Ubisoft's Mysterious 1666 Might Be Moving Forward Again

[UPDATE] A Ubisoft representative told GameSpot, "It is a standard business practice to renew trademarks in order to protect them. We don't have any additional comments to share."

The original story is below.

Ubisoft has filed a new trademark application for 1666, potentially signalling the Assassin's Creed and Far Cry publisher is gearing up to make some kind of announcement. DualShockers discovered the application, which was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Wednesday, April 13.

The application covers "game software and electronic game programs." Another line from the description explains that it covers "computer game software for personal computers and home video game consoles."

Ubisoft's specific intentions for this new trademark filing are unclear. Trademark filings do not always lead to announcements, but the timing is intriguing, considering E3 is only eight weeks away and how Ubisoft has teased a new AAA game coming relatively soon.

Little is known about 1666, which was first revealed through a 2012 trademark application and also mentioned in THQ bankruptcy documents. Ubisoft scooped up the 1666 rights at THQ's bankruptcy auction, paying $2.5 million for not only 1666, but also the THQ Montreal studio and a new game codenamed Underdog.

1666 was conceived by Assassin's Creed creator Patrice Desilets. In 2010, Desilets left Ubisoft to establish THQ Montreal and became a Ubisoft employee again when the company bought the studio. His new path at Ubisoft didn't last very long. In May 2013, just months into his new role, Desilets claimed he was fired by Ubisoft, and went on to sue the company, attempting to reclaim the rights to 1666 in the process.

Ubisoft suspended work on 1666 amid the lawsuit. It is believed that Ubisoft still owns the IP, which is seemingly backed up by the recent trademark filing.

According to Desilets, who has since announced his own new studio and game, 1666 was to be "the new Assassin's Creed." We have contacted Ubisoft in an attempt to get more details on this trademark filing.

Ubisoft's E3 2016 briefing is slated for June 13 at 1 PM PST.