Scimitar was the game engine that powered the original Assassin's Creed released in 2007.
Ubisoft Montreal developed the engine for the first Assassin's Creed, using it to create large cities, crowds, climbing systems, and the game's third-person action. The engine helped the game depict historical locations such as Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus while supporting the movement and stealth mechanics central to the series.
Scimitar is often confused with Anvil and AnvilNext. Ubisoft later renamed and evolved the technology: the engine became known as Anvil in subsequent Assassin's Creed development and later received the AnvilNext name. Those later labels describe descendants and revisions rather than the original engine name.
The game's technical design supported a world set during the Third Crusade in 1191. Although the engine name is a behind-the-scenes fact, it is useful for distinguishing the first game's technology from the later tools used across the franchise.