A previously unknown Assassin’s Creed game set in ancient China has surfaced online, with leaked footage and screenshots revealing a reportedly cancelled project called Assassin’s Creed Destiny.
According to an MP1st investigation, Destiny was being developed by Tencent-owned TiMi Studio Group in collaboration with Ubisoft before being abandoned relatively early in production. Most of the leaked material reportedly comes from a February 2025 prototype.
Unlike Assassin’s Creed Jade, the still-in-development mobile title also set in ancient China, Destiny appears to have been a separate project rather than another version of Jade. Neither Ubisoft nor Tencent has officially confirmed Assassin’s Creed Destiny or explained why development ended.
Assassin’s Creed Destiny Was Set During the Fall of the Qin Dynasty
Destiny reportedly took place in 206 BCE, placing it during the collapse of China’s Qin Dynasty. That would position its story nine years after Assassin’s Creed Jade, which is set around 215 BCE. Despite the close historical periods and TiMi’s involvement in both projects, they were set to be separate games.
The leaked prototype footage shows a female Assassin attempting to reach a mysterious artifact inside a sacred palace under siege by Xiang Yu and his forces; Xiang Yu was a major military figure during the fall of the Qin Dynasty, and the footage includes an early boss encounter against him wielding a large halberd.
Several familiar Assassin’s Creed mechanics were already present, including stealth assassinations, parkour takedowns and the series’ trademark Leap of Faith. One of the stranger additions was a spinning umbrella-like weapon. Early interface elements also featured ink-brush-inspired ability icons alongside a decorative yin-yang motif.
Separate footage shows a male character performing parkour and assassinations. That could suggest Destiny was experimenting with multiple protagonists, although the character may simply have been a temporary development model.
Why Was Assassin’s Creed Destiny Cancelled?
There is currently no official explanation for Destiny’s cancellation. MP1st connects the project’s disappearance with a wider restructuring at TiMi Studio Group in early 2025, although neither Tencent nor Ubisoft has publicly confirmed that restructuring as the direct cause.
The project also existed during a broader change in Tencent’s strategy: Reuters reported in 2024 that Tencent was becoming more selective about expensive Western licensed games as it increased its focus on internally owned projects.
Hundreds of developers were said to have been moved away from Assassin’s Creed Jade to work on Tencent’s DreamStar, while sources told Reuters that developing games based on major Western properties could generate thinner margins because of royalty, marketing and platform costs.
That strategic shift provides useful context for Destiny’s fate, but there is no confirmation that it was specifically responsible for the game’s cancellation. Interestingly, Ubisoft acknowledged earlier this year that another Assassin’s Creed project had changed direction.
In its official Assassin’s Creed: Into 2026 update, Ubisoft said it had recently chosen to “pivot away from an early project,” with lessons from that work informing future development. Ubisoft didn’t name the project, so there is currently no evidence confirming it was Destiny.
Assassin’s Creed Jade Is Still in Development
The same 2026 Ubisoft update specifically lists Assassin’s Creed Jade among several projects still in development. China also previously appeared in Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China, the 2015 2.5D spin-off starring Shao Jun, while newer releases such as Assassin’s Creed Shadows have continued the franchise’s focus on distinctive historical settings.
However, the series has yet to deliver a large traditional Assassin’s Creed adventure centered entirely on China. That makes Destiny particularly interesting in hindsight. The leaked footage suggests Ubisoft and Tencent were, at one stage, exploring another substantial Chinese-set Assassin’s Creed project alongside Jade.
The Last Word
Assassin’s Creed Destiny appears to have progressed far enough for TiMi to prototype recognizable stealth, parkour, weapons and a historical encounter with Xiang Yu before development ended. Its setting is especially notable because it could have provided another substantial journey through ancient China alongside Assassin’s Creed Jade.
However, the footage comes from developer portfolios rather than an official Ubisoft announcement, and neither Ubisoft nor Tencent has explained why Destiny was cancelled. For now, it remains another intriguing glimpse at an Assassin’s Creed game players were never supposed to see.
Featured Image Credit
Image via Steam of Assassin’s Creed Shadows
