Patrice Désilets Confirms Plans for Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey Sequel

Patrice Désilets, creator of the Assassin's Creed series and director of 1666: Amsterdam, has confirmed he will make a sequel to Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey. Speaking at a recent 1666: Amsterdam event, Désilets stated that the 2019 game was designed as "volume one" of a planned series.

"I've designed different volumes to eventually be growing the game," Désilets said. When asked whether he could legally make a sequel, he clarified: "I own the IP. But it's complex." He emphasized his commitment, saying: "I will. I will. And people can believe me because I'm ready to wait 16 fucking years to finish what I started."

Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey was an ambitious third-person survival game spanning millions of years of human evolution. Players guided early primates through different eras as they developed into upright-walking humans. Despite mixed critical reception—described as "ambitious and clunky and not much fun" but "quietly thought-provoking"—the game found commercial success, selling 2 million copies as of April 2024.

However, any Ancestors sequel will likely remain on hold while Désilets focuses on 1666: Amsterdam, his long-gestating dark Amsterdam-based open-world adventure now in early access on Steam. Désilets stated that "the toughest part is done" and that the team has "a plan," estimating early access will last approximately a year, though he acknowledged uncertainty about the exact timeline. The game currently holds a "mixed" reception on Steam with 720 reviews, suggesting it has not yet attracted a large audience.