“We’re still hard to beat”: Ubisoft Quebec reflects on Assassin’s Creed Shadows and what the series has learned in recent years

It has been nine months since the release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and Ubisoft Quebec is already drawing both creative and technical conclusions. Associate Game Director Simon Lemay-Comtois says the team is surprised by how long the game has remained a visual benchmark for the franchise. But more importantly, Shadows has become a learning experience that will shape future Assassin’s Creed titles — from parkour to dual protagonists.

He notes that Shadows fused two branches of the studio’s expertise: Syndicate mechanics and Odyssey-style RPG design. But unlike Victorian London — where differences between the protagonists were minimal — Shadows is the first Ubisoft Quebec game built fundamentally on contrast: between the stealthy shinobi Naoe and the powerful “tank” Yasuke.

At the same time, the team intentionally pulled back a bit from Odyssey’s deep RPG systems — keeping enough progression to satisfy genre fans while also winning back players tired of RPG-heavy installments.

A key technical achievement was the game’s verticality and new movement physics. Naoe’s mobility — grappling hook, stunts, and sharp acrobatic transitions inspired by 80s ninja films — may become a foundation for future assassins.

This is why the studio identified one major takeaway: parkour must once again become a pillar of the franchise. Shadows took a step in that direction, but Ubisoft Quebec intends to push the idea further — and urges future AC developers to do the same.

The second major observation concerns player behavior when two protagonists are present. According to Lemay-Comtois, the difference in how people perceive Naoe and Yasuke turned out to be even more pronounced than it once was with Evie and Jacob. Players don’t choose based on playstyle — they choose based on personal affinity, which can “split” the fanbase.

But instead of treating it as a warning, the team considers it a guideline: dual protagonists work, as long as the narrative provides a clear justification.

Meanwhile, Shadows continues to expand: the major DLC Claws of Awaji has launched, and thanks to the new Animus Hub, the game is now linked to future franchise projects, acting as a bridge — even though Ubisoft Quebec is no longer leading the next mainline entry.

Lemay-Comtois says that despite a turbulent year and heated debates around Shadows, the team ends 2025 stronger — and with a clearer vision of how Assassin’s Creed will evolve. Though in the near future, players are more likely to [url=/news/139972-insayder-raskryl-novye-detali-remeyka-assassins-creed-black-flag.html]receive[/url

] the Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag remake than a brand-new installment.