Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the next mainline installment of Ubisoft’s long-running action-adventure stealth franchise, will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Amazon Luna, PC, and Macs with Apple silicon via the Mac App Store beginning November 15, 2024, developer Ubisoft Quebec has announced. The new game, which is set in 16th century Japan during the Sengoku period, follows two characters: Naoe, a 17-year-old Japanese shinobi, and Yasuke, a samurai of African origin that Ubisoft says will offer players a unique perspective.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows editions include:
- Standard ($69.99)
- Base game
- Pre-order bonus (“Thrown to the Dogs” bonus quest)
- Gold Edition ($109.99)
- Base game
- Pre-order bonus
- Season Pass
- 3 days early access
- Ultimate Edition ($129.99, $17.99/month via Ubisoft+)
- Base game
- Pre-order bonus
- Season Pass
- 3 days early access
- Ultimate Pack (Sekiryu Character and Hideout Packs, five skill points, and more)
A look at the new game:
Ubisoft on Yasuke and Naoe:
The decision to include a playable, real-life historical figure of this era in Assassins’ Creed Shadows was two-fold: Ubisoft Quebec wanted to include a Samurai, and Yasuke’s story was open-ended enough to allow for creativity; there are still plenty of questions and speculation surrounding him. The fascinating facts, though, were undisputable: of African origin, he arrived in Japan enslaved by the Portuguese; he impressed with size, strength, and wits; he served under the Japanese daimyo Oda Nobunaga. There must have been something exceptional about Yasuke to succeed in the service of a personality like Nobunaga’s, the team explains, and the goal has been to expound on this in Assassin’s Creed Shadows through his curiosity, openness, respect for values and tradition, valor, warmth, and charisma.
He also offers a unique perspective on the period: players can discover Japan alongside him. On one hand, he serves as a warning for the colonizing threat that the Portuguese present, and on the other, he adapted and thrived in Japan, and can be viewed as an example of the meritocratic structure established under Nobunaga. In Assassin’s Creed Shadows, his historical story is established, and then developed and expanded from that point (the team won’t spoil how he’s linked to Assassin’s Creed’s lore; players will have to play the game to find out).
While Naoe and Yasuke play very differently – Naoe is a shinobi who uses stealth, parkour, and gadgets, whereas Yasuke is combat-oriented and armored – the pair’s personalities ultimately complement each other to form a unique dynamic throughout Shadows.
At Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ start, Naoe is a 17-year-old from Iga, and the daughter of one of the era’s most iconic shinobi, Fujibayashi Nagato, who – despite a promise to keep her safe – is forced to train her to be his equal in battle. The team describes Naoe as ‘determined but compassionate,’ capable of taking down any enemy while showing compassion to victims of war and corruption. With her home province of Iga squarely in the path of Nobunaga’s conquest, she sees first-hand the destruction that war can bring, and vows to use her skills to help her people.