Summary
Developer Tencent has reportedly delayed its mobile gameAssassin’s Creed Jadeto 2025, following a big strategic shift at the company. TheAssassin’s Creedgame has been in development for four years.
Assassin’s Creed Jadeis set in ancient China, where users unravel mysteries surrounding the Qin Dynasty. Its website explains thatJadefeatures the “classic” stealth, parkour, and assassination gameplay thatAssassin’s Creedfans have come to love. Historically, Tencent has succeeded in translating the gameplay of hit titles to mobile devices, as it developed games likeCall of Duty MobileandPUBG Mobile. However, the massive Chinese company seems to be taking a step back from certain franchises.
Reuters reportedthat Tencent is moving away from adapting big-budget Western franchises, instead shifting its focus to homegrown ideas like the recently releasedDreamStar. This strategic shift resulted in hundreds of employees being reassigned fromAssassin’s Creed Jade, leading to its delay. One of the main reasons for this change is reportedly the thin margins that come with developing games likeJade, as well as Tencent’s rivals focusing on in-house projects like NetEase’sEggy Partyand miHoYo’sGenshin Impact, both of which have been huge hits and allow the developers to retain all profits. In a recent earnings call, Tencent reported a slight decline in gaming sales, which, combined with other shortfalls, has apparently created a sense of urgency within the company to change.
Assassin’s Creed Jade’s Release Date Delayed
Back in August, leakedAssassin’s Creed Jadegameplayproved that the game was well into development, as the nearly 90-minute video showed a user navigating a large open world, engaging in fast-paced combat, and completing various missions. Fans previously hoped for a release date sometime in 2024, but this has been pushed back to a vague 2025 window according to sources.
Although Tencent has successful mobile adaptions under its belt, it’s also fallen short on high-profile projects before. Last year, EA and Respawn decided toshut down Tencent’sApex Legends Mobiledue to “quality, quantity, and cadence” issues. More recently, Tencent also canceled the development of itsNiermobile game, which was based on Square Enix’s popular franchise.
2025 is shaping up to be a potentially big year forAssassin’s Creedfans when flagship gameRedis expected to release as well. Earlier this month, newdetails regardingAssassin’s Creed Redleaked, which claimed that an upgraded engine would bring ray tracing to the series for the first time. Stealth will apparently play a bigger role inRedand its combat contains more gore than usual, including decapitations and increased blood.
