Animus Hub finally explained

Summary

Animus Hub will connect and enhance the AC series by integrating gameplay, story and free rewards.
It will integrate seamlessly into new AC games, starting with Shadows and providing access to period two titles.
Players can earn rewards through Projects, Vault and Exchange by completing missions and decrypting encrypted files.

It has now been almost four years Assassin's Creed”Codename Infinity” was leaked and then officially confirmed by Ubisoft, with very few hard details given since then about how it might work. Later, the Infinity project was called “Animus Hub”, with the intention of serving as a one-stop shop for future games in Assassin's Creed franchise, similar to that Call of Duty HQ Launcher. Ubisoft has finally explained the details of the once-mysterious Animus Hub, which will launch alongside Assassin's Creed Shadows.

More than anything, the Animus Hub can be a huge win for Assassin's Creed franchise, as it's a testament to Ubisoft's ambitious move towards reimagining how players interact with the series. By putting the Animus at the center of this development, Ubisoft effectively leverages one of the franchise's most iconic elements, transforming it from a simple narrative device into an interactive hub that connects the past, present, and future of Assassin's Creed. Ultimately, Animus Hub marks a shift in how the franchise plans to handle its modern story and player development, offering an experience that is as much about celebrating the series' past as it is about laying the groundwork for its future, beginning with the release of Assassin's Creed Shadows.

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Assassin's Creed Shadows' Canon mode would fit into an industry trend

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How the Animus Hub will work in Assassin's Creed From Shadows and Beyond

The main purpose the Animus Hub will serve is to connect and enhance Assassin's Creed franchise by bridging the gap between future installments, as well as its current period two titles, and giving players direct access to those games from a centralized platform. Since the Animus has played a crucial role in the modern history of Assassin's Creed From the outset, therefore, the Animus Hub will not only increase immersion, but also be a way for the series to creatively integrate gameplay, story progression, and freebies while advancing the overall modern story.

Animus Hub game at release

AC Origins
AC Odyssey
AC Valhalla
AC Mirage
AC Shadows

Rather than acting as a stand-alone launcher like many video game franchise hubs, the Animus Hub will integrate seamlessly into each new Assassin's Creed game, starting with AC Shadows. At the time of AC Shadows' current release date of March 20th, the Animus Hub will give players direct access to the series' period two titles, which include Mirage, Valhalla, Odysseyand Origin. All of this will be possible through the Animus Hub's Memories section, which not only allows players to play which Assassin's Creed games from period two but also gives them access to all the stories and save games associated with said titles.

It is important to note that players must have Assassin's Creed game of your choice already installed to access it via Animus Hub.

Animus Hub: Projects, Vaults, and Exchanges

The Animus Hub isn't just there to give players access to their favorite Assassin's Creed games, however, as its three remaining features – Projects, Vault and Exchange – all serve as unique opportunities for players to earn rewards, simply by playing each game. Each of these sections of the Animus Hub will evolve over time, offering players new objectives, rewards, and currency to purchase various items.

Within the Animus Hub project menu is a reward track that contains gear, resources, items attached to it Assassin's Creed story and a special currency called “Keys”. Players can advance this reward track by completing the projects presented to them, which come in the form of anomalies. Each anomaly offers a distinct gameplay opportunity, and completing one will reward players with data fragments, which serve as the primary method of progression in the projects' reward tracks. Data fragments are then used to decode encrypted data files, each adding another layer of knowledge to the overall modern story of Assassin's Creed.

Yes, the modern story of Assassin's Creed will continue, but in a new form. This story will be told through the Animus Hub, as players are met by a figure known as The Guide, and there are mentions of other narrative details such as the Animus Ego and the Dark Animus. Since it's rooted in the Animus Hub, those who enjoy the modern story can easily access it; those who don't don't have to engage unless they want to for additional and free rewards. Everything in Animus Hub is free for players.

Once an encrypted data file is decoded, players can head over to the Vault section of the Animus Hub, which serves as a repository for text, images, and videos associated with the series' modern story. In light of that, the vault will constantly evolve as new games are released (and possibly otherwise) and players unlock more encrypted data files. In the Exchange menu, as the name suggests, players can use any keys they acquire by completing projects and playing the games to purchase rewards such as equipment and customization items for their hideout in Assassin's Creed Shadowsamong many other things.

Animus Hub is much more than a centralized access point for Assassin's Creed series, as players will be rewarded for the time they spend engaging with it. To top it all off, Ubisoft was sure to repeatedly emphasize that everything delivered Assassin's Creed Shadows' Post-launch content via the Animus Hub is completely free, so perhaps skeptical fans can rest a little easier.