AC COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: THE ONES WHO CAME BEFORE

Assassin's Creed team is casting a spotlight on what makes AC's heart beat: the community. Since the release of the first Assassin's Creed game 15 years ago, the franchise has gathered a wide and diverse community of passionate players. We are truly honored to listen and share their stories!

Assassin's Creed Community Manager, Miranda Amess, sat down with the founding member of The Ones Who Came Before - Colum Blackett - to find out more about this incredible community-led group.

Miranda: Let's start at the beginning! Tell us about The Ones Who Came Before, and the mission of your group.

Colum: The Ones Who Came Before (TOWCB) is a fan community group of passionate Assassin's Creed fans from around the world. Our goal is to become the home of Assassin's Creed community content, as we cover a huge variety of topics relating to the AC franchise.

I have personally been lucky enough to represent the AC Community as a UK ambassador since 2014, attending promotional events, interviewing voice actors, and more. The creation of the group has also led to incredible opportunities, but more importantly, it has helped me create life-long friends who also love the series.

I am so thankful to Ubisoft for supporting TOWCB since its creation, and to all the amazing people in the community who inspire us to do even more going forward.

Our aim is to create interesting and unique content for fans. Going forward, we want to grow The Ones Who Came Before even further online, diving deeper into Assassin's Creed lore by pursuing new topics such as codebreaking and history. We love the series and can't wait to explore it further in future projects!

M: Is there a story behind the name "The Ones Who Came Before?" Why did you choose this name for your group?

C: I've always loved AC's modern-day storylines and the sense of mystery they bring. When I created the group in 2014, the launch of Assassin's Creed Unity was just around the corner. The community were heavily speculating the future of modern-day scenes within the franchise after the tragic death of Desmond Miles.

The name was inspired by that sense of mystery I loved so much about the First Civilization and their connection to modern-day characters. I guess The Ones Who Came Before also makes it sound like we have been around for a long time, which is true considering at this point it's been eight years!

M: When was the group created, and how has it evolved?

C: I started The Ones Who Came Before community back in 2014 as a place to share Assassin's Creed theories. During the launch of Assassin's Creed Unity, we had the opportunity to join Ubisoft Com Dev Justin Kruger on the weekly Assassin's Creed Community Livestream. This experience was immense for myself and TOWCB, as it introduced our group to a wider audience and kicked off my lifelong passion for the series.

We have just celebrated eight years since the creation of the group, a huge milestone for the team. We are incredibly proud of our close relationship with Ubisoft, which has led to TOWCB becoming a respected news outlet.

Today we work using an internal structure built up of a core admin team (my wife Ashlea and I), a Writing Team, Art Team, Video Content Creation Team, and Social Media Content Team, led by our Network Leader Michael Smith. Each team is made up of carefully selected content creators who all bring a different perspective to the group.

This year we have made a real effort to focus on Virtual Photography, Transmedia, and Merchandise reviews, which would never even have crossed my mind back in 2014, where the focus was theories and news. I love how expansive our website has become, and how diverse our content is.

In 2019 we launched a new community program known as The AC Partnership Program, an opportunity which brings content creators together to work on projects for the community and has now grown to over 20 members worldwide! I have had so many amazing opportunities over the years, and the program is my way of giving back to those who are equally as excited about the future of the franchise.

M: What does Assassin's Creed and the community mean to you?

C: The Assassin's Creed Community is like an extended family to me. I have been on an incredible journey and met so many wonderful people from around the world. We are all united by our love of the series, and when you meet people at events who are equally as excited about something, it proves that AC is truly more than "just a game." I am extremely thankful to all of the community members who helped me find my place in the community and made me feel at home.

M: What is your favorite thing about being a member of the Assassin's Creed community?

C: My favorite thing about being an Assassin's Creed community member is the overwhelming positive energy it emits. After a tough week, you can always look to the AC community for inspiration. I have found that interacting with the community can help people through tough times, something which I discovered myself when my Grandad passed away. Assassin's Creed and the community were there to help me take my mind off things and give me something positive to think about. I love being a part of a connected Brotherhood, and the Creed connects us all.

M: Tell us more about your podcast Rally the Creed, and where can we listen?

C: Rally the Creed is one of the projects we launched in lockdown to give people hope in difficult times. My wife Ashlea and I wanted to do something different and launched a fun podcast that looked at the lighter side of the series.

During recording we always found that our sessions were interrupted by our cat Hugo, who likes to run around the house as soon as the microphones are switched on! Our first two episodes can be found on Spotify and YouTube.

We are currently looking at rebooting the podcast, and we are looking to feature members of our AC Partnership Program and shine a light on their recent community activities.

M: Which contribution to the AC community are you most proud of?

C: One thing that we are quite proud of is our annual fundraising campaign, which raises money for various causes connected to the franchise. So far, we have raised over £3,000 from different fundraising campaigns.

M: Do you have any favorite memories of being part of the Assassin's Creed community? If so, what are they?

C: My favorite Assassin’s Creed Community Moment was in 2019, when Ubisoft invited members of The Mentors Guild to join them for the Assassin’s Creed Symphony in London. As it happened, the day of the Symphony was also my birthday!

We were treated to a tour of London in an open-top bus, a meal with Michael Antonakos (Alexios from Assassin's Creed® Odyssey), and a community meet-up before the event. It was an incredibly moving experience, and a birthday I shall never forget!

M: Is there anything else you want us and/or the community to know about The Ones Who Came Before?

C: One thing that I would like to mention about TOWCB is that we are always looking for new members to join our AC Partnership Program. If you're a content creator looking to expand your reach, we love bringing new members onboard as we look to grow our team and social media channels. For some, the program is a stepping stone into the world of journalism, and for others, it is the opportunity to work as part of a team, developing skills, and making friends within the community.

M: What's next for TOWCB?

C: Going forward, we are looking to restructure our internal format, as things will soon be changing

rapidly over at TOWCB Headquarters. My wife Ashlea and I will soon be having a baby boy, something which will no doubt change our lives forever.

We will also open our doors up even further as we look to move into the world of video content creation on platforms such as TikTok and YouTube. As Ezio once said, I built this Brotherhood to survive, with or without me. I am sure the team will do an excellent job at covering in my absence. We will continue to cover all things Assassin’s Creed, but most importantly, remain the home of community content.

M: Now for some fun questions! What is your most memorable moment from the series?

C: I was left in absolute shock by the ending of Assassin's Creed® Brotherhood, where (spoiler) Desmond kills Lucy! It took a long time for that major cliffhanger to sink in fully, and it remains one of the most unexpected and incredible endings of all time. Awesome writing by the AC Devs.

M: What is your favorite AC game?

C: This is such a hard question for me, as I feel like it changes over time! Maybe Assassin's Creed Brotherhood because Ezio is a Master Assassin running his own guild in Rome, the city where I proposed. I feel deeply connected to that game as every time I visit the city, I look around and see everything I recognize from the game. It feels almost timeless, and a perfect recreation of Rome complimenting an incredible storyline. It also embodies the feeling of being a member of the Assassin Brotherhood and rising through the ranks. I think Mirage may take the top spot though, as it truly looks like a return to the roots of the series.

M: And finally, please share your website, social channels, and other places you want the community to follow you to learn more!

C: You can find The Ones Who Came Before on the following platforms:

Website: www.theoneswhocamebefore.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ACFirstCiv

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheOnesWhoCameBefore

Instagram: www.Instagram.com/ACFirstCiv

YouTube: www.youtube.com/theoneswhocamebefore

TikTok: @ACFirstCiv

Personal: www.twitter.com/Col_96