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Assassin's Creed Shadows: Release date, pre-order and latest news

Delayed back to Shadows... again.

Artwork for Assassin's Creed Shadows depicting the samurai Yasuke and shinobi Naoe in front of a Torii

Ubisoft

Published: Monday, 17 March 2025 at 12:49 pm

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With the delays out of the way, the Assassin's Creed Shadows release date is now right around the corner.

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And as players get their pre-orders in, the excitement is building for launch day as the series heads to Japan for the very first time.

Although it perhaps won't be quite as long as Valhalla and Odyssey were, Shadows promises a huge map with plenty for players to do as they tackle Naoe and Yasuke's story.

So if you're wondering when you can jump into the action, we've got you covered.

When is the Assassin's Creed Shadows release date?

Naoe stop atop a snowy roof overlooking a castle and the surrounding countryside

Assassin's Creed Shadows. Ubisoft

Assassin's Creed Shadows will be released on 20th March 2025.

You can also play Assassin’s Creed Shadows three days early if you purchase the appropriate edition of the game, which we will cover in the next section.

The original release date was meant to be in November 2024. Still, Ubisoft has decided to delay the game. Since then, it has now been delayed again, but only by a month, to apply more of the feedback received from the community.

When is the UK launch time for Assassin's Creed Shadows?

When Assassin's Creed Shadows launches in the UK actually depends on what platform you're on, and on PC, even what launcher you're using.

For PS5 and Xbox Series X/S players, Assassin's Creed Shadows will launch at 12am local time on 20th March.

This means that, while you'll have to wait for midnight to play it in the UK, you could play it a bit earlier by changing your console's time zone to New Zealand, where it will release at 11am GMT on 19th March.

As for PC players, the game will have a simultaneous global release (so no New Zealand trick), but has different launch times depending on whether you're using Ubisoft Connect or not.

Steam and Epic Games Store players in the UK will be able to play Shadows from 4am GMT on 20th March.

Ubisoft Connect players on the other hand will be able to play a bit earlier, from 10pm GMT on 19th March instead.

Can I pre-order Assassin's Creed Shadows?

The collector's edition of Assassin's Creed Shadows showing artwork and statuettes from the game

Assassin's Creed Shadows. Ubisoft

Yes, you can pre-order Assassin's Creed Shadows right now.

If you do so, you will be awarded the bonus quest Thrown to the Dogs, regardless of which version you purchase.

There are three editions to choose from: the Standard Edition, Digital Deluxe Edition and Collector's Edition.

Standard Edition

Digital Deluxe Edition

Collector's Edition (GAME/GameStop exclusive)

All of the above and the following items:

Below, you can check out where to pre-order all editions of the game:

Assassin's Creed Shadows PC pre-orders

Assassin's Creed Shadows PS5 pre-orders

Assassin's Creed Shadows Xbox Series X/S pre-orders

Assassin's Creed Shadows MacOS pre-orders

Which consoles and platforms can play Assassin's Creed Shadows?

Yasuke striking a foe in Assassin's Creed Shadows

Assassin's Creed Shadows. Ubisoft

Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be available to play on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and MacOS.

Unlike other Apple Silicone ports such as Resident Evil Village and 4 or Death Stranding, which came some time after their respective launches, Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be released on MacOS alongside the other game versions, making it quite the coup for Apple.

There has been a big push from the Cupertino tech giant, as their latest Macs have pretty powerful gaming chops when appropriately utilised.

Hopefully, we will see more games come to Macs and iPhones, as there is no doubt a huge market there to tap into - which could go some way to alleviating the financial pressures developers have been facing lately.

Assassin's Creed Shadows gameplay and story details

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Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes place in feudal Japan and sees players take control of two characters – Naoe and Yasuke – as the political landscape around them shifts.

Naoe is a shinobi Assassin who favours stealth and lurks in the shadows. In contrast, Yasuke, a legendary figure from Japanese history, is a formidable samurai who prefers confrontation.

During Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the game progresses into winter, bringing its host of pros and cons – especially for Naoe.

Snow will crumple loudly underfoot, and hanging icicles can snap and fall as you walk on rooftops, but so too do the snowstorms conceal her from her enemies.

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What Ubisoft has said about controversy surrounding historical accuracy

Some people have been flooding X (formerly known as Twitter) and other social media platforms with comments bemoaning the inclusion of Yasuke as a playable character in Assassin's Creed Shadows, citing historical inaccuracy.

Ubisoft has released a message to put the issue to bed once and for all.

In the message from the developer – which you can read in full – Ubisoft explains that it has "put significant effort into ensuring an immersive and respectful representation of Feudal Japan".

"However, our intention has never been to present any Assassin's Creed games, including Assassin's Creed Shadows, as factual representations of history, or historical characters.

"Instead, we aim to spark curiosity and encourage players to explore and learn more about the historical settings we get inspired by."

It is historical fiction.

The apology in full follows: "Our team extensively collaborated with external consultants, historians, researchers and internal teams at Ubisoft Japan to inform our creative choices.

"Despite these sustained efforts, we acknowledge that some elements in our promotional materials have caused concern within the Japanese community. For this, we sincerely apologise.

"All game footage presented so far is in development, and the game will keep evolving until launch. Based on the constructive criticism we have received, we will continue our efforts until we put this game into your hands – and beyond."

Interestingly, the game will be somewhat censored in Japan – but not due to historical inaccuracy. Japan's CERO rating system refused to give it even the top Z certificate (18+), due to the graphic violence.

So, if you buy Assassin’s Creed Shadows in Japan, don't expect any dismemberings!

Is there an Assassin's Creed Shadows trailer?

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Indeed, you can check out the cinematic trailer above! However, this is just a CGI trailer and doesn’t offer us a glimpse of any actual gameplay.

Still, it’s exciting to see what Ubisoft has in store for us, and it’s great to see that those who miss the more stealth-orientated days of Assassin’s Creed are well-catered for while also keeping the more action-packed gameplay of recent titles.

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The trailer above gives a much more detailed look at gameplay, showing off the world of Japan, as well as the difference between the two characters. One of the most interesting aspects of the trailer is the use of shadows and how the seasons will impact how players approach objectives.

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Authors

Cole Luke wears a black T-shirt and is looking at the camera, smiling. There is a shelving unit in the background

Cole LukeFreelance Writer

Cole Luke is a freelance journalist and video producer who contributes to Radio Times Gaming. He also has bylines for Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, Network N and more.

Toby SaundersFreelance Writer

Toby Saunders is a freelance writer specialising in Video Game journalism. He has a wealth of experience in the field and is published on many different websites including PCGamesN, Nintendo Life and Pocket Tactics. He has a degree in Film Studies (he gets to write about Film and TV occasionally, too).

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