Rayman is coming back. That's right, another one of my childhood favorite platformers is making a return, and thanks to an accidental Xbox Store listing, we have some fresh details about the game.

Rayman Origins: Enhanced Edition isn't the only new Rayman project on the way, though. I also wanted to mention the reportedly leaked Rayman Legends Retold. Based on the leaks so far, however, it doesn't appear that we'll be seeing that title on Xbox. As always, it's best to wait for official confirmation, but at the time of writing, there doesn't seem to be any mention of an Xbox version.

Anyway, back to Rayman Origins: Enhanced Edition...

The game leaked with an absurd placeholder price tag of $1,999, which I sincerely hope nobody actually paid. Thankfully, the listing was taken down almost as quickly as it appeared. It is also currently believed, according to a leaker, that the game itself will be priced at $20 when released.

For those unfamiliar with Rayman Origins, it first released back in 2011 as a 2D platformer and, from what I recall, was received quite well at the time; it also joined Xbox’s backward compatibility back in 2016. Now, thanks to the Xbox Store leak, we have a few details about the upcoming Enhanced Edition, and for fans, it's shaping up to be a solid upgrade.

The game will feature 4K visuals at 60 FPS, alongside "modern enhancements including QoL features." Exactly what those enhancements entail remains to be seen, but the game will also support up to four-player co-op.

I was always a big fan of games like Rayman growing up, spending countless hours playing platformers with my brother. I also have fond memories of Rayman DS, so shoutout to anyone else who remembers that gem.

With that in mind, a remaster of Rayman Origins is more than welcome, and I hope Ubisoft can bring the franchise back from the depths. But what do you think? Should Rayman make a comeback? Do you even trust Ubisoft to do the character justice, or do you think it's best to leave the series alone?

Let me know in the comments, and make sure you take part in our poll!

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Ubisoft's upcoming remake of the beloved 2013 action game Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag has been the publisher's worst-kept secret for a while now, with the title's existence leaking multiple times throughout the last several months. Eventually, though, Ubisoft announced it officially — and thanks to a new showcase of the project, we finally have a release date for it.

It's been confirmed that the remake, officially titled Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, is scheduled to release on July 9, 2026. That's roughly two and a half months away at the time of writing; the game will arrive on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PS5 when it comes out this summer.

Black Flag Resynced is the first Assassin's Creed project to come out since last year's Assassin's Creed Shadows, and one that's been highly desired and excitedly anticipated by fans of Ubisoft's stealth action franchise for a long time. After all, the original Black Flag is one of the most popular games in the series.

To this day, many argue Black Flag has the best "pirate simulator" mechanics of any game out there, complete with explosive naval combat, tense ship boarding sequences that leverage Assassin's Creed's famous parkour systems, and energetic sea shanty performances from your crew to enjoy while you're swashbuckling your way across the open sea.

Set in the Caribbean in the early 18th Century during the Golden Age of Piracy, the game also tells a solid story about the rise and fall of that era, and one that ties into the narratives of Assassin's Creed 3 and Rogue. It's not the best writing we've seen from the series by any stretch of the imagination, but it's serviceable enough.

Black Flag Resynced aims to build upon everything that made the original game great, with its elevated visual fidelity representing the largest improvements. Players can look forward to raytraced lighting and reflections, "optimized performance with 60 FPS options on consoles," rebuilt assets, and modernized water simulation — all of it tailored for the latest version of the proprietary Anvil engine.

Beyond that, there are new missions with new story content, complete with dialogue voiced by protagonist Edward Kenway's original voice actor Matt Ryan, along with features like Officers for the Jackdaw (your ship) that give it specific combat enhancements, new ship customization options, and 10 new sea shanties for your crew to sing.

Other enhancements include new parrying mechanics while in melee combat, a new enemy type called the Demolitionist, improvements to stealth gameplay that allow Edward to crouch low anywhere and stay hidden easier in dark areas, additional secondary weapon options for ships, smoother parkour, and dynamic weather systems. Ubisoft has an exhaustive list of everything new in the remake here.

All in all, Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced looks to be quite an extensive remake that preserves what made the original game such a hit while improving its weaker elements and elevating its strengths simultaneously — something I wish had been done with the disappointing Ezio Collection remasters of the Italy-centric games. Wait, what? Those came out 10 years ago? Makes me feel old...

Anyway, Black Flag Resynced preorders are now live, with the standard version of it costing $59.99 and the Deluxe Edition that includes extra cosmetic goodies and gameplay perks going for $69.99. There's also a luxurious $199.99 Collector's Edition with several unique and special collector's items; check the blocks below for links to where you can buy it before it's gone.

Are you looking forward to getting and playing Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, or are you not interested? Let me know in the comments, and vote in our poll.

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According to a new report, French video game publisher Ubisoft has revealed plans to lay off 105 workers from its game development studio Red Storm Entertainment. Additionally, its remaining staff members are being redirected away from game development, and will instead be tasked with support work on the Snowdrop engine used for several Ubisoft games, IT, and customer relations.

The news comes from GamesIndustry.biz, which reported on Thursday morning that a source at Ubisoft confirmed these cuts and adjustments were coming.

Red Storm — formed in 1996, and then acquired by Ubisoft in 2000 — is best known for developing a wide variety of early Tom Clancy's video games, including entries in the Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon franchises. Notably, it also developed the 2023 VR game Assassin's Creed Nexus VR for the Meta Quest 2.

It's most recent projects include a Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell VR game for the Oculus Quest and a free-to-play spinoff of Tom Clancy's The Division named The Division Heartland; both titles were canceled, with Ubisoft axing the former in 2022 and killing the latter in 2024.

These aren't the first layoffs that Red Storm Entertainment has faced in recent years. Employees were let go from the studio in August 2024 when Ubisoft cut 45 workers across it and Ubisoft San Francisco, and again in July last year when 19 devs were impacted.

A source at Ubisoft told GameIndustry.biz that this major wave of cuts was part of the publisher's savings plan that was announced in late January alongside the company's "major reset," which has seen most of its developers reorganized into five "Creative Houses," and the rest become part of a "Creative Network."

That plan entails saving €200 million, which has prompted Ubisoft to launch a voluntary redundancy initiative — AKA, asking workers if any of them would volunteer to be laid off — cut numerous devs from its various studios, and shut down several of the teams under its wing.

It's also resulted in the cancelation of six games, including the much-hyped remake of the legendary 2003 action-adventure title Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, four unannounced projects, and a mobile game that was in development.

The massive restructuring and these large and widespread cutbacks across the publisher's portfolio have come as a result of the poor sales and performance of many of Ubisoft's recent games (which it blamed on players last year) like Skull and Bones and Star Wars Outlaws.

Assassin's Creed Shadows was a notable bit of brightness in the dark, but overall, the firm is struggling — leading to it making a deal with Tencent last year that gave the Chinese conglomerate 25% stake in the company.

Whether or not Ubisoft can recover from years of slumping remains to be seen, but it's tragic that we're seeing even more video game industry layoffs as a result of its fight to save its business. All layoffs are disheartening, and the industry has seen far, far too many in recent years. Ubisoft did say that everyone affected will be given severance packages and other forms of support, at least, but still.

🗨️ When will the layoffs end?

Here I am, yet again, writing about video game industry layoffs. It feels like I've had to do this at least once a week or so for the past several years, and it's very depressing. Reasons for the cuts aside, it's simply tragic that so many have lost their jobs.

Do you have any thoughts about this latest wave of layoffs at Ubisoft? Share them in the comments if so, and on a lighter note, vote which Ubisoft franchise is your favorite in our poll:

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NVIDIA's new DLSS 5 tech isn’t quite winning the public over, with many comparing the image-altering technology to some kinds of "AI slop" filters seen in generative AI tools like ChatGPT and other Snapchat.

