Assassin’s Creed Hexe is still incredibly mysterious at the moment, but many are expecting the game to be a bold new direction for the franchise. The past few years have been a bit rocky for Ubisoft, but Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced gave the company a much-needed win. Now, Assassin’s Creed Hexe has the tough task of keeping up that momentum. Rumors circulating about the game have been really compelling, but if true, that also means fans might have to wait until late 2027 to get a taste of what a witchy Assassin’s Creed game is like.
The good news is that there is an alternative option that is about to enter Steam Early Access on August 25. 1666: Amsterdam is a horror-tinged adventure game from Panache Digital Games, and it actually has a fascinating connection to the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Original Assassin’s Creed Creative Director Patrice Desilets created 1666: Amsterdam, but the connections to Ubisoft’s hit franchise don’t stop there.
Patrice Desilets’ Time With Assassin’s Creed Led to 1666: Amsterdam, But There Were Major Obstacles Along the Way
-
-
-
Desilets left Ubisoft in 2010 and would eventually join THQ Montreal in 2011. During his two years there, Desilets would lead production on 1666: Amsterdam, but THQ would eventually declare bankruptcy and cause a major shake-up in development. Ubisoft would go on to acquire THQ Montreal, putting Desilets back under the company’s control. Ubisoft immediately fired him, which granted the company the rights to 1666: Amsterdam. This would eventually come to a head, though, and Ubisoft returned the rights to 1666: Amsterdam to Patrice Desilets in 2016.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
By the time Desilets regained control of the 1666: Amsterdam IP, he had already founded his own studio, Panache Digital Games. Word of 1666: Amsterdam‘s development remained pretty much nonexistent for years, but that all changed earlier this year. The first 1666: Amsterdam demo and trailer was revealed at Summer Game Fest 2026, and it quickly became clear that Desilets’ project and Ubisoft’s Hexe seem destined to compete with one another.
There are also two other Assassin’s Creed games in development besides Hexe. Ubisoft is working on Invictus and Jade, with the former expected to be a multiplayer game and the latter being an open-world mobile title set in China.
It’s hard to say if Ubisoft used 1666: Amsterdam as inspiration for Hexe, but it’s definitely not that crazy of a leap. Desilets even said in the past that 1666: Amsterdam could be a new Assassin’s Creed. Now, there are two witch-focused adventure games on the way, and Desilet’s version going into Early Access means that 1666: Amsterdam gets to set the expectations.
1666: Amsterdam’s Confirmed Features
- A handcrafted take on 17th century Amsterdam.
- Witchcraft and spell casting
- Gameplay centered around strategy, choice, and timing
- Two playable characters, a witch and a cat
- A focus on exploration and investigation
Players take on the role of Noa Brooklyn. She and her cat companion, Aaron, are tasked with using witchcraft to identify and stop demons who are hiding in human form. 1666: Amsterdam is a historical detective story centered around magic and demons, and that’s an incredibly cool concept that can hopefully live up to its potential. A game with a playable cat and a witch investigating demons is a standout premise on paper, but the ultimate factor is going to be whether the gameplay will be able to stack up against the likes of Assassin’s Creed Hexe.
Assassin’s Creed Hexe Is One of Ubisoft’s Biggest Mysteries, But This Year Hopefully Has Surprises in Store
The Assassin’s Creed Hexe rumors have been circulating for a while now, but this year could finally prove if any of them are true or not. Rumors and leaks regarding the release date have been pretty consistent with claiming a 2027 launch, which would make this year the perfect time for Ubisoft to reveal a deeper look besides the game’s short teaser trailer.
Every Rumored Assassin’s Creed Hexe Feature, So Far
- A 16th or 17th century Central European setting
- Female lead named either Elsa or Anika
- Fear System inspired by Syndicate‘s Jack the Ripper DLC
- A controllable cat, but this feature has also been rumored to have been cut
- Cameo from Ezio
- More linear compared to recent open-world Assassin’s Creed games
- A grounded take on witchcraft
- Inspired by European witch trials
There are a lot of rumored features here, and several details sound awfully close to what 1666: Amsterdam is promising players. Once a new Assassin’s Creed Hexe update and full-length trailer arrives, there are bound to be comparisons, and that makes the two games that much more compelling. 1666: Amsterdam and Assassin’s Creed Hexe present the chance for some fun competition to take place, and there’s even the chance that both games are equally great, just in different ways.
Before the Early Access period goes live, gamers can check out a free playable Steam demo for 1666: Amsterdam. The demo is just the game’s prologue and lasts only about 30 minutes, but it’s the perfect opportunity to get a more substantial preview ahead of August 25.
European witch trials make for a fascinating backdrop for a video game, and I’m looking forward to getting a double dose of this kind of story. Black Flag Resynced‘s success has many fans optimistic about the next Assassin’s Creed game, and 1666: Amsterdam brings a fresh original IP into the fold. If the two can tackle similar subject matter in unique ways, that’s ultimately a good thing.
Assassin’s Creed Hexe details might be sparse at the moment, but 1666: Amsterdam is at least waiting just around the corner. Panache Digital Games has mentioned on 1666: Amsterdam‘s official Steam page that the developers aren’t entirely sure how long the game will be in Early Access, but the team is hoping that it’s only a year-long period. If that’s the case, then it’s going to be even more interesting to see if 1666: Amsterdam‘s 1.0 launch and Assassin’s Creed Hexe‘s release dates end up being close to one another.
