Ubisoft’s first Assassin’s Creed Shadows trailer introduced feudal Japan and two playable leads: Naoe, a shinobi from Iga Province, and Yasuke, a samurai. The Official World Premiere Trailer was published on May 15, 2024. The game is now available on multiple platforms.
What the first trailer revealed
Ubisoft presented Assassin’s Creed Shadows as a story of two intertwined protagonists set during Japan’s turbulent late Sengoku period. Naoe is an adept shinobi Assassin from Iga Province; Yasuke is described by Ubisoft as a powerful African samurai of historical legend. The trailer was billed as the game’s official cinematic world premiere.
Its description advertised availability on March 20, 2025. That was the date announced with the trailer, not the game’s original release date; Ubisoft’s current product page lists Shadows as available. Watch Ubisoft’s Official World Premiere Trailer.
How Naoe and Yasuke play differently
Ubisoft frames the pair as complementary approaches rather than a better-or-worse choice. Naoe is built around stealth, agility, and infiltration, while Yasuke is oriented toward direct combat and a broader selection of weapons.
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#1 Best Overall
- Only at Amazon Limited Edition Content includes the base game and Sekiryu Character Pack
- Explore the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments.
- Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles.
- Make information your weapon as you explore the world, and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions.
- Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s layout, decorations, and accessories.
| Protagonist | Ubisoft’s described approach | Examples of abilities and equipment |
|---|---|---|
| Naoe | Stealth, parkour, and infiltration | Uses noise, light, and shadows to avoid detection; tools include kunai, shuriken, smoke bombs, a grappling hook, and the hidden blade. |
| Yasuke | Armored, direct combat | Weapons include a katana, kanabo, bows, and naginata. |
Players can use either protagonist for many quests. Each has separate progression, stats, skills, and gear, according to Ubisoft’s current game page.
What Japan and the historical setting mean here
Ubisoft places the story in the late 16th century, during the Azuchi Momoyama Era and the closing years of the Sengoku period. A later Ubisoft feature names Oda Nobunaga, Akechi Mitsuhide, Sen no Rikyū, and Hattori Hanzō among the historical figures associated with the game’s setting.
Rank #2
- ENTER FEUDAL JAPAN - Explore the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments.
- MASTER COMPLEMENTARY PLAYSTYLES - Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles. As Naoe, use stealth to avoid detection and agility to confound your enemies. As Yasuke, strike your foes with lethal precision and power. Unlock new skills, gear, and progression independently for each character.
- MAKE INFORMATION YOUR WEAPON - Travel the world and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions
- BUILD A PLACE TO CALL HOME - Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s buildings layout, decorations, and accessories.
Those details describe Ubisoft’s setting and cast. They do not, by themselves, establish that the game is a documentary or wholly historically accurate.
Stealth, observation, and the game world
Ubisoft describes environments ranging from castle towns, ports, and shrines to pastoral landscapes, with changing seasons and reactive surroundings. Naoe’s stealth toolkit includes using the environment’s light and shadows as well as gadgets and parkour.
Rank #3
- Only at Amazon Limited Edition Content includes the base game and Sekiryu Character Pack
- Explore the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments.
- Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles.
- Make information your weapon as you explore the world, and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions.
- Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s layout, decorations, and accessories.
The game removes the companion eagle used for scouting in some earlier entries in the series and introduces Observe instead. Ubisoft says it can identify targets, tag and monitor enemies, and highlight loot, collectables, and objectives. Simon, an Associate Game Director, calls it central to the experience: “The new Observe mechanic is at the core of the Assassin’s Creed Shadows experience.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where Assassin’s Creed Shadows is available
Ubisoft currently lists Shadows for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Amazon Luna, Macs with Apple silicon through the Mac App Store, and Windows PC through Ubisoft Store, Steam, and Epic Games Store. Platform and storefront availability can vary by region, so check the listing for your location.
What Ubisoft says about the game’s latest content
In a June 2026 article, Ubisoft described the free “Black Tides” content as the game’s final major content drop. The update caps Naoe and Yasuke’s story and includes the Domains challenge feature. That description concerns major content; it does not establish whether minor patches or service changes will continue.
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