Which earlier Ubisoft franchise inspired the original Assassin's Creed concept?

Prince of Persia inspired the original Assassin's Creed concept.

The project began as a Prince of Persia spin-off centered on a supporting character, the prince's bodyguard. During development at Ubisoft Montreal, the idea evolved into a new intellectual property focused on Assassins, historical cities, freer movement, and a conflict with the Templars.

This origin explains why the first Assassin's Creed emphasizes climbing, rooftop traversal, and acrobatic movement. Those ideas fit naturally with the platforming tradition associated with Prince of Persia, even though Assassin's Creed developed its own open-world structure and modern-day framing story.

The finished game was not a Prince of Persia title. It became Assassin's Creed, released in 2007, with Altaïr as its historical protagonist and Desmond Miles as the modern-day character. The connection is therefore about development inspiration and lineage, not a shared game title.