1666: Amsterdam has already fallen victim to an incredibly rocky development process, without even coming close to seeing the light of day. When Assassin’s Creed creator Patrice Désilets left Ubisoft, he and the company fought over who owned the license before the legal dispute was eventually settled in favor of Désilets. Having moved on to found Panache Digital Games and develop their debut title Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey, the French developer is now looking to shift his focus back to 1666: Amsterdam.
He recently told Eurogamer that he’s “back at it” where work on this dark and mysterious title is concerned, with pretty much all we know being extrapolated from some early footage. After illustrating that he was serious—having made similar statements without much follow up in the past—Désilets went on to elaborate: “I want to do a game about the Devil. I hate horror movies, I hate the subject matter for some reason, so it’s a challenge for me.”
While wanting to challenge himself creatively, he’s also careful to counterbalance that with elements that he enjoys. “I love Amsterdam,” he said. “I like the fact there was a year called 1666, and I want to do it. I want to do it.”
Désilets seems to be even more excited about the project now that it’s “not the game after Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood any more” and instead can carry the “DNA” of Panache Digital and their inaugural game Ancestors. He even alluded to his history with Ubisoft and the added importance that his struggle against the company has lent to 1666: Amsterdam—a property Désilets says he “fought for.”
“I’m back at it. I’m about to post something, it will be nice,” he said, potentially alluding to an official announcement (or re-announcement) of 1666: Amsterdam in the near future. “I’m really serious about making that game.”
Patrice Désilets and Panache Digital Games’ Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is due out on PS4 this December. It released exclusively for the Epic Games Store on PC in August 2019 to middling reviews.
