Assassin's Creed Valhalla director departs project, citing personal issues

The creative director of Assassin's Creed Valhalla is stepping down from the project.

Ashraf Ismail cited a need to "properly deal with personal issues" in the announcement on his personal Twitter account. He added that he does not wish the efforts of other developers to be overshadowed by his sudden departure.

There are hundreds of talented, passionate people striving to build an experience for you that do not deserve to be associated with this. I wish them all the best.June 24, 2020

Ubisoft responded to a request for comment with a brief statement that confirms Ismail's departure while clarifying that his position with the company will continue: "Ashraf Ismail is stepping down from the project to take a leave of absence. The development team is committed to delivering a great game in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla."

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Before serving as creative director on Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Ismail also led work as game director on Assassin's Creed: Origins and Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag's single-player experience. Since Assassin's Creed Valhalla is set to arrive in December, it's likely that much of the top-level work of the creative director's role was already complete.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla is set in 873 AD, and is the twelfth major release for the iconic series. It features new hero Eivor, a Viking raider, and will weave in Norse myths and legends into its historical story.

Check out more titles coming this year with our guide to upcoming games.

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and was formerly a staff writer at GamesRadar+.