Assassin’s Creed Mirage will feature a Baghdad history mode

Assassin's Creed Mirage will offer a 'History of Baghdad' tour mode to teach players about its setting.
assassin's creed mirage

Assassin’s Creed Mirage will spotlight the history of its Baghdad setting within a curated ‘History of Baghdad’ tour mode designed to teach players about the iconography and culture of the city. As detailed by Ubisoft, the mode has been developed in collaboration with a number of experts in Islamic history, and with the aid of global museums.

It continues a tradition within the modern Assassin’s Creed franchise, with every entry from Origins onwards spotlighting history and learning via dedicated Discovery Tour modes.

Read: Learn by doing, not killing: The Origins of Assassin’s Creed Discovery Tour

Mirage‘s ‘History of Baghdad’ mode will encompass 66 historical sites, with each stop illuminating aspects of art and science, beliefs and daily life, court life, economy, and government in ancient Baghdad. Images and information have all been sourced from numerous historic institutions including:

  • The David Collection – A museum in Copenhagen with ‘the most comprehensive collections of Islamic art in the Western world’.
  • The Institute du Monde Arabe (IMA) – A museum described as a ‘cultural bridge between France, the Arab world, and the rest of the world’.
  • The Khalili Collections – A curated fine art collection created by Professor Sir Nasser D. Khalili.
  • The Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design – A museum established to enrich ‘public understanding of Islamic art and cultures’ and provide artistic opportunity through residency programs.

Ubisoft says it engaged many cultural advisors in its research into the culture and history of Baghdad throughout the development of Assassin’s Creed Mirage and its new mode, including Dr Glaire Anderson, an expert in Islamic art, Dr Vanessa Van Renterghem, a specialist in medieval Baghdad, Dr Ali Olomi, a scholar of Islamic history, and Dr Raphaël Weyland, an Islamic history expert who worked closely with Ubisoft.

Assassin’s Creed always strives to be a gateway for players to discover more about the fascinating historical setting and eras it explores,’ Thierry Noël, Head of Ubisoft’s Humanities & Inspiration Department said in a press release.

Read Assassin’s Creed Mirage – Everything you need to know

‘With information curated by experts, “History of Baghdad” offers a research-based perspective over 9th century Baghdad and the Abbasid Empire, tackling pre-conceptions and clichés often associated with them. Our collaboration with esteemed partners and experts to bring this feature to life in Assassin’s Creed Mirage further highlights the commitment to authenticity and accuracy that is a hallmark of the series.’

Players will be able to discover more about Baghdad and its sweeping history when Assassin’s Creed Mirage launches for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Windows PC on 12 October 2023.

Leah J. Williams is a gaming and entertainment journalist who's spent years writing about the games industry, her love for The Sims 2 on Nintendo DS and every piece of weird history she knows. You can find her tweeting @legenette most days.