Assassin’s Creed Invictus was first announced back in September 2022, right alongside projects like Assassin’s Creed Hexe, Red, Mirage, and Jade. While Assassin’s Creed Mirage dropped last year, and Assassin’s Creed Shadows (formerly known as Red) is on the way, Hexe, Jade, and Invictus have all been kept under wraps. But with games of this scale, leaks are inevitable, and one recent Assassin’s Creed Invictus rumor has sent shockwaves through the community.
According to Twitter leaker j0nathan, Assassin’s Creed Invictus will be a Fall Guys-like multiplayer game in which 16 players compete in several rounds of minigame challenges. Many fans’ knee-jerk reaction was to loudly condemn this rumored direction online. But while the image of fan-favorite characters like Ezio and Cesare Borgia duking it out in arcadey minigames is admittedly silly, Assassin’s Creed‘s gameplay might be better suited to the Fall Guys formula than some may think.
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Assassin’s Creed’s Gameplay Could Inspire A Wealth of Multiplayer Minigames
A Cat-and-Mouse Game of Deduction
If recent rumors are true and Assassin’s Creed Invictus will indeed contain a handful of minigames, then the first on that list should be a cat-and-mouse game. Inspired by Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood‘s ‘Wanted’ multiplayer mode, this Invictus minigame would see players attempt to track down their target while also needing to avoid the hunter on their own tail. Players would need to use disguises and interactable parts of the scenery to blend in with the NPC crowds and remain hidden, and the last player standing would achieve the win.
A Race Across the Rooftops
Another obvious pick for an Assassin’s Creed Fall Guys-like minigame would be some kind of parkour challenge. Parkour is arguably just as important as stealth to Assassin’s Creed gameplay formula, and it lends itself well to a fast-paced minigame. Much like in the Street Races found in classic titles like Assassin’s Creed 2, these multiplayer parkour challenges could see players make their way through a series of checkpoints, with the goal being to reach the final gate faster than the rest of the lobby.
A Messy Free-For-All Brawl
Another core part of Assassin’s Creed‘s gameplay formula is combat, and while it might be a little more tricky to adapt those mechanics compared to the series’ stealth and parkour, it deserves a minigame of its own in this rumored Fall Guys-like multiplayer spinoff. The smartest choice would be pairing players and having them participate in a 1-on-1 duel, with the victor moving on to the next round. But a much more fun idea is some kind of messy free-for-all street brawl, where up to 16 players have to battle at the same time, parrying one another to secure a bloody victory by any means.
A Quick Bout of Naval Warfare
Despite remaining a consistent feature of the franchise since Assassin’s Creed 3‘s release in 2012, naval combat isn’t often what springs to mind when fans think of Assassin’s Creed‘s gameplay loop. But naval combat could pave the way for a very unique multiplayer minigame. Players could take control of a Black Flag-era galleon and be given temporary crew roles. The captain needs to pilot the ship while the rest of the crew manages repairs and fires the cannons/swivel turrets.
While Assassin’s Creed Invictus may be rumored to be Fall Guys-like in structure, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’ll be bad. The hypothetical minigames mentioned here would allow Invictus to have its cake and eat it too, offering bite-sized challenges while still capturing the essence of the franchise through similar gameplay mechanics.