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Assassin’s Creed Shadows preload guide: release date, file size, and more

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A character sneaks around at night in Assassin's Creed Shadows.
Ubisoft

Plenty of upcoming video games have been delayed, but few as much and as far as Assassin’s Creed ShadowsFinally, the game is coming out one way or another very soon, giving us fans the ancient Japanese setting they’ve been asking for since the series began in 2007. Whether or not this will be one of the best Assassin’s Creed games is yet to be determined, but we’re not far from getting that answer. If you’ve been waiting for months to get your hands on this new open-world game, these are all the preload details you need to know to be ready to enter the world of assassins as soon as possible.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows release date

One of the protagonists in Assassin's Creed Shadows.
Ubisoft

There’s no more room for delays, so Assassin’s Creed Shadows will come out on March 20 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC no matter what.

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Assassin’s Creed Shadows file size

shadows
Ubisoft

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is clocking in at 107 GB on Xbox, 100 GB on PC, and 123 GB on Mac. While PS5 sizes haven’t been confirmed yet, it should be nearly identical to the Xbox Series X version.

No matter what platform you’re on, over 100 GB is a huge file size even by today’s standards. If you’ve got a slow connection, preloading will be essential to play the game in a reasonable amount of time after launch.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows preload options

The AC shadows preload times
Ubisoft

Preloading is available right now for Xbox Series X gamers, with PS5 preloads starting on March 18 at 12 AM local time and PC preloads at 4 PM local time on March 17. In either case, that will hopefully be plenty of time for players to get most of that massive file size downloaded.

As long as you have preordered any version of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, you are eligible to preload the game when the option is available on your platform.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows preorder details

The two protagonists in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Ubisoft

If you haven’t preordered Assassin’s Creed Shadows yet, it isn’t too late. There are three editions to pick from, but note that preordering any version will allow you to preload the game. Here’s a breakdown of your preorder options.

Standard Edition – $70

  • Assassin’s Creed Shadows
  • Thrown to the Dogs day 1 quest
  • Claws of Awaji expansion (expected 2025)

Digital Deluxe Edition – $90

  • Everything from the Standard Edition
  • Deluxe Pack which includes:
    • Sekireyu Dual Pack (Sekiryu Gear Set for both Naoe and Yasuke, Eye of the Dragon Katana, Claw of the Dragon Long Katana, Sekiryu Beast Mount, and Dragon Tooth Trinket.)
    • Hideout Pack (Sekiryu Wagasa, Sekiryu Tapestry, Sekiryu Mask, and Sekiryu Mizubachi.)
  • 5 Mastery points

Collector’s Edition (GameStop exclusive) – $230

  • Everything from all prior editions
  • Naoe and Yasuke dual character statue (15.7 inches tall).
  • Unique SteelBook case.
  • Collector’s art book (76 pages).
  • Naoe’s katana tsuba (life-sized).
  • World map.
  • Creed wall scroll (27.6×11.8 inches).
  • Two sumi-e lithographs (5.3×7.5 inches each).
Jesse Lennox
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jesse Lennox covers all things gaming but has a specific interest in all things PlayStation, JRPGs, and experimental indies…
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