The CEO of NVIDIA, Jensen Huang, had responded to that criticism, telling users they are “completely wrong.” However, despite claims that developers have “direct control,” Insider Gaming reports that may not have been the case.

Developers at Ubisoft and Capcom who agreed to showcase their games at the DLSS 5 reveal say they were not informed in advance. “We found out at the same time as the public,” said one Ubisoft developer.

Developers at Capcom also told Insider Gaming they were shocked by the publisher’s involvement. According to the report, the company has historically been “anti-AI,” and some developers fear DLSS 5 could shift its stance on generative AI and its use in future games.

Back in January 2025, IGN reported that Capcom was experimenting with generative AI tools to help create ideas for in-game environments, so its stance on AI might not be as “anti-AI” as some may believe.

However, AI use cases like this in development are nothing new, and not quite the type of AI people typically take issue with. That criticism is usually aimed at AI-generated art, which can directly negatively impact the artists behind it.

🎮 How do you feel about DLSS 5?

Is DLSS 5 a huge leap in graphical technology and something you’ve always dreamed of, or is it more akin to AI-generated slop that many, myself included, have come to disdain?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments, and make sure you take part in our poll below:

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Since the recent layoffs and closure at Ubisoft, many of the studio's beloved franchises have been facing questions regarding their direction. Last week, another round of layoffs occurred at the Toronto office, the studio responsible for the next Splinter Cell game.

Needless to say, good news at Ubisoft has been hard to come by. At least, that was until today, when it was announced that a new leadership team would be taking on the Assassin's Creed franchise.

So, who are these people? That's the best part. Everyone listed next is are veterans of the franchise. People who know what’s worked and what hasn’t. People who are passionate about their craft and the stories they create.

The new leads are:

• Martin Schelling - Head of AC Brand
• Jean Guesdon - Head of Content
• François De Billy - Head of Production Excellence.

In a Reddit post, of all places, the Assassin’s Creed team announced the changes in detail coming to the top:

“We want to take a moment to share some important updates about the future of Assassin’s Creed. We know that what comes next has been a big topic within the community lately, and today, we can finally share some updates, starting with the introduction of newcomers to the leadership team that will shape the future of the franchise."

Martin Schelling, who has been appointed as Head of Brand, will be the leader of the franchise team, "as well as the overall strategy, long‑term vision, and development of Assassin's Creed. Martin previously worked as a Producer and Senior Producer on many defining titles in the series, including Revelations, Black Flag, Origins, and Valhalla."

I'm sorry, did they just say Black Flag? Sign him up twice! Next is Jean Guesdon, who has become Head of Content. He was also Creative Director for Black Flag and Origins, two of my favorite entries in the series! He'll be leading the creative direction of Assassin's Creed and shaping the future of the franchise.

Last, but not least, is François De Billy, the new Head of Production Excellence. This is where the real work gets made, as he'll be in charge of what many consider to have been issues within Ubisoft, production practices.

For years, it's been clear that there have been some ongoing issues with development at Ubisoft. With the years it took to release their AAAA Skull and Bones, and the cancellation of multiple projects like Heartland, something clearly needs to be tweaked.

An Update on the Future of Assassin’s Creed: Meet the New Leadership Team from r/assassinscreed

I know, I know, these studios are all separate, but I can almost guarantee developmental practices are similarly shared across the company. So anything done at one studio will most assuredly be translated in some capacity elsewhere.

What all of this means for Assassin’s Creed going forward is hopefully nothing but great, as the franchise has needed some new blood injected for quite a while. Anything like this being done at Ubisoft shows some resilience against their current situation and a confidence in their product as they double down on what originally made the publisher who they are today.

How do you feel about these leadership changes?

Do you think this will be enough to make the future of the franchise promising?

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

French video game publisher Ubisoft announced that it's undergoing a "major organizational, operational, and portfolio reset" in a press release on Wednesday morning, with the firm aiming to "reclaim its creative leadership, regain agility, and drive a sharp rebound."

As part of the restructuring, the company has canceled a whopping six games, including the highly anticipated remake of 2003's beloved action-adventure title Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, four unannounced projects, and a mobile title.

It's also delayed seven games "in order to ensure enhanced quality benchmarks are fully met and maximize long-term value creation," including a game that was originally planned for 2026 but has now been pushed to next year. It's speculated that the game in question is an Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag remake that's been rumored and leaked on several occasions.

Notably, Ubisoft has also closed its Halifax and Stockholm studios as part of the initiative, with CFO Frederick Duguet telling GamesIndustry.biz "a series of layoffs" has resulted in cuts at The Division-maker Massive Entertainment (currently working on The Division 3; it just lost its executive producer), Ubisoft Abu Dubai, and RedLynx, in addition to the aforementioned shuttered teams.

"There are some people who will be refocused on other big projects, and some may leave the company," he explained to VGC.

Another major component of this "reset" is reorganizing Ubisoft's development teams into five distinct and decentralized "Creative Houses," with each one overseeing a chunk of the publisher's portfolio, and all of them getting support from Ubisoft HQ, a network of support studios, and "shared, standardized, and scalable services" that provide valuable resources. Here's what each Creative House is responsible for:

• CH1: Largely comprised of Vantage Studios in charge of developing Ubisoft's biggest properties, including Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six, to "turn them into annual billionaire brands."
• CH2: Focused on "competitive and cooperative shooter experiences" like The Division, Ghost Recon, and Splinter Cell.
• CH3: Maintaining "select, sharp Live experiences" including For Honor, The Crew, Riders Republic, Brawlhalla, and Skull & Bones.
• CH4: Working on "immersive fantasy worlds and narrative-driven universes" such as Anno, Might & Magic, Rayman, Prince of Persia, and Beyond Good & Evil.
• CH5: This last team is working on "reclaiming position in casual and family-friendly games," and is in charge of brands like Just Dance, Idle Miner Tycoon, Ketchapp, Hungry Shark, Invincible: Guarding the Globe, Uno, and Hasbro.

This restructuring is ultimately designed to streamline and bolster the efficiency of development. "Acceleration of cost reduction initiatives" has also been underway — the aforementioned cuts are part of these — with Ubisoft expecting to achieve its goal of €100 million saved compared to 2024-2025 by March, one year ahead of its original target.

"While these decisions are difficult, they are necessary for us to build a more focused, efficient and sustainable organization over the long term," wrote CEO Yves Guillemot in a statement. "Taken together, these measures mark a decisive turning point for Ubisoft ... Ubisoft is entering a new phase — one designed to reclaim creative leadership and build value for players and stakeholders over the long term."

The massive overhaul to Ubisoft's structure and processes comes after many of the studio's games, such as Star Wars Outlaws, have underperformed significantly in recent years. That underwhelming performance drove the publisher to sell 25% stake of the company to Tencent, and give it a license for Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six.

How do you feel about Ubisoft's "major reset," and the way that it's completely restructured the company? Do you think it's going to help the publisher turn things around? Hit me with your thoughts in the comments.

Tom Clancy's The Division — Ubisoft's popular open-world, third-person RPG shooter — just lost one of its lead directors and producers to Electronic Arts (EA) and Battlefield 6. The developer in question is Julian Gerighty, who's helped steer development of the franchise since its creation. He also directed the action-adventure title Star Wars Outlaws.

Gerighty and Ubisoft's The Division studio Massive Entertainment announced the news on Friday morning, with the team expressing appreciation and respect for Gerighty and his time at the developer while assuring fans that "Our teams who built this world with Julian are still here."

"While we'll miss him, his mark will live on at Massive and we'll continue to bring the world he's been part of creating to our players for years to come," the studio wrote. "For our players, don't worry, Agents. Our teams who built this world with Julian are still here, carrying it forward with an ambitious, unchanged commitment for the future with The Division 2, The Division 2: Survivors, The Division Resurgence and The Division 3."

