With Ubisoft taking every possible measure to ensure the success of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, fans of the French studio’s flagship franchise were in for a pleasant surprise when its Claws of Awaji DLC was announced as a free bonus for those who preorder the game.
With the Assassins heading to the Sengoku era of feudal Japan in an installment that has long been on the wishlists of fans, Ubisoft is betting big on its take on a time period that is shaping up to be a perfect fit for the Hidden Ones, drawing on the best of previous titles in the franchise in order to craft an experience that stays with its players long after they roll the credits on their latest tryst with the Templar Order.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows DLC Turns Back the Clock to Ensure the Franchise’s Future
While details about Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ main narrative remain as carefully guarded as some of the game’s targets, Ubisoft has confirmed that Claws of Awaji will feature a faction that could potentially turn the tables on Naoe and Yasuke, the latest protagonists to join the ranks of the Assassins.
With Yasuke and Noae bringing distinct approaches to a common goal, Claws of Awaji is reported to add over 10 hours of new content to the main game and features a new faction called the Sanzoku Ippa who are apparently familiar with the Assassins’ ways. Players will find themselves being hunted by these new villains in a twist on the traditional Assassin’s Creed formula that was last featured in Assassin’s Creed Rogue.
While Shay Cormac betrayed the Assassin order in Rogue’s explosive main story and found himself hunted by his former comrades as a result, Naoe and Yasuke’s adventures in Awaji may not feature such extremes but are bound to push them to their limits given their varying responses to the game’s environment and enemies.
It will be especially interesting to see how Yasuke handles being hunted by enemies who are more than happy to set traps and ambush him considering his confrontational nature but the newly introduced Bo Staff will surely be quite useful in handling whatever the Sanzoku throw at him. Naoe, on the other hand, seems perfectly equipped to deal with the threat that they pose with her impressive stealth and parkour skills.
Ubisoft’s New and Improved Approach Shines Through in Assassin’s Creed Shadows DLC
Claws of Awaji is significant in other ways too considering how Ubisoft has decided to do away with its usual Season Pass in favor of allowing players to purchase each DLC expansion as a standalone, giving fans of Assassin’s Creed the choice to play each expansion on their own terms.
Making the first of two expansions free for those who preorder Assassin’s Creed Shadows may have played its role in the game enjoying similar levels of success in comparison to Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, one of the franchise’s most popular titles over the years. The fact that Ubisoft has also done away with its early access preorder bonus marks a distinct shift in the studio’s approach to new releases, showcasing its new emphasis on creating more value for its players instead of chasing profits.
While time will tell if the studio’s efforts to make Assassin’s Creed Shadows click with its audiences, a prequel manga and the inclusion of a very popular figure from Japanese anime in its voice cast, fans will not have to wait too long to find out if feudal Japan is everything they were hoping for in an Assassin’s Creed title.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘ release date is March 20th, 2025, barring another delay, and is available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Mac.
For more Thumb Wars Gaming coverage, check out how Assassin’s Creed Shadows has found some common ground with the One Piece anime or our roundup of everything you need to know about the game.
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With a passion for gaming that is equaled only by his love for writing, Varun has either a controller, keyboard, or a guitar in his hands when he is not out exploring the middle of nowhere on a motorcycle. Soulslikes, RPGs, and action-adventure titles keep him awake at night and get him out of bed in the morning. He will never stop lamenting the lack of a Bloodborne sequel even as he spends another couple of hours exploring the Lands Between in Elden Ring.
