Assassin's Creed: Shadows

Assassin's Creed: Shadows is the upcoming fourteenth installment in the Assassin's Creed series, being a part of the Animus Hub platform. The game is set in Japan and will be helmed by Ubisoft Quebec.
==Gameplay==
Assassin's Creed: Shadows features a dual protagonist system similar to what was demonstrated in Assassin's Creed: Syndicate, with the ability to switch between at will. The first protagonist is the Japanese shinobi Fujibayashi Naoe, who is set on a path to avenge her father Fujibayashi Nagato. The second is the African samurai Yasuke, who survived an attack on the slave ship he was on and ended up in Oda Nobunaga's service. Naoe and Yasuke begin the game as enemies but will eventually side with each other.
According to the series' Vice President Executive Producer Marc-Alexis Côté, Shadows will take place in feudal Japan and allow players to experience a "very powerful shinobi fantasy". It will also return to the newer style Action-RPG style games. Features reported to be in the game include the ability to extinguish torches for hiding spots, the ability to go prone, and an Enemy Posture Meter akin to that seen in and other games. Creative Director Jonathan Dumont compared the size of the map to that of Assassin's Creed: Origins. Similar to Ubisoft's Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, players will be given the option to be more immersed with less guidance and map mark reliance.
The updated and rebranded Ubisoft Anvil introduces a dynamic season system where the world transitions through the four seasons, driven by the player's campaign progress for historical accuracy. Each season affects gameplay uniquely: spring and summer feature blooming plants providing hiding spots, which disappear in autumn and winter. Winter also brings frozen water, blocking access to pools and ponds, while icicles can fall and reveal your position. NPC behavior changes with the seasons, with enemies searching bushes in summer and staying near fires in winter, creating new pathways. A dynamic weather system brings climate conditions like fog, wind, and snow, affecting enemy perception and masking your movements. Additionally, the game's ecology is detailed, with features like pollen gusts in spring simulating a real ecosystem.
Gadgets and tools set to be present in the game are a grappling hook, kunai, shuriken, smoke bombs, and bells. Weapons range from katana and kanabō war clubs to yari and kusarigama. Some weapons and gadgets are limited to each character, for instance, Yasuke can use arquebus rifles, while Naoe cannot. Each weapon has its own skill tree, allowing players to enhance their proficiency with specific weapons over time. Enemy commanders can be defeated, spared, or recruited as spies, similar to Odysseys mercenaries system. Gun-wielding ashigaru will also be a present enemy archetype. According to Insider Gaming via Ubisoft, the settlement system will be re-implemented, with customizable buildings, dojos, shrines, armory, and more.
Ubisoft revealed in a blog post that romance will be a feature for both protagonists, a feature first introduced in Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, and explore their differing personalities and unique interactions with NPCs, which will include a variety of relationships. Yasuke and Naoe will attract and be attracted to different types of people, allowing players to experience diverse romantic relationships which will evolve over the course of the game's seasons.
==Synopsis==
A new creed risesLive 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 remarkable duo will discover their common destiny as they usher in a new era for Japan.
Explore feudal JapanDiscover the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and pastoral landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments.
Become a shinobi assassinAs the quick-witted and agile Naoe, use noise, light, and shadows to evade detection as enemies respond to their changing surroundings. Distract guards using kunai, shuriken, and smoke bombs, infiltrate enemy bases with your grappling hook and parkour skills, and assassinate your targets with the hidden blade.
Become a legendary samuraiAs the charismatic samurai Yasuke, strike your foes with brutal precision and power. Use his combat-oriented skills to attack, block, parry, and defeat your enemies. Master the vast arsenal of weapons at your disposal—featuring katana, kanabo, bows, naginata, and more—to free Japan from its oppressors.
Information is your weaponTravel the world, explore, and scout your surroundings to gather vital intel. Build your network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to unveil new areas and hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit several allies with highly specialized skills and abilities to help accomplish your missions.
==Development==
The game's conceptual title, known as Assassin's Creed: Codename Red during development, was first leaked on 6 September 2022 and reported by , who also noted that this game, as well as Assassin's Creed: Codename Hexe, would likely not release until 2024 at the earliest. It was later confirmed at the Ubisoft Forward livestream during its Assassin's Creed showcase, alongside a short teaser. On 21 October 2023, a little over a year after the working title leaked, script writer Pierre Boudreau changed his LinkedIn profile's banner image to a picture of a hooded woman on a red background with Animus coding on the edges and a white Assassin insignia stylized as if it were painted by inkbrush.
On 13 May 2024, Ubisoft officially revealed the entry's title as Assassin's Creed: Shadows, after a leak revealed it three weeks prior. On 25 September, almost two months before Shadows expected debut on 15 November, developers released a statement on the Assassin's Creed Twitter account announcing that they would be delaying its release until 14 February 2025. Although the statement did not elaborate on why the team felt they needed to postpone the game, an official press release for investors cited "the softer than expected launch" of their Swedish studio 's project Star Wars Outlaws. Reportedly, the developers of Shadows had been pushing for a delay for a few months before Ubisoft's announcement.
