In Assassin’s Creed, during which historical conflict is Altaïr’s story set?

Altaïr’s story in Assassin’s Creed is set during the Third Crusade.

The game takes place mainly in the year 1191, when Christian armies and Muslim forces were fighting for control of the Holy Land. Its cities include Masyaf, Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus, all presented through a historical-fiction version of the medieval Middle East.

The Third Crusade lasted from 1189 to 1192. It followed the capture of Jerusalem by Saladin in 1187 and involved prominent rulers including Richard I of England, Philip II of France, and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.

Assassin’s Creed uses real political and military figures alongside fictional characters and conspiracies. The game’s events should therefore be understood as imaginative fiction placed within a recognizable historical setting, rather than as a literal account of the Crusade.