Assassins' Creed Shadows Trailer Out: Dual-Protagonist Gameplay Is Back. Check Out Release Date, Watch Deep Dive Videos

The last time the Assassins' Creed series went all out on a side-by-side dual assassins gameplay was Assassins' Creed Syndicate, where players got to play the story as Jacob and Evie.

Assassins' Creed Shadows: Ubisoft unveiled the latest instalment in the Assassin's Creed franchise, titled "Assassin's Creed Shadows," through a captivating cinematic trailer and an introduction to the new characters joining the series. Among the fresh faces are Naoe, a skilled shinobi, and Yasuke, a formidable samurai. Notably, Yasuke marks the series' first playable character inspired by a real historical figure.

Assassins' Creed Shadows Release Date

The announcement also confirmed the release date of Assassin's Creed Shadows for November 15. The game is currently available for pre-orders on the Ubisoft Store, Epic Games Store, and will also be accessible on Apple platforms via the Mac App Store.

When Is Assassins' Creed Shadows Set?

Set in the late Sengoku period of feudal Japan, the game offers players a unique narrative experience, with both Naoe and Yasuke serving as protagonists. Game director Charles Benoit emphasized the distinct backgrounds and gameplay styles of the characters, reflecting the contrasting societal roles of samurai and shinobi.

Assassins' Creed Shadows: Dual Assassins Gameplay

According to Benoit, the Assassins' Creed Shadows uses dual protagonists to let gamers immerse into two Feudal Japan fantasies, the samurai and the shinobi. "We want the player to experience both, and we cannot squeeze both fantasies into one character because the samurai and shinobi came from different social classes. They have different lives. So we cannot really mix them together."

The last time the Assassins' Creed series went all out on a side-by-side dual assassins gameplay was Assassins' Creed Syndicate, where players got to play the story as Jacob and Evie, each with a specific storyline and missions of their own. Of course, later games also had the two-protagonist funda, but they offered the option to select one protagonist of our choice, with no difference made to the overall game whatsoever. 

Yasuke's gameplay focuses on direct combat, leveraging his stature and strength to confront adversaries head-on, while Naoe relies on stealth and agility to navigate the shadows unseen.

Benoit highlighted the immediate contrast between the two characters, with Yasuke's ability to overpower opponents contrasting sharply with Naoe's finesse and reliance on the iconic hidden blade.