Ubisoft Shares Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe Development Update: Cryptic Cipher and Next Major Reveal Set for 2027
After years of silence following its atmospheric September 2022 reveal, Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe officially resurfaced on October 29, 2026, as part of Ubisoft's autumn franchise roadmap. While the publisher is holding back full gameplay footage for now, Head of Content Jean Guesdon offered a reassuring status report on the dark, occult-themed installment in development at Ubisoft Montreal, accompanied by a brand-new encrypted puzzle for fans to crack ahead of 2027.
Steady Progress at Ubisoft Montreal Ahead of a Major 2027 Reveal
Shared inside the official Assassin’s Creed: Fall 2026 Update blog post and video briefing, Ubisoft's statement marks the first major check-in on Codename Hexe since creative director Clint Hocking departed the company in February 2026. Direction of the project is now led directly by franchise veteran Jean Guesdon, the former creative director behind Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and Assassin’s Creed Origins, who also serves as Head of Content for the entire brand.
Addressing the community directly, Guesdon emphasized that the Montreal team is taking the necessary time to honor the game's distinct tone:
"We're making steady progress on this darker Assassin's Creed experience, though there is still work ahead of us. We know the wait has been long, and we're grateful for your patience and continued enthusiasm for the project. The team remains focused on delivering the unique vision at the heart of this project, and we'll share our next major update in 2027."
Players hoping for a surprise trailer at The Game Awards in December can set their expectations accordingly. While Ubisoft wraps up active support with the final Patch 1.0.8 update for Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced and prepares a November 5 New Game+ update for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla to celebrate 40 million players, Codename Hexe is being positioned as a centerpiece for the series' 20th anniversary year on the 2027 video game release calendar.
A New Cryptic Cipher Left for the Community to Decode
Staying true to the puzzle-box marketing that surrounded the original wooden talisman teaser in 2022, Ubisoft tucked an encrypted transmission directly underneath the Codename Hexe progress report for lore hunters to decipher:
ZKLWAVN MBEXNK ULYCNJ… LWY01… I#########F // QNTMAKHX TWTEMZL. YSIZKQ AADSWX NFAAMPHP.//
Formatted like a corrupted Animus data stream or redacted Abstergo file entry featuring masked identifiers (LWY01 and I#########F), the polyalphabetic cipher is already fueling community theories regarding how the 16th-century genetic memories connect to the overarching modern-day narrative inside the Assassin’s Creed Infinity hub.
16th-Century Witch Trials, Elsa, and a Departure From Massive Open Worlds
Penned by acclaimed narrative director Darby McDevitt (the writer behind Assassin’s Creed Revelations, Black Flag, and Valhalla), Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe trades sprawling hundred-hour RPG maps for a tighter, more linear, horror-tinged structure set across the 16th-century Holy Roman Empire during the height of the European witch trials.
The story centers on Elsa, a hunted protagonist wielding supernatural abilities linked to a Piece of Eden, including the power to possess a nearby cat to distract inquisitorial guards patrolling cobblestoned streets and shadowed forests. Combat and stealth are also expected to feature a reworked Fear system inspired by the Jack the Ripper expansion from Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, turning psychological terror into a core survival tool.
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My Take
I would much rather hear Jean Guesdon and Darby McDevitt say Codename Hexe needs until 2027 than watch Ubisoft rush the boldest creative swing this franchise has taken in over a decade. After years of clearing bloated world maps stuffed with repetitive icons, the promise of a focused, atmospheric thriller set amid the paranoia of 16th-century witch trials feels like a genuine breath of fresh air. Knowing the creative minds behind Black Flag are steering this dark historical nightmare gives me real confidence: if decoding cryptic ciphers until next year is the price we pay for an uncompromising vision, I am more than happy to wait.
Based on the outskirts of New York City, Chaya 'Chayane' spent five years studying software engineering in Montreal before returning to her home state. A Full-Stack developer and Deep Learning AI architecture researcher, she explores neural networks and algorithmic optimization while engineering data pipelines for Retrocharting and Gamescharting alongside Grimtag. A gamer for over 20 years and an avid collector of Nintendo history and The Legend of Zelda, she explored World of Warcraft's Azeroth before bringing her deep technical background to video game analysis.