Gerighty himself also made a post on his personal X (Twitter) account: "Agents! Quick update from the Base Of Operations: It's time for me to hang up my go bag (keeping the watch) as I go on another grand adventure. The Division future burns bright, and I can't wait for you to discover what the teams have been working on. Long live The Division and Godspeed!"

Notably, it's presently unclear what role Gerighty is assuming at Battlefield Studios, though part of Massive's announcement post suggests that he's joined the team at DICE specifically; DICE is the primary developer of Battlefield, and one of four teams at Battlefield Studios (the others being Criterion Games, Motive Studio, and Ripple Effect).

Gerighty's departure comes one week after he appeared at the New Game Plus Showcase to talk about The Division 2: Survivors and The Division 3. The former is a new expansion for The Division 2 coming later in 2026 that draws heavily from the Survival DLC of the first game, while the latter is the next mainline entry in the series first announced in 2023.

During the presentation, he confirmed that the sequel is in the works, and suggested that the game will be as impactful as the first The Division release was. With how influential the original game was for the popularity and design of co-op looter shooters, it stood out as a bold claim.

"So The Division 3 is in production, right? This is not a secret, it's been announced. It's shaping up to be a monster," he said in an interview. "I can't really say anything more than that, but this is — within these walls, in Massive, we are working extremely hard on something that I think will be [have] as big an impact as Division 1 was [had]."

For The Division fans, it's sad to see Gerighty leave Ubisoft, as he's been at the helm of the franchise since the very beginning, and has helped shape The Division 2 into what is arguably one of the best action RPG co-op shooters you can play right now across Xbox, Windows PC, and PlayStation.

If you're all about Battlefield, though, Gerighty enlisting in Battlefield Studios' ranks is exciting news. While Battlefield 6 was the best-selling game of 2025, its player retention has fallen off sharply in the last few months, with the devs delaying Season 2 to make sure it launches well and sticks the landing. With more experienced senior talent like Gerighty, hopefully Battlefield Studios can turn things around.

Are you sad to see Gerighty depart Ubisoft, Massive Entertainment, and The Division? Or are you excited to see what he does with EA and Battlefield Studios? Perhaps you're feeling mixed? Let me know in the comments.

Nearly two and a half years after Ubisoft originally announced the game in September 2023, it's now been confirmed that The Division 3 — the next mainline entry in the publisher's popular Tom Clancy's The Division open-world looter shooter RPG franchise — is in development.

Executive producer Julian Gerighty (creative director of Star Wars Outlaws) at Ubisoft's Massive Entertainment studio announced the news during the New Game Plus Showcase on Thursday afternoon, noting that the game is "shaping up to be a monster."

"So The Division 3 is in production, right? This is not a secret, it's been announced. It's shaping up to be a monster," he said in his interview. I can't really say anything more than that, but this is — within these walls, in Massive, we are working extremely hard on something that I think will be [have] as big an impact as Division 1 was [had]."

Released in 2016, the original The Division game was an extremely influential title. Not only was it lauded for its highly detailed open-world depiction of a wintry, post-apocalyptic New York City, but it also stood out as one of the first and best third-person looter shooter-style RPG shooters, and arguably pioneered the extraction shooter gameplay loop with its Survival DLC's Dark Zone.

Thus, to hear the game's producer suggest it will rival The Division in terms of impact is significant, and sets very high expectations for Ubisoft and Massive's third major entry in the franchise. Sadly, Gerighty had nothing else to say about the project, but knowing that it's very ambitious is exciting nevertheless.

Gerighty did, however, have plenty to say about the upcoming Survivors expansion for The Division 2 that's scheduled to release in 2026, which is actually what Massive's segment of the showcase was primarily focused on.

Survivors is drawing heavy inspiration from the first The Division and its Survival DLC, and is being helmed by the original game's director Magnus Jansén. It's giving Washington D.C. a bleak, snowy overhaul with dynamic weather systems, and like Survival, will feature extraction shooter-style PvPvE gameplay with new locations, resource management, and more.

It was also revealed that "there's a team in Paris" working and "putting the final touches" on "a mobile execution of the promise of Division 1." This new mobile game will be set in the original title's setting of New York with the same events happening (the onset of a mysterious pandemic), but tells "a brand new story, with mechanics that are really fine-tuned to a mobile phone."

This isn't the first time Ubisoft has tried to branch out with a spinoff of The Division — it had a free-to-play offshoot named The Division Heartland that was ultimately canceled in 2024 — but based on the advanced gameplay footage of the title shown in the presentation, it seems all-but-guaranteed that this one is actually coming out.

After the positive impact delays had on the performance of Assassin's Creed Shadows, the publisher said it's delaying its other major projects to make sure they launch in a high-quality state, including The Division. That means we may not see The Division 3 until 2028.

The good news, though, is that the first two games are both on Xbox Game Pass, so if you haven't played them yet, you can use Microsoft's buffet-style gaming service to do so on Xbox systems and Windows PC.

Are you excited for The Division 3? Will you be checking out this new The Division mobile game when it releases? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Layoffs and developer shutdowns have been a sobering constant in the gaming industry's last several years, and now, the first major closure in 2026 has come with the shuttering of publisher Ubisoft's Halifax studio.

The news that the Canadian wing of the French firm — known for the mobile games Assassin's Creed Rebellion and Rainbow Six Mobile — is being axed came on Wednesday morning when VGC obtained an email sent to staff. In said notice, it was explained that Ubisoft made the choice to close Ubisoft Halifax as a part of changes intended to restructure the company and cut costs.

“Over the past 24 months, Ubisoft has undertaken company-wide actions to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and reduce costs,” a Ubisoft representative told VGC. “As part of this, Ubisoft has made the difficult decision to close its Halifax studio."

"71 positions will be affected. We are committed to supporting all impacted team members during this transition with resources, including comprehensive severance packages and additional career assistance," added the spokesperson.

Several developers from the studio took to LinkedIn to confirm the news themselves shortly afterwards. "Here we are. It's been 8 years for me at Ubisoft Halifax as of tomorrow. It's been quite the journey," wrote one. "Shocked to learn about the closure and the huge impact this will have on us all at Ubisoft Halifax," said another.

Notably, Ubisoft Halifax's shuttering comes just a few weeks after the developer formed a union after revealing its intent to in June, with 61 of its employees joining the Game & Media Workers Guild of Canada, Local 30111, in December. When certification for the union came on December 18, it became Ubisoft's first North American union.

"Even though it’s taken this long to certify, we’re still dedicated to doing this with Ubisoft,” lead programmer Jon Huffman told CTV News. “We love where we work, we love who we work with. We’re in this for the long haul.”

This makes the closure of Ubisoft Halifax all the more tragic, and also has many believing that the shutdown was related — at least partially — to the union's creation. Ubisoft, however, says that the decision to cut the studio was made "well before" its unionization and asserts it "fully respects” the right of its workers to organize a union.

Beyond working on Assassin's Creed Rebellion and Rainbow Six Mobile, Ubisoft Halifax was reportedly working on "some exciting unannounced projects of our own" according to its website. It's unclear if those projects have been canceled, or if they're being worked on by other Ubisoft teams.

Ubisoft as a whole has struggled in recent years, with several of the publisher's games like Star Wars Outlaws proving to be less successful than what was originally hoped for. Those struggles are thought to be what led to Ubisoft striking a deal with Tencent last year, in which the multinational Chinese firm invested €1.16b (roughly $1.2b) in Ubisoft in exchange for 25% stake in the company, and licensing for Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six.

Do you think we'll begin to see Ubisoft recover in the coming months and years, or do you believe further hard times are on the way for the publisher? Let me know down below.

One of Ubisoft's many long-dormant franchises could be making a return, with the company sharing a message on Monday via X (Twitter) in celebration of the 30th anniversary of Rayman.

