I’m not gonna lie: I’m back on the ASSASSIN’S CREED bandwagon. Ever since the reveal of ODYSSEY, I’ve been anxiously waiting to explore Ubisoft’s version of Ancient Greece.

But since the game’s announcement, many fans have been asking the same question: how does it fit into the story?

It’s no secret that ASSASSIN’S CREED: ODYSSEY takes place long before the most recent game: ORIGINS. Set in Ancient Greece during the Peloponnesian War. some are starting to wonder how this will be an ASSASSIN’S CREED game at all. Are they abandoning the lore altogether? Or are they simply keeping the details under wraps?

Well, I have a theory. I think we’ve been given enough clues to figure this out. Not only do I think ODYSSEY will fit into the lore, but I’m pretty sure I know how.

So what’s the story of ASSASSIN’S CREED: ODYSSEY? How does it fit into the lore? How will this affect the gameplay? Well, let’s take a look.

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The Story So Far

At its core, ASSASSIN’S CREED is about historical tourism. You meet famous figures, explore painstakingly detailed environments, and immerse yourself in another time period. But there’s a through-line linking the games together, and it’s important to know the basic lore of the series before we go deeper.

So buckle up. This gets weird.

ASSASSIN’S CREED is about an age-old conspiracy, a forgotten civilization, and a secret war between the Knights Templar and the Levantine Hashashin.

I’m not kidding.

The games follow the adventures and intrigue of two secret cabals. The Templars seek a utopian society and believe the only way to achieve this is by eliminating free-will. The Hashashin, later known as “Assassins”, believe in liberty and individuality, and can often be found as pirates, anarchists, and revolutionaries throughout history.

During The Crusades, both factions discovered relics of an ancient, advanced civilization. These relics were capable of mind-controlling entire populations. Ever since, both factions have been at war over the fate of humanity.

Essentially, the franchise blends real-world conspiracy theories with sci-fi overtones. Most of the games focus on the ongoing war between the Assassins and the Templars. The most recent game, ORIGINS, reveals the true beginnings of the Assassins. Long before they became the historical Hashashin, they were The Hidden Ones: an order of freedom fighters founded in Ptolemaic Egypt.

So that’s all well and good, but there’s one little problem: ODYSSEY takes place 400 years before ORIGINS. How can there be a prequel set before the prequel? How will ODYSSEY fit into the story at all?

ODYSSEY Will Show Us The Earliest Days Of The Templars

While ORIGINS focused on the founding of the Assassins, ODYSSEY could show us the earliest days of the Templars.

Now, for those of us who played ORIGINS, you may take issue with this theory. According to that game, the Templars began as the “Order Of The Ancients”: an Egyptian cabal founded by the Pharaoh Smenkhkare. What does any of this have to do with ancient Greece?

Well, remember: there was a time when we thought the Assassins began as a medieval Islamic sect. Ubisoft isn’t afraid of “expanding” their lore as the series goes on. It’s highly possible that, just as The Assassins spread across the world, so too did the Templars, beginning in Egypt but spreading throughout the Mediterranean. The Order Of The Ancients was founded sometime around 1334 BCE. This gives us plenty of time to explore their early years.

It’s also worth noting that both factions are defined by their ideology, not their organization. While the Assassins were first organized during Rome’s conquest of Egypt, there’s been several “proto-Assassins” throughout the centuries. The earliest known “Assassin” killed the Persian emperor Xerxes in 465 BCE. Before their formation as The Hidden Ones, anyone who kills in the name of freedom could be considered an Assassin.

So there’s plenty of ways to expand the story before the time of ORIGINS. The question is: how will this all play out?

ODYSSEY Will Let You Choose Between Proto-Assassins And Proto-Templars

This may be a bold statement, but based on everything we know so far, I think ODYSSEY will be the first game to let you choose between the Templars and the Assassins.

It’s no secret that ODYSSEY will be an RPG. The game will feature dialogue choices, branching paths, and multiple endings. That last bit struck me as a bit odd. How can you have multiple endings in a series bound by historical events?

Well, during E3 the developers confirmed that the endings would conform to history. This only leaves one possibility: the endings will be focused on the player’s personal story, and whatever “secret” history unfolds throughout the narrative.

A Secret War

ODYSSEY takes place during a war between Athens and Sparta. According to Ubisoft, the player can take sides between the two forces. If I know anything about ASSASSIN’S CREED, then I’m willing to bet the Templars are backing the Spartans, and a group of proto-Assassins are backing the Athenians.

I mean, each side is literally color-coded. In ASSASSIN’S CREED, red is the color of the Templars, while blue is the color of the early Assassins. Notice the bright red outfits on the Spartan soldiers? How about the blue capes of the Athenians? This is almost too convenient.

The beliefs of the Assassins and the Templars perfectly match those of Athens and Sparta. In the most basic sense, Spartan culture prizes order and conquest. Athens was arguably the first democratic society in the world. It would be easy for Ubisoft to adapt these historical facts into their historical fiction.

This isn’t blind speculation either. Both factions have backed historical groups in the past, from the Ottoman Empire to the American Patriots, to the Catholic Church. It’s clear to me that this is the direction Ubisoft is taking the story.

We Already Know Who Wins

It’s worth noting that Sparta wins the Peloponnesian War. How will this affect the story? If the Assassins are backing Athens, are they destined to lose? Well, considering the nature of our two factions, it’s possible that one side will go underground, or even switch sides altogether.

It’s typical for an ASSASSIN CREED game to feature a second act betrayal, and it’s possible that whatever faction the player sides with may not be on the side of the Spartans or the Athenians by the end of the game.

In any case, I’m eager to see how the story plays out, and how they work around the confines of history.

The Point

ODYSSEY may be a departure from what we’re used to, but there’s no reason to think they’re moving away from the story we’ve come to know.

Whether or not you enjoy the mythos, the writers deserve credit for creating a staggering amount of lore on such a massive scale. No matter the theme or the setting, the ASSASSIN’S CREED universe can handle it. I can’t see them giving up on this world anytime soon, and there’s plenty of ways to expand the story beyond its current confines.