Assassin’s Creed Hexe Leaks Reveal Ezio’s Return, Witch Trial Setting, and Darker Stealth Gameplay

Assassin's Creed Hexe, once more, has found its way into the spotlight thanks to a sudden onslaught of leaks that have dramatically shifted everyone's perception of the game. The reason for that? While Hexe had remained relatively silent for years, with only a teaser trailer and some speculations about witch trials released, new leaks based on insider information are now revealing quite a bit about the project.

And from all of that, one can safely assume that Ubisoft is doing something entirely different from their recent RPG-based Assassin's Creed. Speaking of which, there's been one leak above all else that has caused a huge stir within the community recently: the return of Ezio Auditore himself. Apparently, the legendary assassin makes an appearance in the game, instantly reconnecting many long-term fans with the series.

While Ezio's presence is one aspect that caught everybody's attention, another important point to note is the protagonist's name, Anika, rather than "Elsa," which had previously been a placeholder. It seems that Anika is one of Claudia Auditore's ancestors. The association changes the tone around the game right away, since Ubisoft has not relied on Ezio-era mythology for so long.

There have already been a few leaks that include dialogue from the game.

One of those includes the quote, “That white hood, it’s like the one in my mother’s drawings.”  In another line, it appears Ezio says, “Come leap with me one last time for an old man.” And then there was this line, which everyone knew so well: “Nothing is real. Everything is permitted.” For many people, hearing these words spoken by Ezio again seemed to remind them why Ezio’s era remains the best in Assassin’s Creed.

However, insiders say Ezio will not return through normal means. Instead, Ubisoft likely relies on a projection via Animus, ancestral memory, hallucination, or even something related to Isu and Anika’s bloodline.

The setting itself sounds much more coherent compared to those we've seen recently in Ubisoft's titles. According to leaks, Hexe is expected to focus its actions in and around Würzburg during the German Witch Trials. The surrounding forests, villages, and other secluded locales are expected to play a critical role in the game's exploration.

The forests are expected to be integral to the game. Rather than the traditional rooftop traversing and massive urban landscapes, the game will have you traversing forests, secluded ritual sites, forgotten paths, and suspicious villages for the most part. Even the gameplay mechanics revealed in a leak mention tree-to-tree branch traversal, indicating Ubisoft's intention to make the experience seamless.

Some of the dialogue between NPCs seems much closer to survival horror than an Assassin’s Creed game in the traditional sense.

Guards and villagers are quoted as having whispered comments such as, “The forest moves at night. Look into the darkness. She can’t be far.” Such an environment alone would set Hexe apart from the cheerful, open-world setting the series had embraced for many years.

It is not just the setting but also the tone that seems much more focused on the individual level. Rather than a large-scale war or political dispute surrounding the protagonist, the game is said to focus on the spread of fear through rumors and accusations. In one line that has surfaced in leaks about the game, Anika is called a witch and accused of knowing too much.

The tone apparently influences gameplay as well. NPCs are reportedly prone to attack any player whose behavior seems suspicious, while villagers will report anything at all right away. This differs significantly from enemies in recent games of the same series, which were reportedly rather passive. Hexe is reportedly more brutal in detection and search operations, and players have been advised not to hide behind bushes but to blend with their surroundings.

Another thing is blood pacts, poisons, investigation of rituals, stolen relics, and other occult missions that seem to appear throughout the plot. Apparently, some quests require the player to find ritual places in the forest and obtain artifacts before someone else does.

As per the leak details, however, the story itself might turn out to be quite tightly knit as compared to its RPG-era counterparts following the release of Origins.

Despite being a very profitable game, players had many complaints about how Odyssey and Valhalla turned out to be overly elaborate and unnecessarily long. Additionally, there are claims that Ubisoft is focusing heavily on reactive settings in the game. Villages can react to your actions in different ways, while even the forest becomes dangerous once the hunting begins. Moreover, the theme of a witchcraft trial fits in very nicely with the core concept of Assassin’s Creed.

There have also been concerns about the game's supernatural elements. Although previous reports stated that the original Hexe had a lot more magic in it compared to its final iteration, recent reports suggest that most of the magical elements were either toned down or scrapped altogether. This is actually for the best because the overall atmosphere is enough on its own.

The fear supposedly stems from the unknown, and all the townsfolk might truly believe that Anika is cursed or even performs dark rituals. With myths, speculation, and religion taking over in the community, Ubisoft seems to be creating a much more sinister side to Assassin’s Creed.

It might turn out to be one of the most visually unique games in the franchise, depending on how Ubisoft handles the atmosphere teased by these leaks.

It would make quite a departure from the huge, bright worlds full of RPG elements that can be observed within both Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Valhalla, with its torch-lit villages, dense fog traveling across the forests, public hangings, mysterious underground ritual circles, and groups hunting down an alleged witch in the woods.

The fact that this upcoming title comes at this time is also relevant, as Ubisoft appears to be in a transition period in its approach to game development. Having been criticized for too many years about its repetitive design and gigantic map sizes, several upcoming titles appear to be more focused now, with reports about the Splinter Cell remake hinting towards a stealth-centric gameplay approach.

It is just one of the reasons why Hexe already seems like a compelling Ubisoft title despite not having seen gameplay yet. Of course, the connection to Ezio adds a layer to the discussion that ties the game back to things long-time players have come to expect from Assassin's Creed, such as family lineage, hidden heritage, mentorship, philosophy, and generational memory.

Another reported plot point involves a character named Wolfgang, who plays an important role in the narrative. Fans theorize that this character could be someone on the church's side pursuing Anika for his own nefarious purposes, or even a member of a cult.

At the moment, the intrigue stems from the questions that surround the title and narrative. Fans have been analyzing leaked dialogue to piece together how the story will tie into the witch trials, how much magic there actually is, and what might be paranoia or manipulation. This type of ambiguity suits Assassin’s Creed a lot better than explaining too much at once, particularly when the historical setting itself revolves around paranoia, propaganda, and power struggles.

If the leaked information is indeed accurate, and Ubisoft can achieve what it says about atmosphere and writing, Assassin’s Creed Hexe might turn out to be one of the most memorable entries in recent times.