As a dedicated Assassin's Creed aficionado who's been leaping from the Third Crusade to Feudal Japan for nearly two decades now, I've got a confession to make. While I love sinking hundreds of hours into the latest open-world RPG epics like Shadows, I sometimes miss the tight, lore-dense focus on the core conflict that hooked me in the first place—the eternal shadow war between the Brotherhood and the Templar Order. And you know what? I think Ubisoft has a perfect, if dusty, blueprint to bring that back, and it's been sitting on a shelf for about ten years. I'm talking about the Assassin's Creed Chronicles series. In an era where mainline games are exploring mythological beasts and massive historical sandboxes, this forgotten 2.5D side-scroller could be the secret weapon to expand the franchise's deepest lore in 2026 and beyond.

Let's rewind the Animus a bit. Back in 2015, as the franchise was gearing up for the PS4/Xbox One generation with Unity, Ubisoft quietly dropped Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China. This wasn't your typical third-person parkour simulator. Oh no. This was a bold, artistic departure—a side-scrolling platformer with visuals inspired by Ming Dynasty ink wash paintings. It was like playing through a living, breathing historical scroll. They followed it up with Chronicles: India and Russia, creating a neat little trilogy that did something brilliant but underappreciated: it gave a spotlight to fan-favorite Assassins from expanded media who'd never gotten their own full game.

Think about it: we finally got to step into the shoes of Shao Jun after her mentorship under Ezio, Arbaaz Mir (father to Syndicate's Henry Green), and the gritty Russian Assassin Nikolai Orelov. Each game was a compact, 6-hour burst of stealth and combat, distilled into a 2.5D format. The reception was... mixed. Some fans adored the focused storytelling and unique art; others were turned off by the departure from the core gameplay loop. But the potential was—and still is—immense.

Fast forward to 2026. The mainline series has become a behemoth. Odyssey let us fight Medusa, Valhalla had us forging alliances in England, and Shadows is delving into the Sengoku period. The lore is vast, but the direct Assassin vs. Templar narrative has often taken a backseat. This is where a revival of the Chronicles concept isn't just nostalgia—it's a necessity. Ubisoft could use this format as a dedicated "lore vessel."

Imagine a new Chronicles anthology, released episodically or as a collection, that does nothing but flesh out the secret war. Here’s my dream slate for what it could cover:

• The French Pursuit: A game following Arno Dorian (Assassin's Creed Unity) on his personal quest to find Shay Cormac, the Templar who killed his father. The fates of both characters are shrouded in mystery, and a tight, narrative-driven Chronicles game would be the perfect medium to explore this gritty, personal vendetta.

• The Auditore Administrator: A story focusing on Claudia Auditore. While Ezio was off in Constantinople, she was running the entire Italian Brotherhood! A game exploring her leadership, her struggles, and her missions would add incredible depth to a beloved character who's been largely behind the scenes.

• The Hidden Ones' Legacy: To bridge with recent games, one entry could follow Hytham and Niamh of Argyll from Valhalla as they battle the emerging Templar Order in the aftermath of Eivor's saga. Alternatively, it could explore Alvaro Catarribera, the Spanish Assassin mentioned in Shadows, and the events leading to his excommunication.

The beauty of the Chronicles format is its agility. It doesn't need a 200-hour open world. It can be a focused, atmospheric, and relatively low-budget way to:

1. Satisfy lore-hungry fans like me who crave details about the Brotherhood and Templars.

2. Explore diverse historical settings and art styles without the pressure of a full-scale RPG.

3. Tie up loose ends and connect narrative dots between the major titles.

In 2026, the Assassin's Creed universe is bigger than ever. But sometimes, to move forward, you have to look back—not just in history, but at your own legacy. The Chronicles series was a gem that arrived slightly before its time. Now, with fans eager for more core conflict storytelling, it's the perfect moment to dust off that particular Piece of Eden and let it shine once more. A new chapter of Chronicles could be the key to balancing the franchise's epic future with the intimate, secret-war past that made it legendary. What do you say, Ubisoft? Let's make some history.

Potential Chronicles Revival Concept	Protagonist	Era/Setting	Core Conflict
Project: Vendetta	Arno Dorian	Post-Unity France	Hunt for Shay Cormac
Project: Sisterhood	Claudia Auditore	Renaissance Italy	Leading the Brotherhood in Ezio's absence
Project: Aftermath	Hytham & Niamh	9th Century Britain/Scotland	Founding the British Hidden Ones vs. New Templars
Project: Exile	Alvaro Catarribera	16th Century Spain	Events leading to excommunication, pre-Shadows