Which Assassin's Creed game introduced Basim as its playable protagonist?

Assassin's Creed Mirage introduced Basim as its playable protagonist. Released in 2023, Mirage follows Basim Ibn Ishaq in ninth-century Baghdad, before the events in which he appears as an important character in Assassin's Creed Valhalla.

Mirage presents Basim's development from a street thief into a Hidden One. Its setting, compact city design, investigation structure, and emphasis on stealth were deliberately shaped to recall elements of earlier Assassin's Creed games.

Basim is not the first protagonist to appear in the series' modern-day framing, nor is Mirage his first appearance as a character. He was introduced in Valhalla, where his identity and motivations become significant to the wider narrative. Mirage instead gives him the central playable role and explores his earlier life.

Baghdad's historical Golden Age setting is another distinguishing feature. The game uses the Abbasid capital and the Hidden Ones' bureau network to connect Basim's personal story with the series' long-running Assassin mythology.