This takes place after the Ezio games why would it have the hidden ones and order of the ancients?

order of ancient turned into templars by alfred in valhalla and hidden ones became assassin with hasan sabbah so theres no reason for hidden ones and the ancients to be in the game

Considering the Assassins came to Japan just a few decades prior to Shadows, we'll probably only see and hear of Assassins.

I wonder though when the last Hidden Ones started calling themselves Assassins. As far as we know in lore Hassan-i Sabbah is the one who created the Assassins as a denomination of Hidden Ones, and within a couple centuries the other major branches had adopted 'Assassin'.

I think the name 'Assassin' being publicly and notoriously associated with the Levantine branch caused people (and Templars) returning from the crusades to refer to the European and other branches as Assassins as well, in a derogatory and simplistic way, much parallel to the word assassin in real history. The Hidden Ones then simply embraced this term.

I don't think there's anything to indicate that the OotA were completely destroyed everywhere but England, and the only remnant was Templarised by Alfred. The OotA could still be kicking around as a separate group from some years afterwards, but they were probably snuffed out and scattered by the crusades.

Yeah the transition from OotA to Templar is still kinda messy despite or maybe because of Valhalla.

The Hidden Ones to Assassins is also a bit murky given Hassan-i Sabbah is said to have conquered Alamut but last we see it's already in the Brotherhood's possession. So I could see a schism between him wanting to take the organization public vs a more conservative group. Could also explain his flight from Egypt, etc.

Ok sorry everyone, thanks for the clarification. I’m not really that invested into the series. I just like to play the games.

Templars

Ps Ubisoft is the Templar Order in Disguise

Yes, that I know. In my opinion they create AC games picturing the Templars as corrupt people which are nothing compared to Assassins so we assume that they are weak and then BOOM they strike with all their might. As a Templar-aligned person I’m safe, but idk about the rest of y’all.