Community Spotlight: Celebrating 11 years of The Ones Who Came Before

Hello Everyone!

This month, we're celebrating 11 incredible years of The Ones Who Came Before, one of the most dedicated Assassin's Creed fan communities. 

Founded in 2014, the group has grown into a global network of creators, artists, and theorists.

Assassin's Creed Community Manager, Will, caught up with its founder - Col - to reflect on the journey so far.

Hi there Assassins. Thank you for having me. I'm Col, one of the community ambassadors for Assassin's Creed here in the UK.

I started The Ones Who Came Before back in 2014 as a space for community members to share their theories on the future of the franchise. For a number of months, I had acted as an informer for larger community groups, sending articles, news and quotes, and finally decided it was time to set up my own community.

I spent some time turning The Ones Who Came Before into a recognisable brand within the community, starting with a recognisable logo and aiming to produce interesting content which stood out.

The AC Community Team invited me to join for the weekly official Assassin's Creed Community stream, and that was when my journey as an Ambassador officially begun. I've been incredibly fortunate to act as a voice for the Assassin's Creed Community in numerous countries around the world and have met so many wonderful people connected to the franchise.

Today, The Ones Who Came Before is one of the largest AC Communities, made up of 70,000+ fans, a team of 28 content creators, who all bring something different to the group. As Team Leader, I assign tasks and steer the overall direction of the group, working behind the scenes to keep everything moving smoothly.

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Will: What's been the most unexpected moment in your journey so far?

Col: In 2016, Ubisoft invited me to attend the UK premiere of the Assassin's Creed Movie in London. I had the opportunity to meet costume designers, journalists and members of the AC Community Team. I was busy analysing the details of the new Assassin robes for Aguilar when Director Justin Kurzel walked into the room. It was a complete surprise and made the event truly unforgettable. Getting the chance to speak with the director and ask him questions about the movie was amazing. I'm very thankful for the opportunity.

Will: How has The Ones Who Came Before evolved over the years?

Col: Since its creation, The Ones Who Came Before has grown massively. To stay reactive and consistent, I divided members of the group into teams, each focused on a particular area of our content.

Today, we have a Virtual Photography Team, Social Media Team, Writing Team, Video Content Creation Team, Art Team and the Core Team made up of content creators around the world.

Recruiting team members from around the world in different time zones has been a game changer. I often assign content tasks on an evening here in the UK, which are completed by team members overseas, ready for when I wake up. In 2025, we are more organised and ambitious than ever before, pushing ourselves to take our content to the next level and remain unique within the community.

I am incredibly thankful to be working alongside such a talented group of content creators 🤝

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

C: The Assassin's Creed Community is like an extended family to me. They've supported me during some of the most difficult moments of my life and have shown incredible kindness and friendship.

I've made life-long friends within the Assassin's Creed community and I'm incredibly thankful to be a part of it.

W: How does it feel to reach the 11-year milestone?

C: 11 years is a huge achievement for myself and the group. It shows the power of consistency, never giving up on content creation, even during hard times like the pandemic. It also shows our ability to adapt to the changing identity of the series.

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When I started my content creation journey, we were focusing on the French Revolution, but since then we've travelled to London, Egypt, Greece, Norway, Baghdad and Japan!

Assassin's Creed is a big part of my life and I have no doubt I'll be making content for many more years to come!

W: What are some of your favorite memories of being part of the Assassin's Creed community over the past 11 years?

C: I have had so many incredible opportunities within the Assassin's Creed community over the years. Some of my highlights include:

• Attending the UK promo event for the Assassin's Creed Symphony in London (2019), which actually took place on my birthday! We began the day with an open-bus tour of London, had an evening meal with Michael Antonakos, voice of Alexios, and attended the Symphony event which was incredibly moving.

• Travelling to Germany in 2016 as a Ubisoft Star Player, to attend Gamescom due my contributions to the AC Community. This was an incredible event and was actually my first time on an airplane!

