Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Claws of Awaji Expansion Arrives in September
Ubisoft has announced the first major story expansion for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, titled ‘Claws of Awaji,’ set to launch on September 16th. This expansion promises over 10 hours of new content, enriching the world and lore of the game. Along with the expansion, players can anticipate free updates, including the highly anticipated New Game+ mode, new achievements, trophies, and various quality-of-life improvements. Ubisoft also recently celebrated a milestone, confirming that Assassin’s Creed Shadows has surpassed five million players, sparking speculation about a potential Nintendo Switch 2 version.
Exploring the Claws of Awaji Expansion
The ‘Claws of Awaji’ expansion transports players to a brand-new region on the Assassin’s Creed Shadows map, introducing fresh weapons, unique abilities, and captivating storylines. Players can expect to discover new outfits, legendary gear, and encounter a formidable new enemy faction, complete with challenging bosses. This expansion adds a thrilling new chapter to the Assassin’s Creed Shadows saga.
- New Region: The mysterious Island of Awaji awaits, offering a unique landscape to explore.
- New Faction: Face the Sanzoku Ippa, a relentless group that will stop at nothing to hunt you down.
- New Gear: Discover powerful weapons, outfits, and legendary gear to enhance your abilities.
Storyline
Naoe and Yasuke embark on a perilous journey to the Island of Awaji, located beyond Osaka Bay, in search of lost treasure. Their quest leads them into conflict with the Sanzoku Ippa, a dangerous faction that will relentlessly pursue and ambush them at every turn. Access to the expansion is granted to players who pre-ordered the base game and have completed the main story. For those who didn’t pre-order, the expansion will be available for separate purchase starting September 16th.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Summer Roadmap Unveiled
Before the release of ‘Claws of Awaji,’ Ubisoft will introduce two free updates to Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The first update, known as the Progression Update, will include the highly requested New Game+ mode, allowing players to start a new campaign while retaining their level, gear, skill points, Knowledge rank, and hideout progression. This update is scheduled to roll out on July 29th.
- New Game+ Mode: Replay the game with all your progress intact.
- Level Cap Increase: Push your characters further with an increased level cap.
- New Ranks and Skills: Unlock new Knowledge Ranks, Mastery, and Knowledge Skill ranks.
- Hideout Upgrades: Enhance your hideout with new and improved upgrades.
Progression Update Details
The Progression Update will not only introduce New Game+ but also raise the level cap from 60 to 80. Players will also gain access to new Knowledge Ranks, Mastery and Knowledge Skill ranks, and upgrades for all hideout buildings. Additionally, new achievements, trophies, and animus-themed rewards will be added to the game.
Quality of Life Improvements
The second free update focuses on enhancing the overall player experience with quality-of-life improvements. These include the ability to fast forward time-of-day, unfogging of the world map upon viewpoint synchronization, new hideout updates, uncapped frame rate for cutscenes on PC, and various bug fixes. This update is slated for release in early September.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Fast Forward Time-of-Day | Allows players to quickly advance the in-game time. |
| Map Unfogging | Reveals the world map upon synchronizing with viewpoints. |
| Hideout Updates | Provides new enhancements and customizations for player hideouts. |
| Uncapped Frame Rate | Removes frame rate limits during cutscenes on PC. |
| Bug Fixes | Addresses and resolves various in-game issues and glitches. |
Ubisoft’s Financial Performance and Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Success
During its first-quarter FY 2025-26 earnings call, Ubisoft revealed that Assassin’s Creed Shadows had reached over five million players. CEO Yves Guillemot hinted at “new versions” of the game being developed for “other machines,” suggesting a potential port for the Nintendo Switch 2. While Ubisoft didn’t disclose specific unit sales, they stated that Shadows had “delivered on its expectations.” Following its release in March, Assassin’s Creed Shadows was recognized as the series’ second-biggest launch, following Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
