Abstergo Entertainment, a fictional company that lives within the Assassin's Creed universe, is releasing Animus tech "publicly." But why? It's a story that will be explored in both Liberation on Vita and in Assassin's Creed 3's online multiplayer mode.

While the multiplayer offerings of Assassin's Creed have always had a meta storyline, this year's entry will have a far more explicit story--one that will continue after the game's launch.

CVG reveals that players of the online multiplayer will step into the shoes of a "member of the public" in Ubisoft's alternate 2012. Abstergo has released the Animus as a commercial product, which sells the dream of "reliving the past in HD."

Given Assassin's Creed takes place in the modern day, it opens up some interesting possibilities. Desmond's fight to save the world from the 2012 apocalypse embedded in the franchise's fiction will somehow play with an ongoing narrative in the game's multiplayer mode. "Abstergo Entertainment will give you insights on the company's future initiatives by granting you access to files and information on products that will soon hit the market," Ubisoft's Damien Keiken said. "As you progress in the game and level up your character, you access these files and videos. Every month you'll have new challenges to unlock new content that will continue the storyline throughout the year."

Fans of Assassin's Creed lore will eat up this intriguing twist. "What are the real motivations behind Abstergo's sudden initiative to release such a revolutionary product to the public?" asks Keiken.