Assassin's Creed Shadows: Release date, pre-order and latest news

Although it perhaps won't be quite as long as Valhalla and Odyssey were, Shadows promises a huge map with plenty for players to do as they tackle Naoe and Yasuke's story.

So if you're wondering when you can jump into the action, we've got you covered.

When is the Assassin's Creed Shadows release date?

Assassin's Creed Shadows will be released on 20th March 2025.

You can also play Assassin’s Creed Shadows three days early if you purchase the appropriate edition of the game, which we will cover in the next section.

The original release date was meant to be in November 2024. Still, Ubisoft has decided to delay the game. Since then, it has now been delayed again, but only by a month, to apply more of the feedback received from the community.

When is the UK launch time for Assassin's Creed Shadows?

When Assassin's Creed Shadows launches in the UK actually depends on what platform you're on, and on PC, even what launcher you're using.

For PS5 and Xbox Series X/S players, Assassin's Creed Shadows will launch at 12am local time on 20th March.

This means that, while you'll have to wait for midnight to play it in the UK, you could play it a bit earlier by changing your console's time zone to New Zealand, where it will release at 11am GMT on 19th March.

As for PC players, the game will have a simultaneous global release (so no New Zealand trick), but has different launch times depending on whether you're using Ubisoft Connect or not.

Steam and Epic Games Store players in the UK will be able to play Shadows from 4am GMT on 20th March.

Ubisoft Connect players on the other hand will be able to play a bit earlier, from 10pm GMT on 19th March instead.

Can I pre-order Assassin's Creed Shadows?

Yes, you can pre-order Assassin's Creed Shadows right now.

If you do so, you will be awarded the bonus quest Thrown to the Dogs, regardless of which version you purchase.

There are three editions to choose from: the Standard Edition, Digital Deluxe Edition and Collector's Edition.

Standard Edition

• Base game
• Pre-order Bonus (Thrown to the Dogs Quest)

Digital Deluxe Edition

• Base game
• Pre-order Bonus (Thrown to the Dogs Quest)
• Access to upcoming Claws of Awaji expansion
• The Sekiryu Character Pack including gear and weapon sets for both Naoe and Yasuke, the Sekiryu Beast, and Dragon Tooth trinket
• The Sekiryu Hideout Pack containing ornaments to customise your hideout
• Five Mastery Points

Collector's Edition (GAME/GameStop exclusive)

All of the above and the following items:

• Naoe and Yasuke dual character statue (about 40 centimeters/15.7 inches)
• Unique steelbook case
• Collector’s art book (84 pages)
• Naoe’s katana tsuba (life-sized)
• World map
• Creed wall scroll (70x30 centimeters/27.6x11.8 inches)
• Two sumi-e lithographs (13.5x19 centimeters/5.3x7.5 inches)

Below, you can check out where to pre-order all editions of the game:

Assassin's Creed Shadows PC pre-orders

• Pre-order the Collector’s Edition from GAME
• Pre-order the Standard Edition, the Gold Edition or Ultimate Edition from CDKeys
• Pre-order the Standard, Gold or Ultimate Editions from Ubisoft

Assassin's Creed Shadows PS5 pre-orders

• Pre-order the Collector’s Edition from GAME
• Pre-order the Standard Edition from GAME
• Pre-order the Limited/Special Edition from Amazon or GAME
• Pre-order the Gold Edition from Amazon or GAME
• Pre-order the Ultimate Edition from the PlayStation Store

Assassin's Creed Shadows Xbox Series X/S pre-orders

• Pre-order the Collector’s Edition from GAME
• Pre-order the Standard Edition, the Gold Edition or Ultimate Edition from CDKeys
• Pre-order the Standard Edition (physical copy) from GAME
• Pre-order the Limited/Special Edition (physical copy) from Amazon or GAME
• Pre-order the Gold Edition (physical copy) from Amazon or GAME

Assassin's Creed Shadows MacOS pre-orders

• Pre-order Assassin's Creed Shadows from the Mac App Store

Which consoles and platforms can play Assassin's Creed Shadows?

Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be available to play on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and MacOS.

Unlike other Apple Silicone ports such as Resident Evil Village and 4 or Death Stranding, which came some time after their respective launches, Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be released on MacOS alongside the other game versions, making it quite the coup for Apple.

There has been a big push from the Cupertino tech giant, as their latest Macs have pretty powerful gaming chops when appropriately utilised.

Hopefully, we will see more games come to Macs and iPhones, as there is no doubt a huge market there to tap into - which could go some way to alleviating the financial pressures developers have been facing lately.

Assassin's Creed Shadows gameplay and story details

Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes place in feudal Japan and sees players take control of two characters – Naoe and Yasuke – as the political landscape around them shifts.

Naoe is a shinobi Assassin who favours stealth and lurks in the shadows. In contrast, Yasuke, a legendary figure from Japanese history, is a formidable samurai who prefers confrontation.

During Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the game progresses into winter, bringing its host of pros and cons – especially for Naoe.

Snow will crumple loudly underfoot, and hanging icicles can snap and fall as you walk on rooftops, but so too do the snowstorms conceal her from her enemies.

What Ubisoft has said about controversy surrounding historical accuracy

Some people have been flooding X (formerly known as Twitter) and other social media platforms with comments bemoaning the inclusion of Yasuke as a playable character in Assassin's Creed Shadows, citing historical inaccuracy.

Ubisoft has released a message to put the issue to bed once and for all.

In the message from the developer – which you can read in full – Ubisoft explains that it has "put significant effort into ensuring an immersive and respectful representation of Feudal Japan".

"However, our intention has never been to present any Assassin's Creed games, including Assassin's Creed Shadows, as factual representations of history, or historical characters.

"Instead, we aim to spark curiosity and encourage players to explore and learn more about the historical settings we get inspired by."

It is historical fiction.

The apology in full follows: "Our team extensively collaborated with external consultants, historians, researchers and internal teams at Ubisoft Japan to inform our creative choices.

"Despite these sustained efforts, we acknowledge that some elements in our promotional materials have caused concern within the Japanese community. For this, we sincerely apologise.

"All game footage presented so far is in development, and the game will keep evolving until launch. Based on the constructive criticism we have received, we will continue our efforts until we put this game into your hands – and beyond."

Interestingly, the game will be somewhat censored in Japan – but not due to historical inaccuracy. Japan's CERO rating system refused to give it even the top Z certificate (18+), due to the graphic violence.

So, if you buy Assassin’s Creed Shadows in Japan, don't expect any dismemberings!

Is there an Assassin's Creed Shadows trailer?

Indeed, you can check out the cinematic trailer above! However, this is just a CGI trailer and doesn’t offer us a glimpse of any actual gameplay.

Still, it’s exciting to see what Ubisoft has in store for us, and it’s great to see that those who miss the more stealth-orientated days of Assassin’s Creed are well-catered for while also keeping the more action-packed gameplay of recent titles.

The trailer above gives a much more detailed look at gameplay, showing off the world of Japan, as well as the difference between the two characters. One of the most interesting aspects of the trailer is the use of shadows and how the seasons will impact how players approach objectives.

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