"As we said in the past, a very talented team at Ubisoft Montpellier and Ubisoft Milan are currently working together on the future of Rayman," says Loic Gounon, brand producer at Ubisoft Montpellier.

"Don't expect news from us too soon, but rest assured, Rayman is in good hands," he adds.

Meanwhile, a report from Insider Gaming on Tuesday sheds more light on what that return potentially looks like. Per Insider Gaming, Ubisoft is currently working on a previously-reported Rayman Remake, with an update that it is currently slated to launch at some point in late 2026.

The report adds that if this remake (codenamed Steambot) performs well, there is interest at Ubisoft for a new, original Rayman 4.

Rayman was once a highlight of Ubisoft's portfolio

The first Rayman launched all the way back in 1995, with players appreciating the whimsical art direction and platforming gameplay.

Multiple additional games were released over the following years, culminating in 2013's Rayman Legends, which is still the most recent mainline entry in the series. It was also a decent sales success, reaching over 4 million copies sold as of 2019.

Rayman also saw the launch of the Rabbids spinoff titles, which ended up eclipsing their progenitor through new games.

The Rabbids' popularity resulted in an eventual crossover with Nintendo through Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope in 2017 and 2022, respectively.

What's next for Ubisoft?

If this remake really does line up for the end of next year, it would give Ubisoft something solid to work with, as much of the company's future portfolio is currently shrouded in mystery.

Earlier this year, Ubisoft launched Assassin's Creed Shadows, which has garnered over 5 million players as of July.

Ubisoft's next mainline Assassin's Creed game, Codename Hexe, is reportedly meant to be a different experience than Shadows and the other massive role-playing games that have taken the series' spotlight over the last decade.

Ubisoft is also confirmed to be working on remakes of some older Assassin's Creed games, with at least one of these remakes reportedly being a revisit of the 2013 fan-favorite, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag.

Per Insider Gaming, this remake was initially slated to launch before the end of 2025, but as I'm currently writing this story on September 2 and there's been no official announcement, that seems increasingly unlikely.

Elsewhere, Ubisoft is also working on The Division 3, as well as a reported new entry in the Far Cry and Ghost Recon franchises.

Hopefully, we'll see more sooner rather than later. Ubisoft has been through a fair bit of turmoil over the past few years, canceling numerous games and closing multiple development studios.

The company also agreed to a new structure in a deal with Tencent earlier this year, forming a new subsidiary that encompasses Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six.

If you haven't played Assassin's Creed Shadows yet, my colleague Zachary Boddy reviewed this story of Medieval Japan, writing that it "all comes together to create a game-of-the-year contender for 2025. I can't overstate how impressive it is for any title to retain my attention for more than 60 hours, let alone keep me hooked for well over 100. Assassin's Creed Shadows isn't perfect, but I love it anyway."

Assassin's Creed Shadows is available across Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (via Epic Games Store, Ubisoft, and Steam), PlayStation 5, and macOS.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to talk about The Division 2. Through all the hottest releases every single year, it's the one live service game I keep coming back to.

Despite being well into Year 7 now, with the first season winding down, there are no signs of slowing up. At Gamescom out in Cologne, Ubisoft has used the first of its panels for The Division 2 to outline what's coming next.

Spoiler alert: You have to wait until the stream on Friday, August 22, to find out what the heck all the snow teasers have been about.

Year 7 Season 2 drops on September 9 and will be called "The Pact." We also know what the final season of Year 7 will be called, going by "Mutiny."

In the ever developing story of The Division 2, The Pact is going to up the ante with a new threat to fight off. Back on the streets of Washington D.C., the three original enemy factions (I'm not counting Black Tusk here, since they appeared in the endgame) Hyenas, Outcasts, and True Sons, have formed an unholy alliance.

The fight is now against a unified trio of enemy factions, and we're told that territory control will be key. I'm assuming it's not referring to the small activity territory control missions that litter the map. You'd presume something a little more grandiose.

The story will follow on from the climax of the current season, Crossroads, and lead on into Mutiny, which should land at the very end of the year and take us through to March.

March then takes us not only to the start of Year 8, but a special milestone for The Division. It marks the 10th anniversary of the franchise, and while there are no details, it's already teased that there will be something special planned.

As well you might imagine.

What we didn't get was any kind of information as to what the something "completely new" that involves snow, is. For that, we'll have to check back on Friday, as well as getting some news on the forever-in-development mobile game, The Division Resurgence.

I've only played one Prince of Persia game, so I don't have the storied history that many others do — particularly with the 3D action-adventure entries. I adored Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown when I reviewed it, though, and now I suddenly have another intriguing Prince of Persia game to play.

The Rogue Prince of Persia is a brand-new 2D roguelite with fast-paced combat and platforming gameplay. It already spent over a year in early access, but ultimately flew under my radar entirely — now the full game is very suddenly very here, shadow dropping onto Xbox, PlayStation, Windows PC, and... Xbox Game Pass.

I didn't need to see much of this game to add it to my backlog, and the fact that it's a surprise day-one addition to Game Pass makes it all the more interesting. If you need any more convincing than that, the launch trailer should do the trick.

Stuck in a time loop with only one way out

The Rogue Prince of Persia tells a time loop story, a common setting for roguelite games. You are a Prince beset by the mistakes that led to the destruction of your people and kingdom, and even in death, you were unable to find freedom.

Now, you must explore your crumbling city and fight back the corrupt enemies that occupy it, with every life you live (and die) providing new information to empower your next attempt. You won't just take knowledge with you through lives, either, as you can rescue people from the time curse and gain new abilities and options through those connections.

In typical Prince of Persia fashion, gameplay is fast-paced and hectic. This Prince of Persia is incredibly agile, able to chain together dodges, parries, wall runs, acrobatic flips and jumps, lightning attacks, and more to traverse the deadly, trap-laden environments and dispatch the diverse and deadly opponents.

You can also adapt that dextrous gameplay to your own style with over 100 unique weapons and medallions. I think the gameplay looks awesome, and I'm excited to dive in for myself.

An exciting (and surprising) new Prince of Persia arrival

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was a ton of fun as a platforming-heavy Metroidvania, and I'm honestly stoked to see a new 2D Prince of Persia game in a parallel (but distinct) genre.

I can still expect plenty of difficult platforming and challenging combat, but I'm really interested to see how the roguelite elements develop over consecutive loops, and what unique directions you can take your build. More than anything, though, I'm in love with this art style and how it flows when in motion.

The Rogue Prince of Persia isn't entirely new, seeing that it spent over a year in early access on Steam, but I don't think anyone expected it to fully arrive quite as suddenly as it did — especially not on multiple platforms, and especially especially not on Xbox and PC Game Pass.

Ubisoft did provide a review code to me, too, and I'll definitely be seeking to play this game before the year is out. I'm told it should take around 15-20 hours to complete, if you're curious about length, with that variation dependent on your familiarity and skill with roguelite games.

I still have a lot of other 2025 games I want to play, though, including The Alters, Ruffy and the Riverside, Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo, DOOM: The Dark Ages, Eternal Strands, and Heretic + Hexen.

It really has been a busy year for gaming already, and there's still so much on the horizon, like Keeper and The Outer Worlds 2. It'll be tough to find the time to hit The Rogue Prince of Persia, but I think it'll be worth the effort.

If you agree, you can now play The Rogue Prince of Persia across Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Game Pass. I also hear a Nintendo Switch version is in the works for release later down the line.

I rarely pay too much attention to earnings reports, especially from the big game publishers, but something nestled in Ubisoft's latest stood out to me.

Why? Because for once it was talking about The Division, and not because the mobile game will be forever delayed or Heartland was getting cancelled.

No, it's good news for all players of The Division 2, of which I am one. Specifically, the latest DLC has been a massive success, in conjunction with the game dropping into Xbox Game Pass.

Here's the passage in full:

Of late, Ubisoft has had a habit of saying dumb things and making decisions that gamers really aren't proud of. Those of us who cherished The Crew will never forgive the company for killing all trace of the game.

