Although it has been de-emphasized in later games, the early Assassin's Creed games heavily featured Abstergo Industries as a powerful and malevolent modern-day front for the Templars. Abstergo was originally central in connecting the present-day timeline in Assassin's Creed to the events of the past as lived through the Animus. While the past two games, Assassin's Creed: Valhalla and Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, focus mainly on the Order of the Ancients, a precursor group to the Templars, earlier Assassin's Creed games had a strong focus on the Templars' modern-day activities as Abstergo Industries. Shadowy, powerful organizations related to the Templars serve as the main villain for all the Assassin's Creed games, and Abstergo Industries represents how the actions of the past lives explored through the Animus affect the present. While the future role of Abstergo Industries in Assassin's Creed games is uncertain, the series does have an alternative timeline of human history where Abstergo Industries play a central role in human development.