Meet Elise, the New Assassin’s Creed Unity Templar

The release of a new CG trailer for Assassin’s Creed Unity included a surprise by Ubisoft – a new female Templar.  Elise earned her own introduction trailer, who was shown as a captive about to be publicly executed on the guillotine until assassin Arno Durian saved her after parkour-ing through chaotic Parisian streets.

Although they are on opposite sides of the conflict taking place during the French Revolution, they will form a bond that will also show her contribution to the game’s story, according to Ubisoft.  Elise’s introduction trailer was released on the heels of controversy over accusations of sexism against Ubisoft after Assassin’s Creed Unity originally announced at E3 2014 to not feature any playable female characters.

The backlash began after Ubisoft European technical director James Therien told VideoGamer that adding female characters into video games would require extra time to create gender-specific animations.  This extra time, according to Therien, would not only discourage developers from using female characters, but also delay video game release dates.

In addition to being featured in the game, Elise will also be included in a book with the same name.  Assassin’s Creed Unity is set to be released Oct 28 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.