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Assassin’s Creed Shadows launches this November with two protagonists

Assassin's Creed Shadows: Official Cinematic World Premiere Trailer

Ubisoft released the first trailer for Assassin’s Creed Shadows on Wednesday, revealing for the first time that the game will have two protagonists: Yasuke, the historical black samurai, and Naoe, a Japanese shinobi.

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The open-world RPG, which takes place in 16th-century Japan, also got a release date. The cinematic trailer confirmed that the game will release on November 15, 2024, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC, and Mac.

Ubisoft also released a supplemental explainer video, which featured statements from game director Charles Benoit and associate narrative director Brook Davies, that explained more about the two characters and their dynamic. Not only will players get to experience both characters, but they’ll each have a unique playstyle. Yasuke is more about upfront combat and brute strength, while Naoe is more stealth focused.

Assassin's Creed Shadows: Who Are Naoe and Yasuke?

The inclusion of Yasuke marks the first time Ubisoft has used a real-life historical figure as one of an Assassin’s Creed game’s main protagonists. As with other series entries, Shadows will feature other famous people from history. One who got a prominent role in the trailer was Fujibayashi Nagato, who was a notable shinobi from the Iga Province and has been cast as Naoe’s father in the game.

Ubisoft has been building up the hype for its upcoming mainline Assassin’s Creed game this week. The studio first confirmed the name change from Assassin’s Creed Codename Red to Assassin’s Creed Shadows on Monday in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

While this first trailer didn’t reveal much in terms of gameplay, fans can expect to learn more next month. This year’s Ubisoft Forward is set to be held on June 10, following the now usual slate of summer showcases, which starts with Summer Game Fest. Along with more Assassin’s Creed news, Ubisoft will also likely reveal more about the upcoming open-world Star Wars Outlaws.

Carli Velocci
Carli is a technology, culture, and games editor and journalist. They were the Gaming Lead and Copy Chief at Windows Central…
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