'Assassin's Creed: Origins' features very telling 'Watch Dogs' crossover

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"Assassin's Creed Origins" promotional photo.

Fans of "Assassin's Creed" and "Watch Dogs" have long been speculating that the two franchises may be existing in the same universe. Now, the speculations have been confirmed by no less than the latest installment in the "Assassin's Creed" franchise, "Origins," through an Easter egg that involves the protagonist of "Watch Dogs."

Although the recently released "Assassin's Creed: Origins" mostly takes place in ancient Egypt, it also includes some modern-day sections. Players who look into the contents of the laptop in the modern-day sections will find a security camera photograph of Aiden Pearce standing over the body of Olivier Garneau.

The scene shown in the photo is lifted from the Chicago-set first "Watch Dogs" game back in 2014 where the protagonist Pearce is tasked to assassinate Garneau in a side quest.

Originally, Garneau appeared in "Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag" as the CEO of Abstergo Industries. In that game, the company executive leaves for Chicago, where he apparently meets his death in the hands of Pearce.

Developer Ubisoft has previously dismissed this connection as non-canon, and described it as a just a little joke. In subsequent titles, "Assassin's Creed" only mentions that Garneau has gone missing.

Now, it seems that Ubisoft is going back on its word and is providing more evidence that the two titles are connected. This two-way link further strengthens the ties between the two franchises, proving that they are set in the same universe. It also keeps the hope of fans alive that there would someday be an "Assassin's Creed" and "Watch Dogs" crossover.

Both games are developed by Ubisoft, features open world gameplay, and focuses on stealth and free running. It will not be a stretch if the two games actually meet in a crossover title, which would definitely be a big hit for fans of both franchises.