Assassin's Creed's modern storyline "made the franchise difficult to approach for newcomers" according to Ubisoft

One of the major parts of an Assassin's Creed game for a long while has revolved around the modern-era element that was supposed to tie everything together. By having a person in the current day who would experience historical events through the Animus, it was meant to provide a way to connect the various stories spread over the world and through time. However, as the series advanced and more and more games arrived, this modern narrative thread became much more complex and difficult to keep tabs on, and now it's something that Ubisoft only loosely continues to explore.

As for why the French company came to this decision, speaking at a BAFTA event in London on Friday to Eurogamer, Assassin's Creed boss Marc-Alexis Cote mentioned that while it was designed as a "bold and innovative narrative structure" it ended up becoming "a cognitive load that made the franchise difficult to approach for newcomers."

So, with this in mind, Ubisoft has decided: "As we move forward, our goal is to put history back at the centre of the players' experience. The modern day narrative will serve to enhance, rather than overshadow, the historical journey. By drawing meaningful contrast between past and present, we aim to restore the balance that was once the hallmark of the franchise."

We'll get to see this new approach for the first time in Assassin's Creed Shadows, where we are told the game will "lay the foundation for this narrative evolution that will grow in the years to come."

Do you think this is a good idea for the future of Assassin's Creed, or would you like the modern narrative thread to continue?