On one hand, it's not totally unexpected to see a surge in players back in The Division 2. As much as the seasonal gameplay has continued, even been reconfigured in recent times, I'm the first to admit it was getting hard to keep playing.

The new DLC, Battle for Brooklyn, as with Warlords of New York in 2020, brought a new map, new missions, new achievements and collectibles, new secrets to find. Surprisingly, for a 'mini DLC' it actually added more missions to the game than Warlords of New York did.

The DLC definitely brought existing players back, but the other edge of the sword is undoubtedly Xbox Game Pass. This is where I'd wager a good chunk of new players have come in, both on console and on PC.

I've seen it myself in-game too on Xbox. In the shared spaces, I'm absolutely positive I've seen a lot more sub-level 40 players than before Game Pass. But Massive, the team behind The Division 2, was also well-prepared.

When I spoke with them prior to the launch of Battle for Brooklyn, they talked about the work put in to the onboarding process for new players. It's a necessary step when you're talking about a game that's now in Year 7 and has a heap of content to play through.

While I'd always recommend starting at the very beginning and putting in the time to go through everything in order, you don't have to. This will always be the most rewarding way to experience the game and its story. But new players can skip right to level 40 and get into the newest content if they wish.

More than anything, I hope that there have been lessons learned from The Division 2 that will help shape The Division 3. The franchise is healthy, even if Ubisoft doesn't categorize it as one of its "flagship brands."

Players will respond to meaningful content. Whether it's free or paid DLC, if you make it, they will come.

The latest action-adventure title in the long-running Assassin's Creed franchise from Ubisoft has reached a new major player milestone.

That news comes by way of the official Assassin's Creed Instagram account, which shared on Tuesday that Assassin's Creed Shadows has crossed 5 million players since it launched back on March 20, 2025.

"Thank you for forging legends with us. Naoe & Yasuke’s journey continues—updates coming this week!" the post reads.

Previously, Ubisoft announced that Assassin's Creed Shadows had crossed 3 million players just a week after it launched. This new milestone means an additional 2 million players have jumped in across the months since the game arrived.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is also off to a strong start in sales, and as of May 2025, it's the third best-selling game in the U.S. for the year, only sitting behind Capcom's Monster Hunter Wilds and Bethesda Softworks' The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered.

A solid start, but what is next for Ubisoft?

Assassin's Creed Shadows seems to have done well so far, and with more downloadable content on the way that'll give more players a reason to return or jump in for the first time, the game seems to be in a great place.

It does make me curious just what is next for Ubisoft, though, as the company's release slate hasn't looked this barren in years, if ever. A new entry in the ever-reliable Anno city-building franchise is coming this November, but other titles seem to be a ways out.

Ubisoft is working on numerous games, including The Division 3, a remake of Splinter Cell, several new Assassin's Creed titles, a reported remake of Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, and more.

The next mainline Assassin's Creed game is currently referred to as Codename Hexe, and it has been teased to be quite different from prior games in the series, possibly eschewing the large-scale role-playing format of games like Origins, Odyssey, Valhalla, and Shadows.

There is also an update for Massive Entertainment's Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora on the way, with the game getting a third-person mode in December to coincide with the theatrical release of the upcoming Avatar: Fire and Ash.

In the meantime, if you haven't played it yet, my colleague Zachary Boddy reviewed Assassin's Creed Shadows, writing that it "all comes together to create a game-of-the-year contender for 2025. I can't overstate how impressive it is for any title to retain my attention for more than 60 hours, let alone keep me hooked for well over 100. Assassin's Creed Shadows isn't perfect, but I love it anyway."

Assassin's Creed Shadows is available across Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (via Epic Games Store, Ubisoft, and Steam), PlayStation 5, and macOS.

Many years ago when, as it was originally known, The Avatar Project, was announced by Ubisoft I was pretty hyped for it. Even more so that it was going to be made by Massive, the brains behind my personal favorite, The Division franchise.

Then it came, I played it for a while, and felt a little flat. The recreation of Pandora in game form is undeniably beautiful, but something didn't feel right.

That's now being rectified, and I'm ready to go back in. All because Ubisoft is adding a third-person mode, something it should have had to begin with.

Pandora has wowed ever since I first laid eyes on it on the big screen way back in 2009. But in the game, I felt that the first-person view was too restrictive. It wouldn't let me take in enough of the incredible surroundings, which are an integral part of the Avatar experience.

What I wanted, was third-person gameplay like The Division games, built on the same engine as Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. The only downer is that it's not planned to be ready until December, just in time for the next Avatar movie to hit theaters.

"In Third-Person Mode, players can experience Pandora from a new perspective at the push of a button. Whether exploring the Western Frontier, fighting the RDA, or simply taking in the views, Third-Person Mode brings a new sense of scale, freedom, and immersion. The development team has reworked animations, controls, audio, and camera systems to ensure the experience feels seamless and intuitive."

Also dropping on December 5, alongside third-person mode, will be New Game+. This will allow players to replay the campaign while keeping their skills and gear, all while unlocking a new skill tree.

I'm probably more amazed it's taken this long to add NG+ than anything. There has been new content, but without a reason to replay it when you get to the end.

All I know is that two years on from its launch, I might finally have a reason to play Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora this holiday time. At least it's before GTA 6, anyway.

Ubisoft is making a lot of headlines lately, and not for the right reasons. Right behind telling us that paying for progression is fun comes their latest take: they're now blaming everyone but themselves for their recent failures in the gaming market.

First, starting with Star Wars: Outlaws, Ubisoft has come out claiming the game failed to meet expectations because Star Wars itself isn't popular at the moment.

As reported by TheGamer, Ubisoft's CEO, Yves Guillemot, said, "Outlaws was released at a time when the brand that it belonged to was in a bit of choppy waters."

Not only does this fail to take into account the success of projects like The Mandalorian, a literal massive outlaw-style Star Wars franchise, but it also forgets to consider the reality that Outlaws itself may have been as mid as the Mid Rim.

Seriously, while we gave it a solid four out of five stars, the overall sentiment placed it in the 75 range on Metacritic. It launched to decent reviews, but came with a plethora of technical and performance issues, alongside gameplay mechanics like instant failed stealth missions that gamers absolutely loathe.

The likelihood that it's the general feeling toward Star Wars, considering programs like Andor, The Mandalorian, and Rogue One received massive praise from Star Wars fans, is akin to finding the droids you're looking for.

Not to mention, another Star Wars game has seen a monumental resurgence in recent months. You might have heard of it: Battlefront 2.

To continue their trend of blaming anyone but themselves, Ubisoft has taken up arms against the current Rebellion of gamers in a form similar to the Empire. According to their latest financial report, gamers and their dang organized groups are to blame for their recent shortcomings.

"Ubisoft is exposed to risks of damage to its reputation resulting from online bashing, understood as massive, sometimes virulent and organized campaigns of criticism against its products, teams or public statements," said a representative.

I'm sure this could also refer to the potential backlash over Assassin's Creed: Shadows and their inclusion of a black Samurai, which, if you ask me, is one of the silliest arguments gamers have ever made. This franchise has always been history-light in its presentation.

Heck, the Desmond from the original timeline died, sacrificing himself so that a lady from the First Civilization could return from the dead in a virtual form to protect the Earth from a world-ending solar flare. Let some stuff go, for crying out loud.

Continuing, Ubisoft further added, "These campaigns may occur on social media, content distribution platforms, or in certain specialized media, particularly following strategic decisions, technical issues affecting games, or statements perceived as controversial by certain segments of the public. The changing perception of the video game industry as a cultural and artistic medium is also leading to an increase in criticism based on ideological or societal considerations, sometimes to the detriment of technical or gameplay aspects."

