150 million views online and ranked top 3 of the Wuxia genre on Tencent platform. It will soon be available in other territories in paperback. Readers will be able to follow the adventures of Li E, an Assassin trying to save the Tang Dynasty from a civil war. TOKYOPOP will be publishing Assassin’s Creed Dynasty in the USA and Canada, with Volume 1 releasing on September 1, 2021 as an ebook and on January 11, 2022 as a print paperback.
- ASSASSIN’S CREED® VALHALLA: BLOOD BROTHERS (MANHUA) (CHRONICLES): Fans will soon be able to discover the epic tale of two brave Viking brothers in this manhua set in the world of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, not long before the exploits of Eivor the Wolf-Kissed. TOKYOPOP will be publishing the title in the USA and Canada on June 28, 2021 for the ebook and on August 10. 2021 for the print edition.
- A sampling of both TOKYOPOP Assassin’s Creed titles will also be available as a combined Free Comic Book Day 2021 Gold Title at the Diamond Comics annual Free Comic Book Day event that takes place on Saturday, August 14 this year at participating comic shops around North America.
- ASSASSIN’S CREED® VALHALLA FRENCH GRAPHIC NOVEL (CHRONICLES): Glénat Editions will release this original graphic novel in Fall 2021 in France. Readers will discover the tale of an aspiring Assassin and a Christian monk, as they set out on a quest that will take them from Ravensthorpe to the mystery-filled heights of Scotland.
- ASSASSIN’S CREED® VALHALLA: SONG OF GLORY (CHRONICLES): The comic series, released in single issues last year by Dark Horse comics in the USA and Canada, is launching on April 21, 2021 as a collected hardcover edition. In this prequel to the game, fearless Vikings Eivor and Sigurd embark on separate adventures to show their mettle and seek glory.
- ASSASSIN’S CREED®: BLADE OF SHAO JUN (CHRONICLES): This manga, based on Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China video game and featuring the iconic Assassin Shao Jun, is published by Viz Media in the USA and Canada. The second volume in the series will be released on August 17, 2021. Readers will also discover a new modern-day plot through the story of Lisa, a teenager who falls into a trap set by Abstergo, the modern incarnation of the Templar Order.
DIGITAL:
- ASSASSIN’S CREED® TURBULENCE IN THE MING DYNASTY PODCAST (CHRONICLES): Developed and broadcastedby China’s leading podcast platform Ximalaya, this audio adaptation of the Ming Dynasty novel is voiced by a first-rate cast from the Chinese film industry, including Liu Yan as Shao Jun. Enriched with audio FX and a moving score, this podcast is the perfect format to become fully immersed in China during 16th Century Ming Dynasty.
- WEBTOON (ORIGINALS): This Korean webtoon will serve as a sequel to Assassin’s Creed® Black Flag and expand Edward Kenway’s storyline. It is currently in development with partner Redice.
For more information about the Assassin’s Creed Content Library, please visit our new dedicated website: www.assassinscreed.com/stories
For more information about Assassin’s Creed, please visit: assassinscreed.com.
For the latest news on Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and other Ubisoft games, visit news.ubisoft.com.
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*Manhua: Chinese comics
**Webtoon: Korean webcomic optimized for smartphone devices
***Podcast series: Audio drama format with multiple actors recorded
About Assassin’s Creed
Since it first launched in 2007, the Assassin’s Creed series has sold more than 155 million games worldwide. The franchise is now established as one of the best-selling series in video game history. Recognized for having some of the richest, most engrossing storytelling in the industry, Assassin’s Creed transcends video games, branching out into numerous other entertainment media.
About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, For Honor, Just Dance, Watch Dogs, Tom Clancy’s video game series including Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six and The Division. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2019–20 fiscal year, Ubisoft generated net bookings of €1,534 million. To learn more, please visit: www.ubisoftgroup.com.
© 2021 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are registered or unregistered trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries.
Publishing Partners:
NOVELS
404 Editions
Created in January 2016 within the group edi8/Editis, 404 Publishing is the publishing house entirely dedicated to pop culture. Always searching for new tendencies and innovative formats, 404 Publishing is the publisher of fiction, escape books, escape games, video games’ guides, and talented youtubers.
About Editis
Part of the group Vivendi since February 2019, Editis is a French leader in publishing, gathering 48 prestigious publishing houses. With a wide portfolio of internationally renowned authors, 4000 new titles published each year and a catalogue of more than 45,000 titles, Editis operates in the fields of general literature, pocket format literature, practical books, children books, illustrated books, educative and reference books. Learn more at www.editis.com
About Aconyte & Asmodee Entertainment
Aconyte Books is the publishing arm of Asmodee Entertainment, a platform of global games publisher and distributor Asmodee. Its mission is to extend Asmodee’s intellectual properties into novels and comics, TV/film, location-based entertainment, and consumer products, working closely with Asmodee Boardgames and Asmodee Digital. As well as novels from the many worlds of Asmodee’s games, Aconyte is also extending its catalogue with key partnerships, including several ranges of novels set in the rich worlds of Ubisoft’s computer games and Marvel comics. Learn more at aconytebooks,com and asmodee-entertainment.biz.
