Since the first game's release in 2007, the Assassin's Creed franchise has grown massively, covering a variety of historical eras and shifting from third-person action-adventure games to huge open-world RPG experiences. Ubisoft recently announced Assassin's Creed Infinity, a live-service title that is said to include multiple eras. While no further details have been announced at this point, Infinity will be the next major change to the series, and Ubisoft may be giving fans an idea of what is in store with its latest DLC.
Assassin's Creed Crossover Stories is bringing together two protagonists from past games: Odyssey's Kassandra and Valhalla's Eivor. The DLC is a collaboration between Ubisoft's Montréal and Québec studios, which made the game the two heroes originated from. While no connection to Infinity has been announced, based on that game's premise, Crossover Stories could be setting up the live-service game or, at the very least, be a test-run for the developers who will be making it.
Crossover Stories is split into two parts, one available through Assassin's Creed: Odyssey and the other in Valhalla. The first part, titled "Those Who Are Treasured," follows Kassandra or Alexios as they struggle with their immortality while finding a Piece of Eden. This leads into Valhalla's story, "A Fated Encounter," which has Kassandra crossing paths with Eivor. The character's immortality explains how she could meet other Assassins, and that could be helpful for connecting Infinity to the series as a whole.
One possibility is to use Kassandra as a guide into different eras. She could oversee the evolution of the Assassin Order, allowing players to experience these stories first hand with alongside new protagonists in different eras. Since Eivor is one of the earliest Assassins chronologically, their encounter could serve as a glimpse of how others crossovers in Infinity could take place. Since the Templars are always focused on Pieces of Eden, Infinity may continue what Crossover Stories introduces, creating an ongoing chase to find Pieces across time. Infinity could also introduce more crossovers with the foundation that this new "hub" for the franchise is headed by: Abstergo Industries.
Should Abstergo remain a focal point in the story, it could bring back a traditional animus for Infinity players to access. However, with Layla's advancements in revisiting DNA strands, the scientists could take things to the next level. By utilizing any information samples from Kassandra and Eivor's encounter, Abstergo would have the ability to connect DNA in ways that would have otherwise killed the user. This could allow for more crossovers with Assassins like Ezio and Edward Kenway.
With Assassin's Creed Infinity still some time away, it's difficult to speculate how the live-service game will work and how it will change the franchise. Still, Crossover Stories could represent a grand promise for what Infinity will offer. Not only does the crossover feature popular characters that many fans are happy to see again, but it also fits naturally into the existing story. While it may or may not have been intended as a tease for Infinity, this new DLC for both Odyssey and Valhalla is a great way for Ubisoft give fans something new and help alleviate fears about the next steps in its beloved franchise.