Baseline set: Ubisoft just announced a grand announcement for fellow Assassins, Basim returns two years later with a new DLC: Valley of Memory. Tomorrow at 9am PT / 6pm CEST, the duchesse was to be streamed live on Twitch and YouTube, as revealed by the official AC Twitter. This drop set the gaming community abuzz, especially since Mirage was released in 2023, and many felt the story was concluded.
What then is this Valley of Memory? Very little was said, but Basim was shown in a much jaw-dropping new apparel in the trailer. Spy could not even comment properly; he said, “Ayo hol up That robe lookin cool,” while another user, Malcolm, stated that the DLC is going to be free, which in itself is wild for a game so old. Free content, years after the release? That’s an uncommon sight.
Reactions from the community have spanned the entire spectrum, which is customary with announcements of Assassin’s Creed. Then you had those few feeling really excited for the idea; ArtThouLividSir tweeted, “I enjoyed this game way more than valhalla!” and straight up Cuban370z said, “I can’t wait for this DLC.” Weighing in were the skeptical few—years_200 reasonably pointed out, “Shadows so dead they add dlc to a 2 year old game instead of the current game,” but… free DLC though?
Another bit of interesting information emerges in the replies: EndymionYT mentioned that “that dlc [could be] being funded by the Saudi government if I remember correctly,” in reference to the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund’s involvement around the world in gaming. MatchiStick Entertainment, a Saudi-based company, entered, stating, “Seems like AlUla is getting lit,” with the hashtag #SaudiMade, so that points to some regional collaboration, or at least inspiration, backing the DLC.
The interesting part is that the situation very much reminds one of the case with Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, where Ubisoft had continued adding content far beyond the original window of validity for the DLC. Gimmethatgg added that, “in both the cases of Odyssey and now Mirage they ‘went back’ to a game that was finished to add new content.” Seems to be some sort of a pattern, and with the way they’re doing it—if the content is good, at least.
Might be somewhat interesting timing, some folks believe Ubisoft already heard all these feedback while Shadows is on the market. xxxBongwater came with a tweet saying, “See people money talks, thank you to everyone who didn’t buy Shadows! We showed them how to listen,” insinuating maybe Shadows hasn’t done as well as the company expected, and now Ubisoft is throwing their hat down for what really matters.
Now about whether this is even the best route. Chabot_liam questioned, “ah yes lets release dlc for a game when the current games dlc still dont work for ppl,” suggesting that the priorities should be on fixing Shadows if it is indeed plagued with issues. But hey, freebies are freebies; plus, Mirage really was one of the best titles in bringing back stealth after the RPG-heavy Valhalla.
This live stream is indeed going to answer our burning questions: “what is this Valley of Memory anyway, how long is it, what is its story about, and will the player be able to wear that chic new robe Basim modeled in the trailer?” Being touted as the most sincere-to-the-root Assassin’s Creed with a back-to-basics vibe, this DLC is in perfect position to be the soft landing spot for players wishing to slip back into the beautifully recreated streets of Baghdad.
It’s worth mentioning that Assassin’s Creed Mirage just recently hit PlayStation Plus, as PlatIntel reminded everyone, ensuring that there has been a huge influx of recent players gaining access to the game. Clever from Ubisoft: while supplying current fans with fresh content, give newer players something to hype once they’re done with the main tale.
Always literally evolving while staying true to its origins, the Assassin’s Creed franchise is what this surprise DLC feels like an evolution of. If you are an old-school fan who has been with the franchise from Altair all the way to the present or a new one stumbling upon Mirage through subscription-downed services, new Basim content is definitely one to celebrate.
So set those alarms for 9 AM PT, mark out tomorrow’s stream, and finally see what have been cooked up in Ubisoft’s kitchen in the past two years. Valley of Memory just might be the good enough reason for the revival of the Hidden Blade from dust on one’s shelf and into fame for the brand that is kind of underrated of late. If this ends up being free, well, that’s just icing on the cake for Basim and the Assassin’s Creed community.
