Which game engine was first used by Assassin's Creed III?

AnvilNext was first used by Assassin's Creed III. Ubisoft introduced the engine with the 2012 game, replacing the earlier Anvil technology used by previous Assassin's Creed titles.

AnvilNext was built to support larger environments, more advanced animation and improved rendering. Assassin's Creed III used those capabilities for its frontier landscapes, colonial cities, crowds, weather effects and naval sequences. The engine also supported the game's movement through trees and uneven wilderness terrain.

The technology continued to evolve across later Ubisoft games. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag used an updated version, and subsequent titles used further revisions under names including AnvilNext 2.0 and Anvil Pipeline. The name refers to the technological foundation rather than a story element, so it is distinct from fictional artifacts such as the Apple of Eden.