Assassin’s Creed fans have finally got a glimpse of another game that never made it to release. Newly leaked screenshots and gameplay footage have revealed Assassin’s Creed Destiny, a cancelled project that was reportedly being developed around ancient China.
The project was reportedly a collaboration between Ubisoft and TiMi Studio Group, a Tencent-owned developer. Unlike the mobile game Assassin’s Creed Jade, Destiny was planned as a larger adventure for modern gaming platforms.
The leaked footage shows a female assassin sneaking into a palace, fighting guards, and searching for a mysterious artifact. It also gives us an early look at combat, parkour, and a potential boss fight involving the Chinese warlord Xiang Yu.
Here's everything we know about the cancelled Assassin's Creed Destiny project and what the leaked footage reveals.
Assassin’s Creed Destiny Was Set in Ancient China
According to a report by MP1st, Assassin’s Creed Destiny was set in 206 BCE during the Qin Dynasty. This period was marked by major political conflict following the collapse of the Qin Empire.
The setting is particularly interesting because Ubisoft and Tencent were also working on Assassin’s Creed Jade, another project set in ancient China. However, the two games were separate projects, with Jade taking place in 215 BCE.
Destiny appears to have been planned as a larger historical adventure rather than a mobile-exclusive experience. Although the game never received an official public announcement, the newly surfaced material provides an idea of what the developers were building.
The footage mainly focuses on a mission in which a female assassin must infiltrate a palace under siege and retrieve a mysterious artifact.
Leaked Gameplay Shows Stealth, Parkour, and Combat
The leaked footage features several mechanics that longtime Assassin’s Creed players will recognize. The female protagonist moves through a guarded location, uses stealth to deal with enemies, and explores the environment using parkour.
Some of the gameplay elements visible in the prototype include:
- Stealth takedowns: The assassin silently eliminates guards while moving through the palace.
- Parkour: The character climbs structures and moves across the environment, following the series' familiar traversal style.
- Leap of Faith: The footage includes an early look at the iconic jump associated with the franchise.
- Combat encounters: The protagonist fights enemies during the mission, suggesting that direct combat would also have been part of the experience.
- Artifact hunting: The main objective shown in the footage involves reaching a mysterious object inside the palace.
The footage comes from an early prototype, so these scenes should not be treated as representative of a finished game. Many animations, visual effects, and gameplay systems may still have needed work.
Even so, the clips offer a rare look at a project that Ubisoft never officially revealed to players.
Assassin’s Creed Destiny Had an Unusual Umbrella Weapon
One of the more interesting details in the leaked footage is an umbrella-inspired weapon.
The weapon appears in early gameplay testing, where it can be seen spinning as part of an attack animation. It stands out from the swords and other conventional weapons usually associated with the series.
The footage also shows interface elements that appear to draw inspiration from traditional Chinese art. Some ability icons use an ink-brush style, while a health-bar design features a Yin-Yang symbol.
These details suggest that the developers were experimenting with ways to give Destiny its own visual identity while retaining familiar Assassin’s Creed mechanics.
However, because the material comes from a prototype, it is unclear whether the umbrella weapon and all of these interface designs would have remained in the final game.
Xiang Yu Appears in an Early Boss Fight
The leaked footage also offers a brief look at an encounter involving Xiang Yu, a historical Chinese military leader.
In the mission shown, the palace is under siege by Xiang Yu and his forces. The assassin's objective is to reach the mysterious artifact while dealing with the dangers inside the location.
Another portion of the footage reportedly shows an early version of a boss encounter involving the warlord.
A historical figure such as Xiang Yu could have provided an interesting connection between the game's fictional assassin storyline and real events from Chinese history. However, the leaked material does not reveal enough of the story to explain his complete role in the project.
There is also no confirmation of how the mission would have developed or whether the encounter would have changed significantly during production.
Why Was Assassin’s Creed Destiny Cancelled?
The exact reason behind Destiny's cancellation has not been officially confirmed. However, reports point toward internal restructuring at TiMi Studio Group.
The leaked material suggests that the project was still in an early stage of development. Much of the footage reportedly comes from a prototype created in February 2025, shortly after changes within the studio.
These developments may have affected the project's future, but there is no definitive public explanation confirming why the decision was made.
The cancellation also comes amid broader changes in the gaming industry, where publishers and developers have been reviewing budgets, team structures, and partnerships.
Without an official statement from Ubisoft or TiMi, it would be premature to attribute the cancellation to one specific cause.
What About Assassin’s Creed Jade?
Although Assassin’s Creed Destiny reportedly did not survive development, Assassin’s Creed Jade remains a separate project.
Jade is a mobile-focused Assassin’s Creed game set in ancient China. It was announced as a collaboration involving Ubisoft and Tencent's Level Infinite, and its story takes place in 215 BCE.
The newly leaked Destiny footage has renewed interest in Jade because both projects explore the same broad historical setting. However, their different timelines and intended platforms mean they should not be confused with one another.
According to recent reporting, Jade remains in development, although players are still waiting for more concrete information about its eventual release.
For fans interested in seeing Ubisoft return to ancient China, Jade remains the project to watch.
Could Assassin’s Creed Destiny Ever Return?
At the moment, there is no indication that Ubisoft plans to revive Assassin’s Creed Destiny.
The leaked screenshots and prototype footage reveal what the developers were working on, but they do not suggest that the game is being brought back into production.
Projects can sometimes be revisited or reworked, but there is no confirmed announcement suggesting that will happen here.
For now, Destiny appears to be another cancelled project in the franchise's history. Its leaked footage offers a glimpse of an alternate direction the series could have taken, including a new historical setting, a female assassin, and some unusual weapon concepts.
Final Thoughts
Assassin’s Creed Destiny could have offered fans another opportunity to explore ancient China through the series' mix of stealth, parkour, and historical storytelling. The leaked footage shows some promising ideas, particularly the palace infiltration mission and the distinctive umbrella-inspired weapon.
However, the project appears to have been cancelled before it reached a finished state. Until Ubisoft or TiMi shares more information, the leaked material remains our best look at what the game might have become.
