Navigating Ubisoft's expansive historical franchise can feel like climbing a fortress blindfolded. Since the original game launched in 2007, the series has spanned multiple console generations, shifted from stealth-action to massive open-world RPGs, and jumped across centuries of human history. Whether you're jumping in for the first time or replaying the entire saga, tracking every mainline entry is essential to understanding how the modern-day framing story and historical loops connect.
Playing by release order lets you experience the mechanical evolution of the franchise naturally. You get to see how Ubisoft refined parkour, combat loops, and open-world design from humble beginnings in the Holy Land to sprawling historical sandboxes.
The Complete Mainline Release Order
Sticking to the core entries ensures you don't miss any major plot developments or technical milestones. Here is the chronological release list of every mainline game in the series.
Assassin's Creed (2007)
The one that started it all drops you into the Third Crusade as Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad. You also experience the framing device of Desmond Miles trapped in the Animus by Abstergo. The mission structure relies on repetitive investigations, but it established parkour, social stealth, and the hidden blade.
Assassin's Creed II (2009)
Widely considered a massive leap forward, this sequel introduces Ezio Auditore da Firenze during the Italian Renaissance. It fixes the first game's repetitive loop by adding diverse mission types, an economy system, weapon variety, and a deeply personal revenge story across Florence, Venice, and Tuscany.
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (2010)
Picking up immediately after the second installment, Ezio moves his fight to Rome. This entry introduces the core mechanic of recruiting and training local citizens into an assassin brotherhood, sending them on missions across Europe, alongside the debut of online multiplayer.
Assassin's Creed: Revelations (2011)
This title concludes Ezio's trilogy while tying back into Altaïr's final days. Set in Constantinople, Ezio searches for master keys to a library left behind by his ancestor. It introduces the hook blade, which speeds up parkour and zipline traversal.
Assassin's Creed III (2012)
Shifting to the American Revolution, you play as Ratonhnhaké:ton (Connor), a half-Mohawk, half-British assassin. This entry introduces dynamic weather, tree-and-cliff climbing, hunting, and naval ship combat, wrapping up Desmond's modern-day narrative arc.
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (2013)
Focusing on the Golden Age of Piracy, you step into the boots of Edward Kenway, a Welsh privateer turned pirate. The game leans heavily into ship-to-ship combat, sea shanties, and Caribbean exploration, making it a fan-favorite despite straying from traditional brotherhood themes.
Assassin's Creed Rogue (2014)
Released alongside Unity, Rogue flips the script by letting you play as Shay Patrick Cormac, an assassin who betrays the Brotherhood to join the Templars during the Seven Years' War. Set in the North Atlantic, it borrows mechanics from Black Flag while introducing frost environments and enemy stalkers who hunt you.
Assassin's Creed Unity (2014)
Set during the French Revolution, Unity focuses on Arno Dorian in a densely populated, scale-1:1 recreation of Paris. It features overhauled parkour with dedicated descent buttons, cooperative multiplayer missions, and deep gear customization, though it launched with famous technical hiccups.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate (2015)
Moving into Victorian London, you control twin assassins Jacob and Evie Frye as they liberate the city from Templar control block by block. The addition of a rope launcher completely changes rooftop traversal, while horse carriages serve as mobile street vehicles.
Assassin's Creed Origins (2017)
Origins marks a massive genre shift into an open-world action RPG with loot tiers, hit-box combat, and character levels. Set in Ptolemaic Egypt, it explores the origins of the Assassin Brotherhood through Medjay Bayek of Siwa and his wife Aya.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey (2018)
Building heavily on Origins, Odyssey drops you into Ancient Greece during the Peloponnesian War. You choose between playing as Alexios or Kassandra, navigating branching dialogue choices, massive conquest battles, and mythological beast encounters.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla (2020)
Set during the Viking expansion into England, you control Eivor Varinsdottir. Valhalla focuses on building and upgrading your clan's settlement, raiding river fortresses, and balancing combat with exploration across four distinct kingdoms.
Assassin's Creed Mirage (2023)
Mirage returns the franchise to its roots, trading massive RPG maps for a tightly focused, stealth-heavy urban adventure. Set in 9th-century Baghdad, you follow Basim Ibn Ishaq rising from a street thief to a master assassin.
Assassin's Creed Shadows (2025)
Set during the turbulent Sengoku period in Feudal Japan, Shadows introduces dual protagonists: Naoe, a stealthy shinobi, and Yasuke, a powerhouse samurai. It features dynamic seasons that alter the environment, changing how stealth and combat operate.
Why Release Order Matters Most
Jumping straight into release order is the cleanest path because the modern-day framing narrative builds consecutively. When Desmond, Layla, or other modern protagonists experience historical memories, the technology, lore, and stakes evolve step-by-step. If you skip around, you'll encounter spoilers for overarching sci-fi plots that took over a decade to construct.
Furthermore, game mechanics progress naturally. Moving backward from Valhalla to the original 2007 game can feel jarring due to missing quality-of-life updates. Starting at the beginning lets you appreciate how controls, combat responsiveness, and open-world density improved over time.
Common Mistakes When Playing the Series
Many players make specific missteps that ruin their immersion or stall their progress. Avoiding these pitfalls keeps your playthrough smooth.
- Ignoring the side content entirely: While rushing main story missions works in linear games, titles like Odyssey and Valhalla gate progress behind character levels. Skipping side quests leaves you underpowered for mandatory story bosses.
- Expecting identical gameplay: Don't expect the tactical stealth of Mirage when playing the hack-and-slash RPGs like Odyssey. Knowing what each era of the franchise prioritizes prevents frustration.
- Skipping DLC expansions: Major story expansions like The Fate of Atlantis in Odyssey or Wrath of the Druids in Valhalla contain crucial narrative context that ties into the main character arcs.
- Playing spinoffs at random times: Mobile games and side-scrolling platformers like Assassin's Creed Chronicles offer neat lore bits, but playing them out of sequence during a main game marathon interrupts your momentum.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to play every single game to understand the story?
No. While every game contributes to the overarching universe, mainline entries like Assassin's Creed II, Black Flag, and Origins feature self-contained historical stories. You can easily enjoy individual historical settings without mastering every nuance of the modern-day lore.
Are the older games playable on modern consoles?
Most mainline titles are available on modern platforms through backward compatibility or remastered collections. For instance, The Ezio Collection bundles parts two, Brotherhood, and Revelations for current hardware.
Which game is best for absolute beginners?
Assassin's Creed Origins or Assassin's Creed II serve as the best entry points depending on your preference. Choose Origins if you prefer modern open-world RPG mechanics, or choose Part II if you prefer classic narrative-driven action-adventure gameplay.
How long does it take to beat the entire series?
Completing the main stories for every mainline entry takes roughly 400 to 500 hours combined. If you aim to complete every side quest and collectible across all titles, you're looking at well over 1,000 hours of gameplay.
