Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Release Date, Platforms, Features & Rumors

Bad news for fans of the series as the Assassin’s Creed Shadows release date has been delayed to early next year. We’re covering the full story further down the page, as well as touching on the pre-orders, editions, and pricing situation that accompanies it. There are multiple reasons why this has happened, but don’t be discouraged.

While you’ll be waiting a few more months for Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ release date to arrive, this should (hopefully) be the final delay. We’re going over everything you need to know about the title, which is poised to be one of the biggest upcoming games of 2025, regardless of which platform you play on.

We explore the upcoming release, characters, platforms, editions, price, and everything else we know so far! Time will tell how this latest mainline installment will compare against the best Assassin’s Creed games already on the market.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Release Date

Originally, the Assassin’s Creed Shadows release date was scheduled for November 15, 2024, but it has now been delayed to February 14, 2025, as announced by Ubisoft via social media. The company has claimed this was because of the “softer than expected” sales of Star Wars Outlaws, developed by Massive Entertainment, which was released at the end of August (via Gamesindustry.biz).

Assassin's Creed Shadows will now release February 14, 2025. pic.twitter.com/J2ah7kkytW

— Assassin's Creed (@assassinscreed) September 25, 2024

The official statement from Ubisoft also explains that Assassin’s Creed Shadows will now launch Day One on Steam instead of being a timed exclusive to its Ubisoft Connect platform, a welcome change for PC players. The news of a delayed Assassin’s Creed Shadows release date may be disappointing to some. However, it will give the company more time to deliver a (hopefully) finished product.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows was set to be playable at the Tokyo Game Show, but?Ubisoft announced on social media that the plans were canceled at the last minute. Considering the developers “need more time to polish and refine the experience” this isn’t all too surprising, but albeit disappointing, for those on the show floor.

It remains to be seen how Assassin’s Creed Shadows will compete with the recently unveiled Ghost of Yōtei, the hotly anticipated sequel to Ghost of Tsushima, which is also slated for a 2025 release date. We’ll keep you updated on the status of these titles, but one thing’s for sure, it’s a good time to be interested in Japanese culture.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Pre-orders

According to Ubisoft’s social media post, existing Assassin’s Creed Shadows pre-orders will be refunded due to the game’s delay from November 15, 2024, to February 14, 2025. At the time of writing, the game’s store page is still active with the old date, and the three current editions are listed. However, given the announcement, this may change in the coming days.

Interestingly, a new Assassin’s Creed Shadows pre-order bonus promises “the first expansion” for free. The Season Pass was set to feature a total of two post-launch expansions. However, little is known about what this would entail at this time. Given the title’s delayed status, it isn’t clear whether Ubisoft will still proceed with its three versions of the game and cost-launch plan as scheduled.

This is similar to what was seen with the infamous launch of Assassin’s Creed Unity in 2014. The game debuted in quite a poor state, particularly on the then-new consoles Xbox One and PS4. To compensate, the company gave out the Dead Kings expansion for free, and all future plans for content were scrapped. Existing season pass holders were even given the choice of a free game from the company’s catalog.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Price

The Assassin’s Creed Shadows price depends on which edition of the game you choose. There are three editions to choose from, as well as a fourth option, Ubisoft+. It is unclear whether these three editions of the game will still be available with the newly announced date in 2025, though.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Platforms

Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be available for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. With Assassin’s Creed Shadows being on all major platforms, it’s widely available, no matter if you’re a PC or console gamer.

The bad news is that Assassin’s Creed Shadows will not be available on Game Pass, meaning Xbox players will need to pay the full price for one of the game’s editions to play.

Due to Ubisoft’s partnership with Epic Games, Assassin’s Creed Shadows won’t be available on Steam. Instead, PC gamers will need to pick up a copy either from the Ubisoft Store or from Epic Games.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Trailers

The first Assassin’s Creed Shadows Trailer was released in May 2024. Since then, an extended trailer with gameplay footage has been released, giving us a much more detailed look into the world of Assassin’s Creed Shadows and its protagonists.

The extended trailer not only gives us a glimpse at the dual-combat system but also a sneak peek of one of the game’s towns and a first look at the gorgeous Feudal Japanese setting.

Just ahead of Gamescom 2024, Ubisoft released the “One Duo—Two Playstyles” trailer, which explores the differences between Naoe and Yasuke in greater depth. As has been touched upon, the former is a shinobi and the latter a bonafide samurai.

The developer commentary here explains the thought process behind two completely different ways to play – which hasn’t been seen in the Assassin’s Creed series for nearly 10 years.

The most recent Assassin’s Creed Shadows trailer shows off the world of the game. The two-minute video goes over the lush landscapes of Feudal Japan, showcasing the weather system, new physics, and how you’ll interact with the open world. It looks promising, but we won’t know how it plays in motion until we go hands-on early next year.

Early Assassin’s Creed Shadows Controversy

As is increasingly becoming the case in gaming, controversy has sneaked into the pre-release coverage, with some critics calling out the developers for including a Black samurai as one of Assassin’s Creed Shadow’s main characters.

Yasuke, however, is based on a real Black man who was a real samurai, believed to have been of African origin.

While this has outraged some critics, many gamers are excited to experience life in Feudal Japan as they adventure as both Yasuke and Naoe.

The Bottom Line

While the last entry in the series, Assassin’s Creed Mirage had mixed reviews, it seems that Assassin’s Creed Shadows is on track to take the series back to its top form.

With a larger map to explore, the option to choose between direct combat and stealth, and large cities in which you can scale the walls and do all the usual Assassin’s Creed shenanigans, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has all the right ingredients to be a major success.

Thanks to the success of Ghost of Tsushima, Samurai-based games are extremely popular right now, which makes it the perfect time for Assassin’s Creed players to explore Feudal Japan while dishing out punishment in the shadows or via face-to-face combat.

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