In Ubisoft’s upcoming Assassin’s Creed Mirage, players will take on the role of thief-turned-assassin Basim Ibn Ishaq, who will have to climb, leap, hide, sneak, and race his way through the streets of 9th century Baghdad in order to ascend the ranks of the Hidden Ones and become a master assassin. 

During its medieval “Golden Age,” the round city of Baghdad (founded in the 760s CE) was the capital of the powerful Abbasid Caliphate and the largest metropolis in the world. Thanks to the patronage of influential families like the Barmakid, the City of Peace also became a center of learning, commerce and culture. Its approximately 900,000 citizens had access to one of the world’s largest libraries at the time (known as the House of Wisdom) and its prominent citizens were free to enjoy the beautiful canals and parks found amongst the city’s four quarters. 

This rich history of Baghdad was carefully integrated into Assassin’s Creed Mirage, with the player visiting 66 historical sites throughout their adventures. The studio consulted with a number of historians in creating the game including Dr. Vanessa Van Renterghem, a specialist of medieval Baghdad, Dr. Ali Olomi, a scholar of Islamic history, and Ubisoft’s in-house historian Dr. Raphaël Weyland.

"From the start we had an ambitious premise: to help the players better understand the world of ninth-century Baghdad, a world that is seldom represented in popular culture," Weyland said in an interview with Ubisoft. "In the pursuit of this lofty goal, we were given the freedom to choose what topics we wanted to tackle. We just had to make sure that what we wanted to describe existed in the world of Assassin's Creed Mirage."

Big Trouble in Big Baghdad

The beauty of the city and its reputation as “the center of the world” belied problems within and without the caliphate, however. These problems began as early as the opening years of the 9th century, and would eventually culminate in the assassination of Caliph Al-Mutawakkil in 861, which in turn led to a period of extreme internal instability known as the Anarchy at Samarra, which consisted of the violent succession of not one but four caliphs. The caliphate was also rocked by the Zanj Rebellion, a fifteen year slave revolt that resulted from the brutal treatment of slaves forced to work the marshy plantations of Southern Iraq. 

It is this gleaming city of paradoxes that the game’s main protagonist Basim steps into. Baghdad is the key to the young assassin’s success, and players must learn its stories and secrets in order to complete various objectives. This sounds simple enough, but how does one actually go about doing so? There is no Discovery Tour mode in Assassin’s Creed Mirage, after all. No historical figure like Leonidas or Aspasia will materialize to explain the city’s rich, fascinating antiquity. Well, there are a few fun ways in which players can educate themselves about 9th century Baghdad, all while stalking Basim’s prey in the shadows cast by its sun-dappled buildings. 

Circumnavigating the Circular City

The central educational tool is the History of Baghdad feature, which focuses on curated information on the art, history, and culture of Baghdad and the Abbasid Caliphate during the 9th century. Similar to the Codex of earlier games, the feature is made up of 66 historical sites throughout the city that Basim can visit in order to unlock information on five main topics: the economy of Baghdad, the beliefs and daily lives of Baghdad’s citizens, the city’s government, the art and science which Baghdad was famous for patronizing, and life in the Abbasid court. Completing the History of Baghdad will result in an in-game reward for Basim. 

Players can also participate in the Tales of Baghdad feature, which is similar to World Events in previous Assassin’s Creed games and consists of a series of short quests that touch on iconic cultural topics of the era, further enriching the historical experience. For those not inclined to spend a lot of time reading up on ancient artifacts or helping NPCs with their problems, however, a less laborious way to to get a feel for the city is to visit the historical market district of Karkh, which offers a window into the lives of Baghdad’s startlingly diverse citizenry. 

Strategically located near the famed Silk Road, Baghdad’s bustling bazaar (located just outside its circular walls in order to keep the riff raff out of the city proper) attracted traders from as far as Constantinople, Spain, and even China. Visiting this Silk Road souk is a great way to do some historical people-watching.

Towering above the market (and the rest of the city) is the Dome of the Ass (a massive building built so a donkey could walk its spiral staircase), the game’s highest landmark and a great place for players to soak in the sights of Baghdad all at once. It’s probably the best place to view the city for those who might find the crowded streets below a little claustrophobic. And finally, back on terra firma, players can immerse themselves even more in the historical setting by interacting with the city’s most important citizens: the cats. Alright, alright. These fluffy furballs have little to do with the city’s history directly, but they’re everywhere in Baghdad, and they’re cute! And you can pet them! There’s something historically important about that, right? Right?

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is available on Epic Games Store October 5, 2023.