Starfish
Starfish is dedicated to the development of publications and creative products centred on large IPs. We focus on official publications of movies, TV series, games and animations that enjoy worldwide audiences, and have established, both online and offline, product lines containing literatures, comics, illustrated books and board games.
ILLUSTRATED FICTION
Dark Horse
Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics is an excellent example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and transform a company with humble beginnings into an industry giant. Under a new partnership with Vanguard Visionary Associates, Dark Horse is positioned to further expand its reach globally with publishing, products, and filmed entertainment. Over the years, Dark Horse has published the work of creative legends such as Yoshitaka Amano, Margaret Atwood, Paul Chadwick, Geof Darrow, Will Eisner, Neil Gaiman, Dave Gibbons, Faith Erin Hicks, Kazuo Koike, Matt Kindt, Jeff Lemire, Mike Mignola, Frank Miller, Moebius, Chuck Palahniuk, Wendy Pini, and Gerard Way. In addition, Dark Horse has a long tradition of establishing exciting new creative talent throughout all of its divisions. The company has also set the industry standard for quality licensed comics, graphic novels, collectibles, and art books, including Stranger Things, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra, Minecraft, The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, Dragon Age, James Cameron’s Avatar, Game of Thrones, Mass Effect, StarCraft, The Witcher, and Halo. Today, Dark Horse Comics is one of the world’s leading entertainment publishers.
Glénat
Created in 1969, Glénat is one of the largest independent publishers in the French book industry. We release more than 650 books a year in 3 main fields: graphic novels and Japanese manga which account 8000 titles in a variety of genres ; children’s books with Glénat Jeunesse and P’tit Glénat labels ; and illustrated books about mountain, sea and gastronomy. With its 51 years of experience, Glénat is one of the top 3 graphic novel publishers in France and a key player in the French book industry.
Shogakukan
Shogakukan, founded in 1922, began by launching learning magazines targeting elementary school children. Currently, while expanding from children fs magazines to the general magazine field, it has also become a general publishing company with a book division that eleases picture books, pictorial guides, dictionaries, encyclopedias, literary works, etc. Sunday GX launched in 2000, monthly manga magazine issued on the 19th of every month. The concept is “Extremely brave and tough Heroines!” and has produced a number of high quality works. Total magazine volume is over 800 pages (online contents included).
About VIZ Media, LLC
An international authority on manga for more than three decades, VIZ Media is leading the way in what’s now, new and next. Reaching one in four millennials and half of all GenZ manga readers, VIZ is at the forefront of America’s Japanese pop-culture phenomenon, which today dominates multiple industries from publishing and animation to film and gaming. VIZ is proud to be the #1 destination for manga in America and home to some of the most prestigious anime brands driving the industry. Combined with a market share footprint larger than household names collectively, VIZ has pivoted from a localization company to a market leading pop culture publisher and producer.
About POP Media Holdings
Founded in 1997 by media entrepreneur Stu Levy, POP Media Holdings brings Asian Pop Culture to Hollywood and beyond. Its publishing company TOKYOPOP established the market for manga in North America, introducing the term to the English language in the process. Over its history, POP has published thousands of books, distributed anime and Asian films on home video and television, licensed merchandise to consumer goods companies, created graphic novels of major brands and led the way digitally in social media, e-commerce and user-generated content, including the mobile publishing platform POP Comics. POP expanded internationally with offices in Europe and Japan and a network of over 160 partners in more than 50 countries and 30 languages. Its production arm has produced live-action and animated film and television content based on its extensive intellectual property library, including Priest, America’s Greatest Otaku, Van Von Hunter, and a slate of projects currently in development. Visit POP at www.TOKYOPOP.com, www.TOKYOPOP.de, www.POPcomics.com, and subscribe to TOKYOPOP TV for original web series and shows (www.youtube.com/tokyopoptv).
DIGITAL
Ximalaya
Ximalaya, with the mission of “sharing human wisdom with sound”, pioneered the PUGC content ecology, which not only leads the innovation of the audio industry, but also attracts attention from the culture and self-media people who devote themselves to audio content entrepreneurship, including Ma Dong, Wu Xiaobo, Gao Xiaosong , Cai Kangyong, Li Kaifu, Chen Zhiwu, Guo Degang, Feng Lun, Gong Linna, Hua Shao, Huang Jianxiang and other self-media giants and 7 million voice anchors. They jointly created 328 categories of voices covering finance, music, news, business, novels, automobiles, etc. content. So, CCTV News, People’s Daily Review, Sina, Forbes, 36Kr, Sanlian Life Weekly and other 5000 media and Alibaba, Baidu, KFC, Durex, L’Oreal and more than 3000 brands have also entered Himalaya.
Redice studio
RedIce is one of Korea biggest webtoon studios with multi-million views projects such as Solo Leveling. The company has strong ties with the publishing and the audiovisual industries, and is able to distribute webtoons worldwide in multiple languages on all the biggest platforms.
ULAB
New Comics, founded by ULAB Co., Ltd, is one of China’s boutique comic platforms that has produced many critically acclaimed comics under its banner, including the bestseller Blades of the Guardians.