Take a look at that — a little self-reflection from Ubisoft, where they discuss technical issues affecting their games. Wait, did they just blame Steam users when they referred to "content distribution platforms"?

Oh man, one step forward, eighteen steps back. Then again, this is the same company that decided to close the best new shooter IP on the market (XDefiant) in years in favor of keeping their decade-long development failure, Skull and Bones, alive, which has an all-time peak lower than Starfield's current daily play count.

Hey, don't forget, according to Ubisoft, you don't own your own video games. They're also chasing another battle royale after cancelling Heartland.

I realize the article I wrote yesterday also focused on Ubisoft's bitter-tasting financial analysis on what gamers really enjoy, so it feels sad to take another shot at them. However, when they continue to take an antagonistic tone with the very group of people who genuinely made them who they are today, it becomes deserved.

Let's hope my current love of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege X and my possible love of Descenders Next, which I just downloaded and plan to play after this article, helps alleviate this ever-building negative opinion I have against a company I would have once trusted with an entire year's worth of gaming content to keep me happy.

How about you? What do you think of Ubisoft's recent comments? Let us know below or on social media. I'm genuinely interested in what others have to say.

Ubisoft is looking to become the new EA, drawing inspiration from its previous decades of monetization, with this latest mishap in gamer misunderstandings. Hot off the financial press, Ubisoft has come out with a bold claim that gamers have more fun when they can pay even more for the game they already bought!

I'm not one to put words in the mouth of others, so here's the statement directly from Ubisoft's financial report: "The adoption of monetization and engagement policies that respect the player experience and are sustainable in the long term. At Ubisoft, the golden rule when developing premium games is to allow players to enjoy the game in full without having to spend more."

Continuing, they make the boldest of claims, "Our monetization offer within premium games makes the player experience more fun by allowing them to personalize their avatars or progress more quickly; however, this is always optional."

I'm going to assume, for a mere moment, that they're right. Maybe I'm out of touch with what gamers want today; you all want to throw money at digital skins that will disappear once the developer shuts the game down

Now that I've spent a paragraph too long believing something so preposterous, it's time to come back to reality (am I so out of touch?)

Ubisoft is absolutely right about one thing, and that's the fact that people love the ability to customize their avatar. Since I was a kid, unlocking costumes for your character has always been part of my drive to continue playing a game.

Did you catch that part about unlocking? Does that sound the same as buying something? Not really.

Look, I get that player skins are all the rage, thanks to games like Call of Duty, Fortnite, Apex Legends, and even my favorite Ubisoft game, Rainbow Six Siege X. I also understand the need for games to have microtransactions to balance the ever increasing development costs and ongoing expenses associated with keeping online community games running for a decade or more.

What I don't understand is the need to assert that people get enjoyment from swiping their credit card. I'd argue that the skins earned without the assistance of cash are the most impressive. The ones that people love the most are those that were hard-earned.

I'll go to my last example, Rainbow Six Siege X. Reaching a specific rank comes with charms and avatar backgrounds that showcase the achievement. These "achieved" skins bring a level of self-satisfaction no exchange of currency could acquire over a game.

Sure, buying skins can bring some level of enjoyment, but those feelings are intermixed with a whole other list of reasons players buy them. It feels scummy labeling it as a "fun" enhancer when there's so much else behind it.

FOMO (the Fear of Missing Out) is a primary driver of cosmetic purchases. There are legitimate patents behind some of this, showcasing player matchmaking based on driving players to purchase skins.

You see enough players throwing cash at the game, it becomes harder and harder to say no. Humanity drives the feeling of wanting to fit in, thus, FOMO.

With all that said, I can see a reasonable argument to be made that players buying skins provides a certain level of enjoyment. I'm sure everyone has thrown a few bucks at their favorite game; even I have, and in bulk at times for my favorite creations.

The one that legitimately enrages me is the claim that players like credit card-swiping for progress. Are you kidding me?

Seeing microtransactions in a Ubisoft game that provide resources for your single-player campaign is one of the dumbest things I've seen in gaming. One that too many people have become far too comfortable with.

From Elder Scrolls' Horse Armor packs to buying gun locations in Far Cry 6 — what are we doing, people? Buying a $70 game, then spending a series of $5 stacks to buy settlement resources, some form of in-game currency, alongside map sites, is just plain dumb.

I'm starting to take shots at gamers rather than the ones responsible here, Ubisoft. They even reference "the adoption of monetization and engagement policies that respect the player experience," which becomes even more laughable the longer you think about it.

How does quick-skipping to the end game without the need to actually acquire resources through gameplay respect the player experience? If anything, it shortens the players who don't play.

How do we know that these grindy mechanics that have purchasable microtransactions aren't inherently hindered by the development team to push them? The truth is, we don't, and that makes it so much worse.

Ubisoft — I suppose I don't know how other players feel about this, but I'll speak for myself when I raise a proverbial middle finger in calling for shame on whoever decided that statements like these, which take player agency for granted, were okay to make.

Am I alone, or am I one of many? Drop a comment below, vote, or say something on one of our social media accounts. Maybe it isn't the children who are wrong. Maybe I am Principal Skinner.

A landmark trial is currently taking place in France, involving three former Ubisoft executives who are accused of sexual harassment, bullying, and in one particular instance, attempted sexual assault.

As reported by The Guardian, the court in Seine-Saint-Denis is currently hearing about alleged workplace misconduct that took place at Ubisoft Paris in Montreuil, France, from 2012 to 2020.

Ubisoft is of course known for major popular Windows PC and Xbox games ranging from Assassin's Creed to Far Cry and The Division. Although a few years ago, whistle-blowers began sounding the alarm about conduct within the organization, leading to a variety of firings and even arrests.

One member of staff Ubisoft is quoted as likening the office atmosphere to "a boys club above the law." Here's everything we know so far about the trial.

Be warned that the following may make for difficult reading.

Who is on trial and what are the accusations?

There are 3 former executives on trial, with varying degrees of offences.

Serge Hascoët, Former Chief Creative Officer, resigned in 2020 and is accused of making repeated sexist and harassing comments, including telling colleagues in a meeting that he should have sex with a senior employee who was irritating him, in front of everyone, “to show how to calm her." He allegedly handed a young female employee a tissue he had used to blow his nose and said, "You can resell this, it's worth gold at Ubisoft." Hascoet is also accused of asking a Muslim employee after the 2015 Paris attacks if they "supported" the terror organization ISIS.

Guillaume Patrix, a former Game Director who was fired after an internal investigation, is accused of psychologically harassing employees. These alleged incidents include punching walls, miming hitting staff, cracking a whip near colleagues’ faces and literally setting a man's beard on fire. Patrix also allegedly drew swastikas in a female colleague’s notebook during a meeting.

The third executive on trial is Tommy François, former Vice President of Editorial and Creative Services. He has also been fired. François faces some of the more disturbing accusations, including playing pornographic films in an open-plan office, regularly making offensive comments about the appearance of female colleagues. One such female employee has accused François of forcing her to wear a skirt to do a handstand in the office, as well as tying her to a chair and sending her in an elevator to a different floor. Other accusations include attempting to forcibly kiss a young woman at a Christmas party while others allegedly restrained her.

It is said that many employees were too afraid to file complaints, fearing retaliation.

All three defendants have denied all charges. Hascoët's lawyer stated that his client "categorically denies having harassed any colleagues" and claims he had no knowledge of any misconduct by others at Ubisoft.

Business Times is following the trial and has reported that Serge Hascoët, while "unaware" of incidents, has admitted after hours of questioning that some "misplaced" comments were made with sexual connotations towards female employees.

Ubisoft has been trying to project a more positive image

Ubisoft has been publicly pushing a progressive, inclusive image in recent years, making this case particularly undermining of those efforts as more is made public.

