Assassin's Creed Shadows is finally here, arriving on March 20, 2025! That's right after a series of delays. Ubisoft is finally giving fans the feudal Japan AC game that they've been asking for for years, and it's now available to pick up and play.
First announced as Assassin's Creed Codename Red, we've been waiting for this launch ever since we had a taste of the game during our hands-on preview of Assassin's Creed Shadows. In a bit of a throwback to Syndicate, the exciting new open-world RPG features dual protagonists Naoe and Yasuke, who are two heroes with markedly different playstyles, letting you swap between stealth and combat-focused characters depending on the situation. There's also romance, relationships, and exciting new features to unpack.
So, as you prepare to lock into one of the biggest new games for 2025, or if you're keen to catch up on the AC timeline ahead of the next upcoming Assassin's Creed game on the horizon (Assassin's Creed Hexe), you've come to the right place. Keep reading for a breakdown of everything that you need to know before you play or purchase the latest installment in the iconic series!
Assassin's Creed Shadows release date
Assassin's Creed Shadows was released on March 20, 2025. Originally, the game was set to come out on November 15, 2024, before its initial February 14 push, and then a second delay pushed it firmly into March territory. However, it's finally here now, and we couldn't be happier about it.
We gave the game an impressive four-star rating in our Assassin's Creed Shadows review. In fact, we dubbed it as one of Ubisoft's best titles yet, with author Andrew Brown writing on the game: "This is a titan in the same leagues as series staples Assassin's Creed 2 and Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag – and Ubisoft's best RPG to date."
So, if you were wondering if you should pick this one up, the answer is yes! Just make sure that you read our guide on all the Assassin's Creed Shadows tips that we wished we knew before starting our playthrough.
Assassin's Creed Shadows platforms
Assassin's Creed Shadows is available to play on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. Unfortunately, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch players will be out of luck. Apple has also confirmed that it will be released on Mac at the same time.
There are also rumours that Assassin's Creed Shadows will be on the list of upcoming Switch 2 games to be announced later on in the year. However, we are still waiting for Nintendo to confirm those speculative statements.
Assassin's Creed Shadows trailer
The Assassin's Creed Shadows trailer above was unveiled on May 15 2024, giving us our first proper look at the setting, characters, and lore of its world. The trailer introduces us to Yasuke and Naoe, a samurai and shinobi respectively, who will serve as our dual protagonists in this story that wants to deliver the power fantasies of two very different Azuchi-Momoyama era warriors.
From the trailer, we can see that Yasuke's playstyle favors the slick arts of the samurai, while Naoe's quiet, deft work in the shadows more closely resembles the AC series' stealthy origins. With Assassin's Creed Mirage having delivered a taste of this in 2023, it's clear that Ubisoft is trying to strike a balance between old and new Assassin's Creed by giving the player the chance to utilize both combat styles in one game. We see evidence of this aplenty in the above trailer - and also, will Ezio's theme ever not give us chills?
Assassin's Creed Shadows setting and story
Assassin's Creed Shadows is set in Feudal Japan, more specifically, during the Azuchi-Momoyama era. The world is changing, and the Unification of Japan has begun, causing conflict and war as a new era approaches. During Assassin's Creed Shadows, you follow the stories of the shinobi Assassin Naoe, and the African samurai Yasuke.
While we won't go into complete story spoilers here, the First Tenshō Iga War, which occurred during the period and area in which the game is set, is mentioned, and the story kicks off with an attack on Iga. From our preview of the game, we also learned that Naoe has a family artifact to protect.
What we can tell you, though, without spoiler worries, is that Shadow's Assassin's Creed Origins-sized map has been made "more realistic" in terms of mountain scale, meaning we will be exploring a rich historical fantasy that is built to feel weighty and true to life. That also goes for the physics-based grappling hook sported by Naoe, which is sure to give her a leg-up when it comes to traversal. Think of AC Syndicate's Evie, only better.
The franchise has explored no fewer than 10 different locations around the world since the series made its debut 15 years ago, but it has never ventured into Japan – until now that is. Marc-Alexis Cote originally said that Assassin's Creed Shadow's historically-steeped context "lets players explore one of their most-awaited settings ever," giving us the chance to "live a very powerful Shinobi fantasy."