==Controversies==
===Sexual misconduct allegations===
When Jonathan Dumont was announced to be working on the game in September 2022, many Ubisoft employees refused to work with him and quit due to past allegations regarding abuse and sexual misconduct. Ubisoft responded by stating that it takes allegations seriously and that Dumont has been disciplined and cleared to continue working.
===Yasuke===
After Shadows was officially revealed in mid-May 2024, disgruntled fans took to Yasuke's Wikipedia page and vandalized it several times, angry over Ubisoft's perceived disregard for Asian representation in a Japanese setting. On social media, many criticized Ubisoft for having a Black samurai protagonist, mistaking his title of "retainer" to mean that he was not a proper samurai, while others also levied accusations against the company for seemingly over-correcting for Black representation due to systemic having resulted in anti-Black . By late-June, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot issued a statement condemning the backlash directed at both protagonists calling it "malicious" and "hateful."
==Release==
Assassin's Creed: Shadows will release worldwide on 14 February 2025, on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. The game was originally supposed to release on 15 November 2024 but is delayed as of 25 September 2024.
===Marketing===
At the Ubisoft Forward event held on 11 September 2022, a reveal trailer was shown. The official world premiere trailer was released on 15 May 2024, alongside the "Who Are Naoe and Yasuke?" trailer which featured a behind the scenes look at the trailer with commentary and interviews from Game Director Charles Benoit and Associate Narrative Director Brooke Davies. Following this, Ubisoft posted to the official Assassin's Creed Twitter a cipher that when solved revealed X and Y axes of an outline of the Kansai region. On 3 June, an interactive bot was activated on the official Assassin's Creed Discord called Assassin’s Creed Shadows – The First Mission. A mystery puzzle box was also sent to several notable content creators and when solved when used with the Discord bot revealed concept art and details on the game's map. The first gameplay trailer was unveiled at the 2024 Xbox Showcase held on 9 June.
===Editions===
Ubisoft announced several alternate editions to the standard retail version.Pre-order Assassin's Creed Shadows However, the full impact of the game's delay to 2025 from the intended November 2024 release has yet to be announced.@assassinscreed on Twitter
<tabber>
|-|Limited Edition=
;JB Hi-Fi exclusive
*Base game
*Naooe Sekiryu Character Pack
*Thrown to the Dogs (Pre-Order Bonus)
|-|Special Edition=
;EB Games exclusive
*Base game
*Yasuke Sekiryu Character Pack
*Thrown to the Dogs (Pre-Order Bonus)
|-|Gold Edition=
*Base game
*Season pass
*3 days early access
*Thrown to the Dogs (Pre-Order Bonus)
;JB Hi-Fi exclusive
*Base game
*Season pass
*3 days early access
*Thrown to the Dogs (Pre-Order Bonus)
*JB Hi-Fi exclusive SteelBook case
*Two sumi-e lithographs (13.5x19 cm / 5.3x7.5 in.)
|-|Ultimate Edition=
*Base game
*Season pass
*3 days early access
*Ultimate Pack
**Sekiryu Character Pack
**Sekiryu Hideout Pack
*Thrown to the Dogs (Pre-Order Bonus)
**5 Skill points
*Red Dragon Photo Mode filter.
|-|Collector's Edition=
Base game.
*Season pass
*3 days early access
*Ultimate Pack
**Sekiryu Character Pack
**Hideout Pack
**5 Skill points
*Red Dragon Photo Mode filter.
*Naoe and Yasuke dual character statue (about 40 cm / 15.7 in.)
*Unique SteelBook case.
*Collector's art book (84 pages).
*Naoe's katana tsuba (life-sized).
*World map.
*Creed wall scroll (70x30 cm / 27.6x11.8 in.)
*Two sumi-e lithographs (13.5x19 cm / 5.3x7.5 in.)