The company has already found enough internal evidence to fire two of the three individuals named in the lawsuit. Back in 2020 when the news of the accusations broke, Ubisoft published a statement about Serge Hascoët stepping down and changes made as "part of the comprehensive work the company is doing to improve and strengthen its workplace culture."

Regardless of Ubisoft's stance on the matter, the publicity of this case will no doubt be bad for the company's image. The case bears a resemblance to the Activision Blizzard sexual harassment case in 2021, which alleged a similar frat-house workplace culture. Though, ultimately, the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) withdrew all of its allegations of sexual harassment.

We've officially come full circle as The Division 2 Battle for Brooklyn DLC finally launches today.

Long time fans of the series may know where I'm coming from with that statement. The first game began in the Brooklyn area of New York City before transplanting your agent into Manhattan.

With the second DLC for The Division 2, we're going back. Back to a place that, besides that initial introductory level, was originally teased as more of a thing when the game was getting its big reveal.

This is a paid expansion, as it should be, introducing a new story campaign to clear, a new map to explore, and 'new' enemies to fight. I say 'new' because they're familiar factions, but with a little added spice.

That we're here at all is impressive enough. For one, Battle for Brooklyn was originally slated to launch about a year ago.

Massive Entertainment took the decision to implement a significant delay, in order to spend time working on the core game, its systems, balancing and overall experience. Something necessary to set the game up for its now very prolonged life, heading towards the already confirmed sequel.

But, as I discussed in a recent chat with the team at Massive, The Division 2 was never originally planned to get this far. A year or so of new content was planned after the last expansion, 2020s Warlords of New York, and that was it.

With Massive also responsible for Avatar and Star Wars projects at Ubisoft, resources were to be shifted from The Division 2 over to those. But in a rare win for gamers, they listened to the players, saw the enduring popularity of the game, and reversed course.

In the time since, we've seen new modes such as Descent and Countdown added to the game, a revitalized and continuing story, and most recently, a complete rework of the seasonal model. And now, more than five years on from the last DLC, we have Battle for Brooklyn.

Besides the content in the expansion, Massive has also been working on the player onboarding experience. Despite entering its seventh year now, The Division 2 is still attracting new players.

That's about to get another boost as the game joins Xbox Game Pass on PC and console from today, also. While Battle for Brooklyn will still be an additional purchase, players on Game Pass will get access to everything else currently in the game, including the first expansion.

New players can also jump straight into Battle for Brooklyn if they wish, with a level 40 boost available to get a new character instantly up to scratch. Honestly, though, if you've never played before, take your time, play the campaigns in order, experience the whole thing.

The storyline of The Division 2 is pretty intense, and while new players will have missed out on the seasonal developments in recent years, it's still well worth playing through. But it does take time, and the option exists to skip and get straight into the new stuff means new players don't have to be left behind.

Battle for Brooklyn isn't a massive DLC, indeed, it's much smaller than Warlords of New York. The story is described as a "mini campaign" and there are only two new named zones.

But it's also only $15, and for a game that hasn't asked money off us for anything (outside of premium cosmetics and optional battle passes) in five years, I think that's more than fair.

It's set to go live, hopefully, sometime during May 27, however the downtime for the game was initially planned for 7 hours, which puts it firmly into the afternoon/early evening if you're in Europe.

Without naming names, Ubisoft is pushing back multiple of its planned biggest releases. The news comes from the company's latest earnings (via Eurogamer), on the back of a successful delay for Assassin's Creed Shadows.

Ubisoft head honcho, Yves Guillemot, suggested on the earnings call that the delays would be applied to its top five franchises, including Assassin's Creed, The Division, and Rainbow Six Siege.

It's perhaps a little unusual to hear that a delay was a positive in a financial report setting, but it seems longer to polish Assassin's Creed Shadows has ultimately worked out well for the company.

Guillemot also stated:

"After a review of our pipeline, we have decided to provide additional development time to some of our biggest productions in order to create the best conditions for success."

So how long are we talking for these, as yet untitled releases? Projects are apparently being delayed out of the financial year ending March 2026 into those ending March 2027, or even March 2028.

As a fan eagerly awaiting any news on The Division 3, I'm now preparing myself to be waiting almost three more years to play the sequel.

Gamers are less concerned with how much money companies like Ubisoft are making, and more with the quality of the products they're buying from said companies.

In the case of Assassin's Creed Shadows, the delay has seemingly worked for the better, prompting this widespread delay spree. Ubisoft hasn't given numbers in relation to its financial impact, but has said the game has now recorded over 160 million game hours across all platforms.

It's been a troubled recent history for Ubisoft, with layoffs, the whole backlash against shutting down The Crew and rendering the game dead, comments about how we don't really own the games we buy. It's easy to hit headlines for the wrong reasons in Ubisoft land.

I'm all for this new approach, though. I'm a huge fan of The Division, and I'm looking forward to playing Battle for Brooklyn very soon. If the sequel has to be given more time to bake, so be it, because I want it to be epic.

Oh, and also mentioned in Ubisoft's earnings are plans to reveal more around the tie-up with Tencent that will encompass Assassin's Creed, Rainbow Six, and Far Cry.

Publisher Ubisoft shared on Wednesday that it has brought several of its biggest game franchises to the Xbox PC app, letting players directly buy games like the recently-launched Assassin's Creed Shadows.

While Ubisoft has supported PC Game Pass before, these games weren't actually available to buy, meaning PC players that wanted to use the Xbox app were left out if their subscription lapsed.

You can find all 16 Ubisoft games on the Xbox PC app below:

• Assassin's Creed Origins
• Assassin's Creed Odyssey
• Assassin's Creed Shadows
• Assassin's Creed Valhalla
• Far Cry 5
• Far Cry New Dawn
• Far Cry 6
• Immortals Fenyx Rising
• Riders Republic
• South Park: The Fractured but Whole
• Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands
• Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint
• Tom Clancy's The Division 2
• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction
• Watch Dogs 2
• Watch Dogs Legion

It's important to note that while these games are available to buy, they do not support Xbox Play Anywhere. That means if you buy them on the Xbox PC app, you won't also have a copy on your Xbox Series X|S console, and vice-versa.

It's also important to note that these games require Ubisoft Connect, meaning you'll have to link your Xbox and Ubisoft accounts.

That's a couple of important caveats to keep in mind, especially if you're like me and you'd prefer a native build of a PC game for the launcher you actually buy it through. Still, it's a step, and it's clear that Xbox is slowly working with Ubisoft to better support all of its different features across the Xbox ecosystem.

Assassin's Creed Shadows launched with "Stream Your Own Game" Xbox Cloud Gaming support, letting players that bought an Xbox console copy of the game stream it.

After the absolute fiasco of The Crew being flat out killed stone dead when the servers were turned off, Ubisoft promised it was listening to its players. Specifically, that meant working on an offline mode for The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest.

Aside from a confirmation of the plans, all has been quiet on this front for a while, but now, there comes an update. Ultimately, it looks like offline mode for The Crew 2 is still planned to be ready before the curtain falls on 2025.

The full update can be seen in the video below, but it's good to see this kind of transparency. Initially, offline mode will come to The Crew 2 only, and it's currently in testing before releasing the finished product.

It's not just a case of flicking a switch and making the game playable offline. The Crew 2, like its predecessor and successor, is designed to be a shared world, always online experience. But there is content that can easily be enjoyed offline. But this content has to be separated off, giving the game what Ubisoft is calling a "hybrid mode" of play.

The first test of offline mode will be made available to selected players in the community on April 30. Those selected will be notified by email with a link to download a special test version of the game to put through its paces.

The first test will be exclusive to PC players, but it will be available at launch across every platform The Crew 2 is available on. The Crew Motorfest is currently focused on its always online, live service play, but we are promised that it will recieve the same hybrid mode treatment in the future.

Ubisoft to avoid another mess like The Crew

When Ubisoft announced the servers would be turned off for The Crew, it was not met kindly. The reason is simple; a game players had bought was being forcibly taken away from them.

