Wow, this is really exciting news, eh? Gamers and fans of Assassin’s Creed alike are probably giddy with excitement and I certainly can’t blame them. When Namco Bandai sent out the shady press release saying there was a “guest” fighter, who would have thought Ezio would have been that guest?

Carlson Choi, Vice President of Marketing for Namco Bandai Games America commented in the press release, saying…

“We are very excited to bring two groundbreaking and influential franchises together with SOULCALIBUR and Assassin’s Creed,” said. “Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series has captivated millions of fans around the world with its unique locations, story and gameplay mechanics. We are proud to now have Ezio Auditore as part of the SOULCALIBUR universe.”

All right, I’ll admit I was slightly disappointed that it wasn’t Altair, but Ezio is still badass and it actually makes sense having him join the Soul Calibur roster.

There’s also a special collector’s edition that ships with a bonus audio CD, a behind-the-scenes featurette, handcover artbook, and special DLC armor sets for the fighter creation mode. But come on, a collector’s edition is nothing compared to have the actual assassin from Assassin’s Creed clashing swords and trading blows with some of gaming’s most iconic swordsmen (and swordswomen).

Tony Key, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Ubisoft also shared a few thoughts on the news, saying…

“SOULCALIBUR is renowned for including iconic characters and we’re happy to see history’s most famous master assassin Ezio will be joining their ranks in SOULCALIBUR V,” ... “We’re excited to partner with NAMCO BANDAI in bringing two of the industry’s biggest franchises together with Assassin’s Creed and SOULCALIBUR.”

Soul Calibur V is set for release on January 31st in 2012 for the Xbox 360 and PS3. You can pre-order the game now or visit the Official Website to learn more about the game.