In Assassin’s Creed Mirage, a University of Edinburgh Art historian helps build ninth-century Baghdad For its immersive world.
Ubisoft, the developers of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, worked with Dr. Glaire Anderson of Edinburgh College of Art to build the immersive world of Assassin’s Creed Mirage, which is set to release on October 12, 2023. The game follows the early years of the protagonist, Basim ibn Ishaq, in the medieval capital of the Abbasid Caliphate.
The expertise Dr. Anderson provided of Islamic history, art, architecture, archaeology, and civilization to the in-house history teams of Ubisoft will contribute to a new educational feature for Assassin’s Creed Mirage called ‘History of Baghdad’, which will offer the players a more interactive way to learn about the game’s unique settings.
Stéphane Boudon, Creative Director for Assassin’s Creed Mirage, also stated that “The ‘History of Baghdad’ is our new historical codex feature – information that players can find in the world, telling them about the culture, tradition, and daily life of 9th-century Baghdad. “In addition to providing intensive seminars on medieval Islamic Art to the Ubisoft in-house history team, Glaire and her students contributed directly to this feature, reviewing texts written by our in-house historian Raphaël Weyland, and suggesting illustrations from museum collections.”
Throughout the in-game world of Assassin’s Creed Mirage, players will get to discover a total of sixty-six historical sites throughout the game’s world, each serving as portals to insights into that era. Divided into five categories, the insights will fall under one of the following categories: Art & Science, Daily Life and Beliefs, Court Life, Economy, and Government.
Dr. Anderson, who specializes in the history of medieval Islamic art and architecture, had begun to use video game engines during her research to visualize historic environments and architecture. She also said, “I showed my work to my son, who was about 11 at the time, and he said, ‘Oh mom, if you’re interested in that kind of stuff, you should check out Assassin’s Creed!’ I did, and I loved how they were visualizing medieval Islamic monuments and urban environments.“
Further adding, “Then, when I learned they were engaging with museums and academics to enhance the educational aspects of their games, I reached out to Ubisoft’s head of world-building, historian Maxime Durand. “The University’s commercialization service, Edinburgh Innovations, helped me formalize the relationship. “The impact on my work has been dramatic. Collaborating with Ubisoft has allowed me to bring my work out of the university and share it with a broader audience of people of all ages who play video games. I respect what Ubisoft has achieved and how they are helping people engage with history.”
Head of Ubisoft’s Humanities and Inspiration department, Thierry Noël, also stated that “Assassin’s Creed always strives to be a gateway for players to discover more about the fascinating historical setting and eras it explores.“
Further adding, “With information curated by experts, “History of Baghdad” offers a research-based perspective over 9th century Baghdad and the Abbasid Empire, tackling pre-conceptions and clichés often associated with them. Our collaboration with esteemed partners and experts to bring this feature to life in Assassin’s Creed Mirage further highlights the commitment to authenticity and accuracy that is a hallmark of the series.”
With the aid of Dr. Anderson, we will hopefully see a more accurate depiction of 9th-century Baghdad in the latest installment to the Assassin’s Creed franchise, Assassin’s Creed Mirage will be launching worldwide on October 12, 2023, on PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
