Assassin’s Creed Shadows

A shinobi and a samurai

Developed mainly by Ubisoft Quebec with around a dozen other Ubisoft studios, Assassin’s Creed Shadows launched on 20 March 2025 on PC (Steam, Ubisoft Store, Epic Games Store), PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Macs with Apple silicon via the Mac App Store and Amazon Luna. Players switch between Naoe, a shinobi built for stealth, parkour and the hidden blade, and Yasuke, a samurai based on a historical figure and built for open combat. The open world cycles through seasons and weather that change stealth options. A Nintendo Switch 2 version launched on 2 December 2025 with all free updates released so far, targeting 30 fps both handheld and docked and sold as a game-key card according to Ubisoft; the Claws of Awaji expansion was announced there for 2026.

What the press says

On PS5, GamingBolt (9/10) calls it one of the best Assassin’s Creed games in years: two very different protagonists who are both great to play, a gorgeous map that is a joy to explore, the return of proper parkour, stealth much improved by light and shadow, and near-flawless performance; it finds the writing and storytelling clumsy. Push Square (8/10, reviewed on PS5 Pro) enjoys the story, characters, open world, seasons, stealth and soundtrack, but notes that combat eventually loses its edge, the RPG elements can feel forced and the English dub is rough. TheSixthAxis (9/10) says the wait for a Japanese entry was worth it. On PC, PC Gamer (80/100) praises excellent stealth and combat but a forgettable story; that review is cited but not counted, as it covers another platform.

Editions and prices

Checked on 12 November 2026: on Steam, the Standard Edition costs €69.99, the Digital Deluxe €89.99 and the Premium Edition, which adds the Claws of Awaji expansion, €109.99. On the PlayStation Store (PS5), the Standard Edition is €79.99, the Premium €119.99, and the Digital Deluxe is on sale at €39.99 instead of €99.99 until 21 November 2026 at 00:59 Paris time, making it cheaper than the Standard Edition while the offer lasts. On the Xbox Store, the Xbox Series X|S versions cost €79.99, €99.99 and €119.99; the Xbox Store PC versions are sold separately. On the Nintendo eShop, the Switch 2 version costs €59.99. The game is also part of the Ubisoft+ Premium subscription, which is not used as a purchase price. Ubisoft Store, Epic Games Store, Mac App Store and physical edition prices were not checked for this survey.

Who is it for?

Fans of big open worlds and stealth, and series fans who missed the parkour and discretion of the early games, as long as they do not expect a story that matches the setting.

Press average

The score block above shows the press average computed from original reviews of the PS5 version, checked on 12 November 2026: GamingBolt 9/10, Push Square 8/10 and TheSixthAxis 9/10. Each score is converted to /20 and averaged with equal weight. These launch reviews cover neither the Claws of Awaji expansion nor the Switch 2 version. This summary is not a hands-on review.