Ubisoft has revealed its first year of updates for Assassin's Creed Shadows. First, sometime in early May, the game will release a new story mission, along with a codex update and a few other general improvements.
A second update will be released at the end of May, bringing parkour improvements to Assassin's Creed Shadows. It will include the ability to jump backwards, fully animated side jumps, and a new move called Vertical Ledge Jump, which will allow Naoe and Yasuke to jump and grab onto overhangs and lower ledges. More improvements are promised throughout the year.
New abilities will be unlocked through free story updates that will also introduce new allies, activities, and reveal some backstory. The first such quest, titled The Works of Luis Frois, will allow players to get to know the titular Jesuit historian, whose works about the Sengoku period in Japan have not lost their relevance to this day.
The first major expansion for the game, titled Claws of Awaji, will be released later in 2025. It will be free for players who pre-order Assassin's Creed Shadows and will open up a new region, Awaji Island. The expansion will continue the story of Naoe and Yasuke after the epilogue of the main game, and will also introduce new enemies, abilities, and a special weapon for Naoe, the Bo staff.
In addition to improvements to parkour and story missions, Assassin's Creed Shadows will receive an update to the photo mode. In particular, Ubisoft will introduce new filters and stickers, poses and facial expressions for characters, and even the ability to add background music. Other updates will include a New Game+ mode, new difficulty modes, additional content for the Animus, even more rewards, and other improvements based on player feedback.