Which Assassin‘s Creed Game Has Online?
As an avid Assassin‘s Creed gamer and content creator, I receive countless questions about multiplayer in the franchise. Specifically – "Which AC game has online?" Let‘s explore the past, complex present and future of competitive/cooperative play within the series.
The Revolution – Brotherhood Lays Foundation
It all began in 2010 with Assassin‘s Creed Brotherhood, which shocked fans by introducing online multiplayer to the previously single-player focused franchise. This was a huge departure that paid off extremely well.
As one of Abstergo‘s agents in training, I loved blending into crowds, hiring courtesans as distractions and chasing targets across meticulously recreated historical maps set throughout Rome. According to Ubisoft, over 10 million engaged with Brotherhood‘s competitive online modes across PS3 and Xbox 360. I still have fond memories of tense hidden blade fights atop digital rooftops.
Evolution – Refining The Formula
2011‘s Revelations built upon these foundations by introducing new modes, abilities like smoke bombs and team escapes, while expanding customization options considerably. The unique multiplayer concept was not simply tacked on, but intricately tied to Abstergo, the Templars and deeper franchise lore.
In 2012, collaborative play entered the fray with Assassin‘s Creed III. Stalking through snowy colonial forests with friends made the exciting new Wolfpack mode incredibly replayable. Across PS3, Xbox 360 and PC, I easily played the North Atlantic Icemen map over hundreds of hours!
| Game | Year | Multiplayer Offering |
|---|---|---|
| AC Brotherhood | 2010 | Competitive Online Modes |
| AC Revelations | 2011 | Expanded Competitive Modes |
| AC III | 2012 | 4-Player Online Co-Op |
A Pirate‘s Life For Me
2013‘s swashbuckling epic Assassin‘s Creed IV: Black Flag continued AC3‘s multiplayer legacy while introducing ship-to-ship mayhem across the Caribbean. Player vs Player naval warfare was utter chaos, with clashes full of mortar volleys, desperate ramming maneuvers and boarding enemy vessels with cutlass in hand.
I couldn‘t get enough of the exotic new tropical hunts either, like chasing targets through Havana‘s claustrophobic streets or sprinting across the lush jungles of Blue Caps island.
A Brief Unity
After Black Flag‘s nautical success, Ubisoft attempted even greater online innovation with Assassin‘s Creed Unity in 2014. The focus completely shifted to four player cooperative missions and heists, rather than competitive modes.
While I enjoyed my share of assassinations and robberies with friends on the streets of Paris, there was considerable controversy regarding technical issues that greatly hindered Unity‘s ambitions. Ultimately, it garnered mixed reception and Ubisoft pivoted decisively from multiplayer components in future franchise entries.
Final Days & Server Sunsets
This fundamental pivot away from online continued with 2015‘s Syndicate, which still contained a separate cooperative campaign starring twin assassins Jacob and Evie Frye. While fun and nicely incorporated around their brother-sister banter, it lacked the tense competitive edge that defined earlier multiplayer efforts.
Fast forward to 2022, and Ubisoft announced plans to permanently shutter servers for past AC games offering multiplayer, including Brotherhood and Black Flag. After over a decade of support, resources are clearly shifting to focus solely on single-player experiences. As an AC fan since the very first title, the September 1st, 2023 shutdown certainly feels like the ending of an era.
The Next Era – Assassin‘s Creed Infinity
And that brings us to the looming future! Ubisoft recently unveiled their next evolution for the iconic franchise – an ever-expanding online platform dubbed Assassin’s Creed Infinity.
Excitingly, Infinity promises to introduce a standalone multiplayer title called “Invictus” set in the AC universe. Ubisoft describes Invictus as a "hybrid-build multiplayer game with a strong focus on narrative" – essentially re-imagining what shared competitive/cooperative play could resemble on modern platforms. As a lifetime devotee, the thought of recapturing the magic of past games in new worlds makes me incredibly optimistic!
Conclusion
While the lights are slowly dimming on the servers still powering classic Assassin’s Creed online innovation, the horizon shows tremendous potential for future reinvention. We‘ll have to stealthily wait and see whether Project Invictus fulfills that monumental promise. But ever since Brotherhood fundamentally altered fan expectations in 2010, multiplayer has left an utterly indelible, blood-stained mark on the Creed.
