What it is
Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood is the second chapter of Ezio Auditore’s story and the first mainline Assassin’s Creed game to add competitive multiplayer. It follows Ezio from the fall of Monteriggioni into a campaign of sabotage, assassination and reconstruction across Renaissance Rome. The original UK release was Friday, 19 November 2010, not Tuesday, 16 November, which was the North American launch date. It remains a strong historical action-adventure, although its online mode has long since been discontinued.
- UK release
- 19 November 2010
- Platforms
- PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC and macOS; later included in The Ezio Collection
- Developer
- Ubisoft Montreal
- Publisher
- Ubisoft
- UK price
- £49.99 standard console edition at launch; £69.99 Limited Codex Edition; PC list price £12.49 on Ubisoft Store UK when checked on 1 October 2026
- PEGI
- PEGI 18
- Genre
- Action-adventure, stealth and open world; third-person
- Online mode
- No — the original competitive multiplayer and online features are no longer available
- Game Pass/PS Plus
- Not currently listed in the UK Game Pass or PS Plus catalogues checked on 1 October 2026
- Engine
- Anvil
Story and setting
Brotherhood begins immediately after Assassin’s Creed II. Cesare Borgia and the Papal Army attack Monteriggioni, kill Mario Auditore and seize the Apple of Eden. Ezio travels to Rome, the centre of Borgia and Templar power, where he must weaken Cesare’s influence and rebuild the Assassin Brotherhood. Desmond Miles continues to experience Ezio’s memories through the Animus in the modern day, giving the campaign its familiar science-fiction frame.
Rome is Brotherhood’s defining setting. Rather than moving between several major cities, the game concentrates on one large, interconnected capital with districts to liberate, shops and landmarks to restore, secret locations to explore and Borgia towers to destroy. Historical figures including Leonardo da Vinci, Niccolò Machiavelli and Cesare Borgia are woven into a story that mixes real Renaissance politics with the series’ fictional struggle between Assassins and Templars.
How it plays
The core remains third-person stealth and free-running. Ezio climbs Rome’s buildings, blends into crowds, hides in plain sight and chooses how to approach targets, but Brotherhood gives him more direct control over the city and its population. Rescuing citizens lets Ezio recruit them, train them through missions and call them into combat. Recruits can rain arrows on guards, attack from hiding or join a fight directly, making Ezio feel more like a leader than a lone assassin.
Combat is faster and more aggressive than in Assassin’s Creed II, with chain executions, disarms, kicks, a crossbow, poison darts, the hidden gun and other equipment. Restoring Rome opens shops and services, while optional activities include faction missions, Templar lairs, Leonardo’s war-machine sequences, treasure hunting and the Truth puzzles. The result is a busy open world with plenty to do, though some side activities are repetitive and the forgiving combat can reduce the need for careful planning.
DLC, patches and online play
The post-launch version is larger than the original release. The free Animus Project updates expanded the multiplayer with additional maps, modes and progression features. The Da Vinci Disappearance added a substantial single-player story involving Leonardo, alongside new multiplayer characters, the Alhambra map and Assassinate and Escort modes. Copernicus Conspiracy added further solo missions and was later included in The Ezio Collection.
The PC edition also received numbered updates, including patch 1.02, which addressed save-data problems involving Unicode Windows usernames and multiplayer connection issues. That history is useful context, but none of it restores the original online service. Ubisoft’s current game listing states that multiplayer and online features are no longer available, so Brotherhood is now a single-player game in practical terms.
Platforms, UK price and performance
The original game launched on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, followed by PC and macOS versions in 2011. The Xbox 360 release is playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S through backward compatibility. A separate remastered version is included in Assassin’s Creed The Ezio Collection on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch; that collection includes Brotherhood’s solo DLC but not its multiplayer.
At launch, the standard UK console edition was listed at £49.99, while the Limited Codex Edition was priced at £69.99. As checked on 1 October 2026, Ubisoft Store UK listed the PC Standard Edition at £12.49, with a temporary £3.12 sale price shown. The ageing original console versions show texture pop-in, tearing and occasional frame-rate dips, particularly in crowded scenes; the Xbox 360 version was generally the safer choice at launch, while the later collection offers a cleaner modern presentation but remains capped at 30 frames per second.
Reception and whether it is worth playing now
Brotherhood was well received. GameSpot awarded it 8.5 out of 10, praising the detailed Rome, varied activities and improved mission design while criticising the straightforward story and sometimes unnecessary recruitment system. The wider critical average sits at 89, and Eurogamer’s contemporary review gave it 10 out of 10. Its biggest modern limitation is not the campaign but the missing multiplayer, which was an important part of the original package.
For a British player today, the best option is the Ezio Collection if you have a supported modern console, or the PC version if you want the original release and its solo additions. It is still the clearest expression of the classic Assassin’s Creed formula: a dense historical city, deliberate stealth, readable mission objectives and a protagonist who gradually turns a resistance movement into an organised force.
Not yet confirmed
- Ubisoft has not confirmed a new standalone remaster of Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood or any revival of its original online multiplayer.
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood: your questions
What is the UK release date for Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood?
It launched in the UK on Friday, 19 November 2010. The 16 November date refers to the North American release.
Does Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood have online multiplayer?
It originally did, with competitive modes built around hunting assigned targets while avoiding another player. Ubisoft has since discontinued the multiplayer and other online features.
Can you play Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood on Xbox Series X|S?
Yes. The Xbox 360 version is available through backward compatibility on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, although its online features are no longer active.
Is Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood included in The Ezio Collection?
Yes. The collection includes Brotherhood alongside Assassin’s Creed II and Revelations, plus Brotherhood’s solo DLC. It does not include the original multiplayer content.
Is Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood on Xbox Game Pass or PS Plus in the UK?
It was not listed in the UK Game Pass or PS Plus catalogues checked on 1 October 2026. Availability can change, so check the relevant catalogue before subscribing specifically to play it.
