Assassin’s Creed Shadows (previously Codename Red) has 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 anticipated upcoming games. Taking place in one of the most-demanded settings by fans, if you’re a fan of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, this is a game worth keeping an eye on.
There’s still a lot to learn about how Assassin’s Creed Shadows plans to become one of the best 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 when the game will launch, later this year.
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 about Assassin’s Creed Shadows so far.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows – cut to the chase
- What is it? The next open-world RPG Assassin’s Creed game
- When does it come out? November 15, 2024
- What can I play it on? PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
- Who’s making it? Ubisoft (specifically Ubisoft Quebec)
Assassin’s Creed Shadows release date
Assassin’s Creed Shadows will launch November 15, 2024. When it does, 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
A brand new gameplay trailer was revealed for Assassin’s Creed Shadows as part of the Ubisoft Forward event that aired on June 10, 2024. In it, we get 13 minutes of gameplay, split between the two protagonists. Check it out below:
A new Assassin’s Creed Shadows trailer was revealed on June 9, 2024. In it, we get a better look at the dual protagonists, Naoe and Yasuke. The release date is also shown at the end. Check it out below:
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
In Assassin’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 announced that Assassin’s Creed Shadows will 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 that Shadows could become one of the best Assassin’s Creed games yet, depending on how the game plays out. Marc-Alexis Cote also stated that Shadows is “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 Shadows received 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 that Assassin’s Creed Shadows will 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 development
While it’s got plenty of Assassin’s Creed games to share development time with (there’s multiple planned for the future, Shadows does 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 the Assassin’s Creed III and then Black Flag expansions and earned the right to fully develop a mainline entry in the series in Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, and then Assassin’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 features dual protagonists
Thanks to a recent trailer, we now know that players will be playing as two characters in Assassin’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 Red is officially titled Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Ubisoft has finally revealed the official name of the next Assassin’s Creed game. Assassin’s Creed Shadows was announced via a Tweet, alongside news of a full reveal event.
Ubisoft CEO states that Assassin’s Creed Red is set to launch before the end of March 2025
In an earnings report detailed by Ubisoft CEO, Yves Guillemot, it has been confirmed that Assassin’s Creed Red is on course for a release in the company’s financial year 2025. This runs from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025. Guillemot said: “…we’re gearing up for a very promising line-up for fiscal year 2025, including the upcoming release of Star Wars Outlaws in 2024 […] as well as Assassin’s Creed Codename Red, set in the long-awaited feudal Japan universe. We look forward to revealing the full extent of the creative capabilities of Ubisoft’s teams.” There were no firm details provided about when more would be revealed.
Ubisoft writer seemingly reveals Assassin’s Creed Red protagonist in artwork
As reported by Eurogamer, Pierre Boudreau, posted an image for his professional header image that includes the face of an unknown protagonist on a red background with a Japanese temple in the background – leading many fans to speculate that this might be the lead character for Assassin’s Creed Red.
Assassin’s Creed Codename Red has been described as the “biggest blockbuster of 2024”
Following its initial announcement at Ubisoft Forward 2022, the business development and brand partnership teams at Ubisoft posted on LinkedIn looking for sponsors for Red and referring to it as the “biggest blockbuster of 2024.” Although a release date hasn’t been confirmed yet, this heavily hints that it might be rolling around sooner than we realize. The full post which was translated from Japanese was then shared to Twitter by user @AccessTheAnimus.
Assassin’s Creed Codename Red trailer shown at Ubisoft Forward, 2022
The first look at Assassin’s Creed Codename Red was shown as part of Ubisoft Forward in 2022, but the thirty-second reveal didn’t offer a huge amount of information. Despite confirming the location of the game, and offering a look at who we have assumed to be the assassin, we didn’t receive any sort of release window or platform information.
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