Players will experience the intertwined stories of Naoe, an adept shinobi Assassin from the Iga Province, and Yasuke, the powerful samurai of historical legend. Discover their personal stories, meet pivotal historical figures, and shape the duo’s common destiny as they usher in a new era for Japan.  

As Naoe and Yasuke, players can master two complementary playstyles, with each character featuring their own progression paths, skills, weapon options, and stats. Whether they embrace Naoe’s stealth skills or Yasuke’s combat prowess, players will have plenty of ways to approach objectives. With Naoe, they will experience refined infiltration mechanics using light, noise, shadows, and changing surroundings to avoid detection from enemies. With Yasuke, they will be able to take on larger groups of enemies with brutal precision. 

The game will let players explore a vast open world with a variety of landscapes evolving through weather and seasons. From spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and pastoral landscapes, feudal Japan comes to life with unprecedented dynamism built from the ground up with the latest version of Anvil engine and the power of new-gen consoles.  

In this troubled period, information is key and will be at the heart of the renewed exploration mechanics. Players will build their own spies’ network to unveil new areas and hunt down targets. Allies with highly specialized skills and abilities can also be recruited to help during missions. The creation of their own customizable hideout will enable players to enhance their network and train their new crew. From base building and layout to decorations and accessories, they will be able to craft a unique place to call home. 

Ubisoft announced that Assassin’s Creed Shadows Title Update 1.1.11 will launch as a free update on June 16 for all platforms, except the Nintendo Switch 2, which will receive it at a later date.

The game’s final major update introduces several additions, including:

• Black Tides: A final story arc delivering approximately two hours of narrative content that concludes Naoe and Yasuke's journey while connecting to Edward Kenway's story in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced and the broader Assassin’s Creed universe. Access to Black Tides does not require ownership of the Claws of Awaji expansion, however, players must have completed the main story as well as the previous story content updates, A Critical Encounter and A Puzzlement.
• Domains: A replayability-focused set of challenges comprising five end-game simulations with evolving gameplay modifiers. Designed to challenge players' mastery of combat and character builds, Domains offer new unlockable gear, exclusive rewards, and hidden secrets.
• A new Modern-Day Rift entitled Horizon: This newly opened Rift reveals emerging threats. The Eagle will provide more information about the Guide…

In addition to this update, two new projects will be added to the Animus Hub: Projects Undertow and Riptides. They feature Assassin’s Creed Black Flag-inspired outfits for Naoe and Yasuke. Following the release of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced on July 9, players will also be able to unlock Assassin’s Creed Shadows-inspired outfits for Edward Kenway.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is available for Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam, Ubisoft Store and the Epic Games Store).