Desmond Miles begins Assassin’s Creed II as a captive of Abstergo Industries, the modern corporation controlled by the Templars.
Abstergo uses the Animus to access Desmond’s genetic memories, hoping to locate powerful Pieces of Eden. In the first Assassin’s Creed, Desmond is held at an Abstergo facility and forced to relive the life of Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad. Assassin’s Creed II continues immediately after his escape, when Lucy Stillman helps him leave the company.
Abstergo is not simply a neutral technology firm. In the series’ modern-day storyline, it presents itself publicly as a multinational corporation while secretly preserving the Templar Order’s goals. Its name is therefore easy to confuse with the Animus, which is the machine, or with the Templars, who are the organization behind the operation.
The company remains important throughout later games, including Assassin’s Creed III, Black Flag, and Rogue. Its modern commercial image contrasts with the historical conflicts experienced inside the Animus.