</tabber>
==Gallery==
<tabber>
|-|Promotional media=
AC Shadows wallpaper.jpg|Wallpaper
AC Shadows Crest.png|Crest
AC Shadows Crest w Color.png|Crest
AC Shadows Black Crest.png|Crest
ACShadows Official Logo.png|Logo
AC Shadows Logo.png|Logo
AC Shadows Logo v2.png|Logo
AC Shadows Logo v3.png|Logo
ACRed banner.jpg|Codename Red banner art
AC Red.png|Codename Red logo
AC Shadows Cover.png|Main game cover
ACShadows Gold Edition Cover.jpeg|Gold Edition cover
ACShadows Fujibayashi Naoe Keyart.png|Naoe Keyart
ACShadows Fujibayashi Naoe Keyart 2.jpg|Naoe Keyart
ACShadows Yasuke Keyart.png|Yasuke Keyart
ACShadows Yasuke Keyart 2.jpg|Yasuke Keyart
ACShadows Naoe Yasuke Key Art.jpg|Keyart
ACShadows Standard Edition Key Art.jpg|Standard Edition Key Art
ACShadows Standard Edition Key Art Textless.jpg|Standard Edition Key Art
ACShadows Gold Edition Key Art.jpg|Gold Edition Key Art
ACShadows Gold Edition Key Art Textless.jpg|Gold Edition Key Art
ACShadows Ultimate Edition Key Art.jpg|Ultimate Edition Key Art
ACShadows Ultimate Edition Key Art Textless.jpg|Ultimate Edition Key Art
|-|Screenshots=
ACRed Promo Assassin.jpg|Naoe on a rooftop
ACShadows Promotional Screenshot 1.jpeg|Yasuke and Naoe
ACShadows Promotional Screenshot 2.jpeg|Yasuke killing a soldier
ACShadows Promotional Screenshot 3.jpeg|Close-up of Yasuke
ACShadows Promotional Screenshot 4.jpeg|Naoe scouting a fort in summer
ACShadows Promotional Screenshot 5.jpeg|Naoe scouting a fort in winter
ACShadows Promotional Screenshot 6.jpeg|Naoe preparing to assassinate a target
ACShadows Promotional Screenshot 7.jpg|Naoe hiding from and watching a guard patrol
ACShadows Promotional Screenshot 8.jpg|Naoe overlooking Seiganto-ji at Nachi Falls
ACShadows Promotional Screenshot 9.jpg|Yasuke training near a pond
ACShadows Promotional Screenshot 10.jpg|Naoe freerunning on a roof at night
ACShadows Promotional Screenshot 11.jpg|Naoe freerunning on a roof at dawn
ACShadows Promotional Screenshot 12.jpg|Yasuke killing a soldier in winter
ACShadows Promotional Screenshot 13.jpg|Yasuke executing a soldier
ACShadows Promotional Screenshot 14.jpg|Nanoe preparing to assassinate a servant
ACShadows Promotional Screenshot 15.jpg|Yasuke preparing to fight two people in a forest
ACShadows Promotional Screenshot 16.jpg|Naoe and her shinobi allies attacking a target
ACShadows Promotional Screenshot 17.jpg|Promotional image showcasing the seasons system
|-|Concept art=
ACShadows Environment Concept 1.jpg|Naoe visiting temple ruins
ACShadows Environment Concept 2.jpg|A busy port
ACShadows Environment Concept 3.jpg|The Japanese Assassins
ACShadows Environment Concept 4.jpg|Naoe at a gateway
ACShadows Environment Concept 5.jpg|Oda Nobunaga overlooking the countryside
ACShadows Environment Concept 6.jpg|A samurai riding past executed civilians
ACShadows Environment Concept 7.jpg|Mountains with cherry blossom trees
ACShadows Environment Concept 8.jpg|Samurai leaving a city in winter
ACShadows Environment Concept 9.jpg|Naoe visiting a ruined forest shrine
ACShadows Environment Concept 10.jpg|A man fording a stream in fall
ACShadows Environment Concept 11.jpg|A duel at a forest shrine
ACShadows Architecture Concept 1.jpg|A shrine 
ACShadows Architecture Concept 2.jpg|A house
ACShadows Architecture Concept 3.jpg|Sensō-ji
ACShadows Kyoto Winter Concept.jpg|Kyoto in winter
ACShadows Iga Forest Concept.jpg|Naoe freerunning in a forest in Iga
ACShadows Iga Night Concept.jpg|Iga at night
ACShadows Naoe Outside Takeda Castle Concept.jpg|Naoe outside Takeda Castle in Tanba
ACShadows House Low End Concept.jpg|A simple house interior
ACShadows Daimyo Mansion Concept.jpg|A daimyōs mansion interior
ACShadows Trailer Concept 1.jpg|Trailer concept
ACShadows Trailer Concept 2.jpg|Trailer concept
ACShadows Trailer Concept 3.jpg|Trailer concept
ACShadows Trailer Concept 4.jpg|Trailer concept
ACShadows Trailer Concept 5.jpg|Trailer concept
ACShadows Trailer Concept 6.jpg|Trailer concept
Assassin's Creed Shadows Yasuke Naoe Town Overlook - Concept Art.jpg|Yasuke and Naoe overlooking a town and castle
|-|Videos=
Assassin's Creed Codename Red - Reveal Trailer - Ubisoft Forward 2022
Assassin's Creed Shadows- Official World Premiere Trailer
Assassin's Creed Shadows- Who Are Naoe and Yasuke?
Assassin's Creed Shadows Explained - Samurai, Shinobi, and Feudal Japan
Assassin's Creed Shadows- First Look Gameplay Trailer
-ESRB- Assassin's Creed Shadows Official Gameplay - Combat and Stealth Evolved - Ubisoft Forward
Assassin's Creed Shadows- One Duo - Two Playstyles
Assassin's Creed Shadows- World Trailer
</tabber>
==Credits==
==References==
Category:Real world video games
Category:Assassin's Creed series
Category:Assassin's Creed: Shadows
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pl:Assassin's Creed: Codename Red
zh:刺客信条：影