Assassin's Creed Shadows characters
Assassin's Creed Shadows features two playable characters in the form of Yasuke, the first-ever Black samurai, and a ninja-like female Shinobi named Naoe. You'll be given a choice between characters before a lot of main missions, and your favored playstyle will largely dictate your favorite character.
Yasuke is the heavy-hitter as a samurai, while Naoe is our more classic AC-style assassin, given her quiet and stealthy ninja ways. Ubisoft has described Naoe as a "farmer warrior," taking on "the role of protector" in the game as she fights to defend her province of Iga. Her storyline revolves around political upheaval, invasion, and the fight for survival against insurmountable odds.
Yasuke, on the other hand, is of the Oda clan, led by prolific Japanese unification figurehead Oda Nobunaga. Having impressed Oda with his large stature, welcoming of Japanese culture, and strong sword-arm, Yasuke is widely considered the first-ever Black samurai in Japanese history.
Assassin's Creed Shadows gameplay
You'll get to play as both Yasuke and Naoe and experience a new direction of AC gameplay as you switch between the two. Both characters have unique playstyles, and when combined, you get to experience both heavy attack-style combat opportunities through Yasuke's samurai gameplay and more stealth-centric sneaky work when operating as Naoe. Similar to how things worked in Assassin's Creed Syndicate, you get to swap between the characters to explore the world and engage in missions.
The extended gameplay reveal shown at Ubisoft Forward 2024 (which you can watch for yourself above) gives us a closer look at the dynamically different ways Yasuke and Naoe move and engage in combat. Yasuke is melee-focused, delivering slow, heavy attacks with his studded baseball bat-like kanabo (the weapon of the Oni in Japanese folklore) and rapid-fire hits with his katana. Naoe, on the other hand, is more acrobatic and operates in the shadows, equipped with a retractable Hidden Blade on her wrist and a grappling hook. She can also go prone and crawl (a first for the series), making her one of the most stealthy protagonists in any Assassin's Creed game yet.
Your choice of character will also influence the world around you, according to a blog post by director Charles Benoit, who revealed that the core mechanics of both protagonists are the same, but some enemies will be more aggressive towards Naoe and fearful of Yasuke.
Speaking on relationships and attitudes towards the main characters, romance is also reportedly in Assassin's Creed Shadows. As Naoe and Yaskue, we'll be able to recruit others who we can bond with and connect with either as friends or romantically. It sounds like it'll be quite similar in the romance department to Assassin's Creed Odyssey, which lets us meet several potential paramours. And, if you were overwhelmed by all the options available, don't worry a "canon mode" has also been confirmed.
Other new features in the game include changes to the map, the ability to dispatch scouts, a customizable home base called the Hideout, and a dynamic weather system that can affect your missions. With the ability to use lighting to our advantage, different weather conditions will also present us with opportunities we can take advantage of - such as rain covering the sound of your footsteps, letting you sneak more efficiently.
Assassin's Creed Shadows is also the first game to utilize the Animus Hub, which will change how we launch and play all upcoming Assassin's Creed games in the future as well. Exciting stuff!
If you fancy checking out a breakdown of Shadow's features and how the game runs on PC, Ubisoft also shared a "PC & New-Gen Features" trailer on February 12 - which you can watch for yourself above.
In the clip, you'll also get a look at the game's "immersive mode", HUD customization, and all the technical features used to make the game look absolutely breathtaking.
Assassin's Creed Shadows Editions
You can now purchase the Assassin's Creed Shadows Deluxe and Standard Edition for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X.
The Deluxe Edition costs $89.99/ £74.99 and includes "The Sekiryu Dual Pack," "The Sekiryu Hideout Pack," and five mastery points.
The Standard Edition costs $69.99/£59.99. This only includes the base game, so pick wisely before making your final choice.
For more new releases, check out our guide on all the upcoming PS5 games and upcoming Xbox Series X games. Or catch up on the timeline with our guide on how to play all the Assassin's Creed games in order.
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