Assassin's Creed Shadows just launched in March, and Ubisoft has already colored in the game's roadmap with paid expansions, free story updates, new difficulty options, additions to the parkour system, and more.
The game's first expansion, Claws of Awaji, was previously teased without a release date, and well, we still don't have a release date, but we know it's coming "later this year." We still don't have a price either, but Ubisoft says it'll be free for everyone who pre-ordered the game. The DLC continues the story following Shadows' epilogue scene and opens up the island of Awaji as a new explorable area. It'll also add new enemies, abilities, and the new bow staff weapon exclusive to Naoe.
The newly unveiled Assassin's Creed Shadows roadmap also includes new "story drops" that will be free for everyone, and those will add new abilities, new allies, new activities, and cutscenes that'll help flavor the backstories for characters that "perhaps need a little more screen time," according to associate game director Simon Lemay-Comtois.
The first new story expansion is titled The Works of Luis Frois, and it focuses on the titular historical Jesuit scholar. That drops in early May, so ostensibly in just a few days, and will include a new quest.
Ongoing title updates based on community feedback are also part of the roadmap, with the first coming in late May with updates to the parkour system, including height-gaining back and side eject jumps and a new vertical ledge jump that'll let you jump onto low-hanging awnings instead of just awkwardly bumping your head against them when you jump.
Photo mode is also getting a big update in May with new filters, features, character poses, facial expressions, and a new way to add ambient music while you're snapping shots of feudal Japan.
The second community-driven, free story update will focus on immersion, with new customization options that'll allow you to toggle visual effects like glinting light on weapons in combat, assassination filters, ability features, and that little outline around your character in stealth sequences.
This June update will also include a new quest, new ally, and new difficulty settings while expanding the alarm system to the open world and letting you toggle on and off your headgear in cutscenes.
That's not all, more planned future content that'll be free for everyone includes a New Game Plus mode, more community feedback updates and story content, "special collaborations," codex updates, new animus content, and new rewards. And then there's some paid content in the works as well, including store drops and more DLC.
