The anticipated release of the next installment for "Assassin's Creed" is unlikely to happen in 2017. Meanwhile, the new "Assassin's Creed" game is allegedly code-named "Empire."

Ubisoft has been releasing a new "Assassin's Creed" installment every year since 2009, but the video game developr appears to be skipping this year and 2017 as well. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot told GameSpot that fans shouldn't expect an "Assassin's Creed" sequel in 2017 because they are taking time to improve the game on a whole new level.

"What we saw in the development of the next 'Assassin's Creed' was that we had an opportunity to take it to another level. So we said we'll take all the time it takes to make the experience fantastic. It was feasible because we have other games. There's a huge potential in this game to revolutionize the IP, so we said, 'Let's make sure we change our model so we have more time and that we can bring back a greater experience," explained Guillemot.

Guillemot added that "Assassin's Creed" will return "when it's ready," indicating a distant and vague date of release.

Kotaku was able to confirm with several sources that the next "Assassin's Creed" will have the code name "Empire." The game will be set in ancient Egypt, and the upcoming installment in the "Assassin's Creed" franchise might explore Greece and Rome as well. A source also revealed that "Empire" could be featuring a trilogy.

Although Guillemot recently announced that a 2017 release for the next "Assassin's Creed" game is unlikely, "Empire" is rumored to debut by next year.

While anticipating a new installment, fans can enjoy "Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection" which was released on Nov. 15 for the PS4 and the Xbox One. The collection comes with advanced graphics, single-player downloadable content (DLC), and the "Embers" and "Lineage" animated short films.

"Assassin's Creed: Empire" will allegedly be released sometime in 2017, but Ubisoft has yet to confirm this speculation.