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Choose Canon Mode if you want the game to make its canon narrative decisions for you. Leave it off if you want to role-play Naoe and Yasuke through your own dialogue and relationship choices. The story reaches one canonical ending either way, but the journey and who accompanies the protagonists can differ. Romance is not assigned a canon outcome.
What Canon Mode does
Canon Mode automatically selects narrative decisions so the game follows its canon story, according to Ubisoft’s Tech Q&A. Game director Jonathan Dumont described it as a “choice-free experience” for players who do not want to decide among branching dialogue options, as reported by GameSpot on December 12, 2024.
That does not mean the game has a separate Canon Mode ending. Associate Narrative Director Brooke Davies told GameSpot that the story culminates in a single canonical ending, while different paths affect who is and is not alongside the protagonists. Canon Mode delegates narrative decisions along the way; it is not presented as a different story or gameplay difficulty.
Who should turn Canon Mode on?
Choose it if you want the intended canon path
- You would rather the game select its canon narrative decisions than weigh each branching dialogue option.
- You find relationship or story choices distracting, or simply prefer to keep moving through the narrative.
- You want to experience the story without deciding how Naoe and Yasuke respond at every opportunity.
Leave it off if your choices are part of the fun
- You enjoy role-playing the protagonists according to your own preferences.
- You want to make personal relationship choices or influence who joins them.
- You value having agency, even when the game has an intended canon path.
These recommendations follow from what the mode automates; neither Ubisoft nor the reported developer comments establish that one setting makes the game more enjoyable for everyone.
#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.
Does Canon Mode choose romance?
No. In an August 13, 2025 developer AMA reported by GamesRadar+, Ubisoft developer Luc said romance was excluded because it is personal, and the team wanted each player to define their own romantic canon. So do not expect Canon Mode to automate every relationship decision.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is Canon Mode an accessibility or combat setting?
No. Ubisoft lists Canon Mode as a narrative-choice feature, separately from Guided Mode—which streamlines exploration and finding content—and from combat controls and difficulty options. The Accessibility Spotlight describes those features separately; Canon Mode’s stated purpose is to automate narrative decisions, not to change combat or exploration.
Quick Recap
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.
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.
How to decide before starting
- Ask whether choosing dialogue is enjoyable for you. If you want those decisions handled, Canon Mode matches that preference.
- Consider how much personal agency you want. If you want to shape the protagonists’ responses, relationships, and companions, leave it off.
- Do not treat the setting as a choice between different endings. The reported developer explanation describes one canonical ending, with variation in the route and who is alongside the protagonists.
- Keep romance separate from the decision. The developers left romantic outcomes personal rather than assigning them through Canon Mode.
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