With Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ success, more and more players anticipate the series' future. This includes the release of upcoming Assassin's Creed titles like Hexe, set during the Witch Trials in the Holy Roman Empire, and Assassin’s Creed Jade, a mobile game set in China’s Qin Dynasty.
Ubisoft unveiled gameplay footage of Assassin’s Creed Jade during Gamescom 2023, showcasing classic Assassin’s Creed features such as parkour, assassinations, and a sprawling open-world experience primarily taking place along the Great Wall of China.
The only issue? It should have been a full-fledged console game, not a mobile port. Here’s why:
Too Limiting on Mobile
Mobile games have always been restrictive. They fail to fully realize the graphical potential of their console or PC counterparts. With Tencent’s expertise in the mobile gaming sphere, Jade does look impressive in the trailers, but it could have been so much more—especially with the Great Wall of China as a setting, which deserves better visual fidelity.
Beyond that, Jade will likely require a high-end mobile device to run smoothly. Low-end smartphones simply won’t cut it.
Microtransactions Will Be a Problem
Mobile games are prime targets for developers to introduce microtransactions under the guise of convenience and portability. From what we’ve seen in Jade’s gameplay footage, the presence of damage numbers and pop-up notifications suggests a potential live-service model.
This raises concerns about how monetization-heavy the game will be. If powerful armor and weapons are locked behind a gacha-based system, it could be a frustrating pay-to-win experience.
We still don’t know much about Assassin’s Creed Jade’s gameplay loop beyond running along the Great Wall of China and performing assassinations. However, Tencent has yet to reveal details about its monetization strategy—likely saving that information for future announcements.
It Alienates Console Players
While Jade will undoubtedly introduce the franchise to a new mobile player base, it comes at the expense of those who have long wished for an Assassin’s Creed game set in Ancient China.
For now, console players are left behind, with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S owners limited to Assassin’s Creed Shadows. PC players have the advantage of potential workarounds, but for console gamers, playing Jade requires investing in a high-end smartphone—something not everyone is willing to do.
This marks the first time the series has explored the mobile market in a long time, following the classic Gameloft versions. Unfortunately, Assassin’s Creed Jade is a mobile-exclusive title, and it feels like a missed opportunity.
Right now, Jade is in limbo. Tencent, the game’s developer, has delayed its release to later this year—or possibly beyond. With Ubisoft selling many of its iconic IPs to the Chinese gaming giant, we can expect more news in the coming months.