• Meeting Abubakar Salim at a Comic Con event, voice of Bayek in Assassin's Creed Origins. Before I could even say hello, he had recognised me and came over for a big hug! It was great to meet such a passionate and talented human.

W: What's in the future for The Ones Who Came Before?

C: The future is definitely bright for our community.

Recently we have been experimenting with music creation, releasing songs inspired by the franchise and creating covers!

Going forward, we will be expanding our team even further by seeking out talented writers and artists.

I recently started a weekly podcast titled Rally the Creed Live, which takes place each Sunday at 22:00 BST. Each week I discuss all things Assassin's Creed with guests connected to the franchise. It's going really well so far, and I'm pushing myself outside of my comfort zone, doing something that I've never done before.

I'll soon be outlining our upcoming plans for the rest of the year, preparing for the Autumn / Winter months. We're sure to bring back our Pumpkin Carving competitions and 12 days of Creedmas events, so lots to look forward too!

W: Tell us about the Assassin's Creed Community Fundraiser supporting Blood Cancer charities? Why Blood Cancer research? How was the turn out?

C: Each year, we here at The Ones Who Came Before host an Assassin's Creed Community Fundraising event titled 'Assassins in Need', supporting charities and causes connected to the franchise.

This year, we raised over £1000 for Blood Cancer Alliance and Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, who are leading the fight against blood cancer.

We chose these charities as the series is deeply connected to DNA, exploring the memories of our ancestors using the Animus Device, often linked to the extraction of blood.

Previously we have supported British Heart Foundation, connected to Ezio's heart attack, Ocean Conservancy, connected to removing plastic from the Oceans, Eagle Heights Wildlife Foundation, supporting the Eagles, to name a few.

The annual community fundraiser brings the community together and gives the franchise a real-world impact. Next year we'll be back to support another cause connected to the franchise.

W: Last time we spoke, you had a baby assassin on the way. How's it been raising the next generation of the Brotherhood?

C: Honestly, it's been life-changing, for the better. My little boy is two now, and I couldn't imagine life without him. He's a ball of energy. I love being a Dad, and it's definitely given my life new purpose.

As a content creator, it took me a while to adapt to the lifestyle change, which eventually led to me splitting the team into groups to better cover different areas of our content.

I work on most of my Assassin's Creed projects on an evening now, once my little boy is asleep, truly working in the dark to serve the light.

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W: And finally, bonus round:

What's your all-time favourite Assassin's Creed game?

C: Assassin's Creed Brotherhood; Rome is an incredible city, and I love playing as an older Ezio, building a network of Assassins and allies. I particularly love the atmosphere, led by an incredible soundtrack.

W: What's the most iconic AC moment for you?

C: Ezio and Federico on the rooftop at the start of Assassin's Creed II:

Federico: It is a good life we lead, brother.

Ezio: The best. May it never change.

Federico: And may it never change us.

On reflection, it's a beautiful moment as the life they once lived disappears entirely, and this moment acts as the calm before the storm.

W: Who's your most beloved AC character and why?

C: It's probably a very common answer, but Ezio Auditore. We follow his journey from birth to death, and for many he is the epitome of what it means to be an Assassin. A life truly dedicated to the Creed. Ezio is an exceptional character.

W: Go to Assassin's Creed soundtrack, and why?

C: Assassin's Creed III by Lorne Balfe. I find the fast pace of it motivational. Most of my AC playlists contain songs from all the games though. Assassin's Creed has phenomenal soundtracks!

Thank you, Col and The Ones Who Came Before, for your unwavering dedication to the Assassin's Creed community. To meet more passionate fans and discover their stories, check out our previous Community Spotlight: ⁠AC Landmarks 5th Anniversary

Twitter: The Ones Who Came Before (@ACFirstCiv) / Twitter 
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Website: The Ones Who Came Before - Website
YouTube: The Ones Who Came Before - Youtube