By NJOYERS Gaming News | October 10, 2025
NJOYERs imagine stepping into the boots of a freed man turned Assassin, navigating post–Civil War America, and taking on one of history’s darkest groups the Ku Klux Klan. That’s exactly what Ubisoft reportedly had in development before the project was quietly canceled.
According to Game File’s Stephen Totilo, Ubisoft Quebec the studio behind Assassin’s Creed Odyssey had begun early work on a concept-phase title set during the Reconstruction era (1865–1877). The story would have followed a formerly enslaved Black man who joins the Assassin Brotherhood and returns to the South to fight for equality. Along the way, he would’ve clashed with the first iteration of the Ku Klux Klan, formed in 1865.
The game had reportedly passed initial leadership approval and entered pre-production, but Ubisoft’s Paris headquarters ultimately decided to pull the plug in mid-2024. Sources familiar with the decision cited “political climate concerns” in the United States, describing the project as “too political in a country too unstable.”
While Ubisoft has never officially confirmed this project, multiple insiders corroborated the story. Some suggest that backlash surrounding Assassin’s Creed Shadows — which features Yasuke, a Black samurai protagonist also played a small role in the decision to halt development.
For context, the Reconstruction era was a time of intense social change following the abolition of slavery. It marked one of the most politically charged and transformative periods in American history — and would’ve offered Assassin’s Creed a chance to explore themes of freedom, justice, and rebellion from a fresh, powerful perspective.
NJOYERs, this would’ve been the first Assassin’s Creed game to tackle the Reconstruction era a period that fits perfectly within the franchise’s ongoing themes of resistance, oppression, and the fight for liberty. The idea of facing the KKK as part of an Assassin storyline sounds both daring and historically rich, pushing the series into unexplored territory.
Unfortunately, Ubisoft’s hesitation means we may never see this concept realized — at least not anytime soon. Still, the reports remind us that gaming can be one of the most powerful storytelling mediums, capable of shedding light on even the most difficult parts of history.
What do you think, NJOYERs? Should Ubisoft have gone forward with this bold idea? Or was canceling it the right move for now?
Sound off in the comments we want to hear from you.