Assassin’s Creed Shadows release date and everything we know
Assassin’s Creed Shadows promises a pretty big step within the franchise, but we’ve got a lot left to learn
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Assassin’s Creed Shadowshas now been officially revealed. After a new cinematic trailer, the next entry into the long-running action series is quickly becoming one of the most anticipatedupcoming games. Taking place in one of the most-demanded settings by fans, if you’re a fan of theAssassin’s Creedfranchise, this is a game worth keeping an eye on.
There’s still a lot to learn about howAssassin’s CreedShadowsplans to become one of thebest Assassin’s Creed games, but thanks to some recent showings, we’ve now got a lot more information to go on. We now know what the protagonists look like, and each’s signature fighting style. Thanks to a showing at Summer Games Fest, we also got to go hands-on with the game. Check out ourAssassin’s Creed Shadowspreviewto read what we thought of the upcoming action-RPG.
Given that there’s likely even more information to come, we’ll be keeping our ears close to the ground and updating this page with anything more concrete as we get it. Here’s everything we know aboutAssassin’s Creed Shadowsso far.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows - cut to the chase
Assassin’s Creed Shadows release date
Assassin’s Creed Shadowswill launch February 14, 2025.This follows the news of adelay to the game.When it does come out, you’ll be able to play it on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. There’s been no word on older platforms, likely meaning that this one will be current-gen only.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows trailers
Recently, Ubisoft revealed a deeper dive on the two protagonist of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Watch the “One duo, two play styles” trailer below:
A brand new gameplay trailer was revealed forAssassin’s Creed Shadowsas part of the Ubisoft Forward event that aired earlier this year. In it, we get 13 minutes of gameplay, split between the two protagonists. Check it out below:
A newAssassin’s Creed Shadowstrailer was revealed on June 9, 2024. In it, we get a better look at the dual protagonists, Naoe and Yasuke. The initial release date is also shown at the end. Check it out below:
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In the reveal trailer, we also see what we assumed to be the central playable character at the time, atop a building before they unsheathe their hidden blade and a large cloud of black smoke comes in to end the trailer. We received the name “Assassin’s Creed Codename Red” but no further information regarding a release date or any potential platforms. This initial reveal trailer can be seen below:
Assassin’s Creed Shadows story and setting
InAssassin’s Creed Shadows, you will live the intertwined stories of Naoe, an adept shinobi Assassin from Iga Province, and Yasuke, the powerful African samurai of historical legend. Against the backdrop of the turbulent late Sengoku period, this duo will discover their common destiny as they usher in a new era for Japan.
Venturing into Japan will be a franchise first and given the detailed environments and locations we’ve already experienced, there’s a lot to expect from feudal Japan.Ubisoft has announcedthatAssassin’s Creed Shadowswill be the “future of our open-world RPG games.” So we expect a lot of exploration and an incredibly interactive environment to set the scene for the next installment.
The story is yet to unfold, but with Japan being one of the most anticipated environments, there’s a strong chance thatShadowscould become one of the bestAssassin’s Creedgames yet, depending on how the game plays out. Marc-Alexis Cote also stated thatShadowsis “pushing to have a more dynamic world, a world that evolves around you and we want everything that you have on yourself to evolve as you walk through this environment.” (Thanks,VGC.)
Assassin’s Creed Shadows gameplay
Assassin’s Creed Shadowsreceived its first look at gameplay as part of an Xbox Showcase event that aired on June 9, 2024. In it, we see Naoe moving quickly, using a Hidden Blade to take down enemies silently. She also has a chain weapon that can be used to attack multiple enemies at once.
Going off of the three trailers so far, we can see that the first playable character continues the tradition of having a hidden blade, which gives a hint into what we can expect from combat. In addition to this, the Shinobi also has a katana, as well as a longer weapon, which we believe to be the signature weapon of the character.
The second playable character is a samurai called Yasuke. In the second trailer, he is seen using two-handed weapons, and a much more direct fighting style. Just how players will switch between Naoe and Yasuke remains to be seen, but it’s likely that each will offer a different skill tree and set of abilities to unlock.
In the most recent gameplay reveal, it is explained thatAssassin’s Creed Shadowswill feature dynamic seasons, with different environmental effects depending on the time of year. In Winter, water may be frozen over, meaning you cannot use it to swim closer to a target, for example. In this presentation, we also see how Naoe uses shadows and darkness for stealth. She can be seen extinguishing lanterns, allowing her to sneak up to enemies. At the end of the demo, Naoe dives underwater, using a reed to breathe while she slowly advances towards the main target. It looks like this will allow players another way to approach kills.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows developer
While it’s got plenty ofAssassin’s Creedgames to share development time with (there’s multiple planned for the future),Shadowsdoes have a fairly beefy studio making it. Ubisoft Quebec is heading up the game, and has a rich history in the series.
The studio was behind theAssassin’s Creed IIIand thenBlack Flagexpansions and earned the right to fully develop a mainline entry in the series inAssassin’s Creed Syndicate, and thenAssassin’s Creed Odyssey. Given Shadows is being positioned as the next big open-world RPG game in the series, this pedigree can only inspire confidence.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows news
Assassin’s Creed Shadows took the longest to make in franchiseWhenAssassin’s Creed Shadowslaunches later this year, its development cycle would have been longer than any game in the series at four years, andUbisoft thinks that’s the perfect amount of time to make a game.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows will feature seasonal weatherThanks to the recent showing at Ubisoft Forward 2024, we know that Assassin’s Creed Shadows will feature seasons. In the winter, players may not be able to access underwater paths to get to their targets, while in other seasons, new traversal options may present themselves.
Assassin’s CreedShadows features dual protagonistsThanks to arecent trailer, we now know that players will be playing as two characters inAssassin’s Creed Shadows. One is an assassin/shinobi named Naoe, who possesses a hidden blade. The other is Yasuke, a samurai with hulking black and gold armor.
Assassin’s Creed Redis officially titledAssassin’s Creed ShadowsUbisoft has finally revealed the official name of the next Assassin’s Creed game.Assassin’s Creed Shadowswas announcedvia a Tweet, alongside news of a full reveal event.
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Kara is an Evergreen writer at TechRadar Gaming. With a degree in Journalism and a passion for the weird and wonderful, she’s spent the last few years as a freelance video game journalist, with bylines at NintendoLife, Attack of the Fanboy, Prima Games, and sister publication, GamesRadar+. Outside of gaming, you’ll find her re-watching Gilmore Girls or trying to cram yet another collectible onto a shelf that desperately needs some organizing.
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