The lead producer of Assassin's Creed Shadows says he believes four years of development time is the “right balance” for new installments in the series.
In an interview with Gamesindustry.biz, Karl Onnée of Ubisoft explains that Shadows will have taken four years to develop before its release in November.
This is the longest development cycle for an Assassin's Creed game to date and 25% longer than Assassin's Creed Valhalla.
According to Onnée, a four-year development cycle is ideal because it gives the team enough time to get feedback on its developments and use that feedback to deliver meaningful iterations without rushing.
“It’s always a trade-off between time and cost, but the more time you have, the more you can iterate,” Onnée explained.
“Yes, you can put more people on a project and get it done in less time, but that doesn't give you more time to iterate because it takes time to get feedback from your players, your team… and then see what works and what doesn't and how to improve it.
“Four years is, in my opinion, the right balance to go from conception to production and to get the feedback necessary for adaptation.”
Assassin's Creed Shadows is scheduled to be released on November 15, 2024 and is set in 16th century Japan.
The game has been the subject of some criticism on social media, amplified by people like Elon Musk, who wrote about supposedly “introducing DEI” (diversity, equity, and inclusion) because one of its protagonists, Yasuke, is black.
The reception led Ubisoft to release a statement on social media acknowledging the online discourse surrounding Yasuke and other elements of the game.
Further reading
Preview: Can Assassin's Creed Shadows fulfill fans' wishes for a decade?
In its statement, Ubisoft stressed that the Assassin's Creed franchise has always strived to be inspired by history rather than faithfully portraying it.
“It was never our intention to portray any of our Assassin's Creed games, including Assassin's Creed Shadows, as a fact-based representation of history or historical characters,” it said.
“Instead, we want to arouse curiosity and encourage players to explore and learn more about the historical background that inspires us.”