I own a copy of The Crew on disc, but it's now completely worthless. Without a server to ping, the game simply doesn't play. This started off, again, the discourse about not really owning the games we buy.

Like it or not, always online games are here to stay, but development on fresh content will always come to an end. Then there will be the server shut off, when it's no longer deemed financially viable for the company to keep them online. This will happen eventually to The Crew 2.

I always thought it was incredibly tone-deaf that Ubisoft expected players, especially those of a franchise with a dedicated, committed community, to just lie down and take it. The Crew has a ton of content that could be played offline, but nobody can touch it anymore.

While the original is likely to remain dead and buried, at least we can be safe in the knowledge that the newer games won't be suffering the same fate.

Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Shadows was the best-selling game of March 2025 in the U.S, per the latest sales data from Circana executive director and analyst Mat Piscatella, who shared information on the U.S. video game market in March via a thread on Bluesky.

PlayStation Studios' MLB The Show 25 took second place, while February's top game Monster Hunter Wilds was bumped to third place. Hazelight Studios and Electronic Arts' Split Fiction debut in fifth place for the month.

PlayStation 5 was the best-selling console of the month, with Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch in second and third place, respectively.

Overall spending in March 2025 reached $4.7 billion, a drop of around 7% year-over-year. Content and hardware spending were down, while non-mobile subscription spending for services such as Xbox Game Pass were up 11% year-over-year.

Below, you can find the best-selling games of March 2025 and the year to date. Keep in mind that Circana tracks game sales through dollar amounts, not copies sold. Some publishers like Nintendo also do not share digital data, while developers like Larian don't share any data at all.

March 2025 Circana sales charts: Here are the top 20 best-selling games in the U.S.

1. Assassin's Creed Shadows
2. MLB The Show 25**
3. Monster Hunter Wilds
4. WWE 2K25
5. Split Fiction
6. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
7. PGA Tour 2K25
8. NBA 2K25
9. Bleach: Rebirth of Souls
10. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
11. Minecraft****
12. Grand Theft Auto 5
13. EA Sports FC 25
14. Red Dead Redemption 2
15. Madden NFL 25
16. Elden Ring
17. Xenoblade Chronicles X*
18. Suikoden 1 & 2 HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars
19. Marvel's Spider-Man 2
20. EA Sports College Football 25

March 2025 Circana sales charts: Here are the best-selling games of the year in the U.S.

1. Monster Hunter Wilds
2. Assassin's Creed Shadows
3. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
4. MLB The Show: 25**
5. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
6. WWE 2K25
7. Sid Meier's Civilization 7
8. NBA 2K25
9. PGA Tour 2K25
10. Split Fiction
11. Grand Theft Auto 5
12. Minecraft****
13. Madden NFL 25
14. EA Sports FC 25
15. Red Dead Redemption 2
16. Marvel's Spider-Man 2
17. EA Sports College Football 25
18. Hogwarts Legacy
19. Elden Ring
20. Avowed

*Denotes no digital sales data
**Denotes no digital sales data on Xbox or Nintendo Switch
****Denotes no digital sales data on Nintendo Switch

Ubisoft is still under pressure, but Assassin's Creed is delivering well

Ubisoft is coming off a long string of problems, with numerous games canceled and several studios closed over the last couple of years.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is a sorely-needed win for the company that proves the brand is still resonating strongly. I'll be curious to see what the game's legs look like as Ubisoft transforms under the terms of its new structure with Tencent.

If you haven't picked it up yet, be sure to read our Assassin's Creed Shadows review, where writer Zachary Boddy shared after 112 hours that "The gameplay is more refined and fluid than ever, and it actually feels meaningful to explore this world — which showcases Ubisoft's genuine expertise in worldbuilding. Assassin's Creed Shadows is also far more polished than we've seen from a flagship Ubisoft game in a very long time."

What do platypuses, flared trousers, and cosmological matter-antimatter asymmetry all have in common? They are either conceptually confusing or outright utterly insane. Much like Ubisoft's relentless pursuit of a battle royale FPS.

Video game publishers of all stripes scrambled response to the battle royale shooter craze that began in 2017 with PUBG, and culminated with the endless success of Fortnite. Since then, EA has manifested Apex Legends to impressive success, although it had to sacrifice Titanfall in order to get it done. Call of Duty fought back with its own Warzone standalone spin off, which is enjoying a renaissance of sorts with the return of its most popular map.

But, that virtually seems to be the limit for the genre. Apex Legends itself has seen a seemingly unstoppable, albeit gradual decline over the past two years, and Call of Duty Warzone suffered too until its most recent update.

Various others have tried and failed to break into the genre. A huge dearth of failed 'royales litter the video gaming graveyard. Some didn't even get out of the gate. Halo's battle royale-like codename "Tatanka" has been killed off, spin off modes from Fallout 76 and Battlefield were shut down, and efforts from smaller teams like the magic-oriented Spellbreak never really got off the ground before closing shop.

Still, that's not stopping good old Ubisoft from giving it another whack.

Ubisoft has become synonymous with failed battle royale titles over the years. At one point, it was reported the firm was developing several battle royale games, and almost none of them saw the light of day. Hyper Scape was the only serious attempt from the company, and it managed just shy of two years before being shut down.

Beyond that, Ubisoft was reportedly developing other battle royales, including one based on Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon and another Hyper Scape-like project called Pathfinder. Both of which, again, were cancelled.

Now, Insider Gaming reports that Ubisoft is building a battle royale codenamed Scout, which is apparently so similar to Apex Legends that "it was once used as the thumbnail for the project." Tom Henderson is incredibly credible when it comes to reporting on the game industry, in particular Ubisoft, so there's no reason to doubt this report.

What I have reason to doubt is Ubisoft's sanity at this point. It's quite clear from the dearth of failed projects in this vein that Ubisoft isn't really equipped to deliver in what has ultimately become a mature and very tough industry.

Ubisoft's troubles became so severe, that they had to split off their most successful IP into a holding consortium with Tencent in order to simply stay afloat. Ubisoft's share price has cratered in recent years, owing to mismanagement, bloat, and a complete dereliction of faith in the company's direction.

I feel like there has been a general backlash to "corporate" shooters and other types of projects in recent years. Bungie's extraction shooter reboot Marathon recently endured some backlash, with players eager to question the motivation for the project's existence. Hyper Scape suffered similar back when it launched too, with potential customers perceiving it to be a cynical and dispassionate service game produced as a result of exec board room mandates. Ubisoft's Call of Duty competitor, XDefiant, also suffered the same, unceremonious fate.

I want to give Ubisoft some credit, though. When it has innovated, it has delivered incredibly well. Rainbow Six Siege, For Honor, and even Skull and Bones receive on-going support despite their comparatively niche audiences. Skull and Bones is getting a huge update that will free players from their ships and add more ground-based (beach based?) combat, which is impressive.

So, perhaps Ubisoft's new "Scout" battle royale will surprise people. Maybe?

What I would like to see is Ubisoft double down on its strengths instead of chase the Fortnite dollars. The Division 2 has a huge opportunity to become the de facto PvE service shooter as Destiny 2's popularity wanes — with a story DLC showcase planned for this month.

What if Ubisoft took the money it was spending on this battle royale nobody asked for and poured it into The Division 2 instead? 🤔

Oh well, I guess we'll never find out. But hey, maybe they'll prove all the doubters wrong this time.

Ubisoft just shared its Chroma tool with the public to improve the accessibility of video games. Chroma is a colorblind simulation tool that allows developers to optimize games for color blindness.

The open-source tool applies a filter over the game screen so developers can check how content will appear to people with different types of color blindness.

Ubisoft has worked on Chroma since 2021. Since its early days, Chroma has gained support for dual screens and hotkeys.

"Over the past few years, Chroma has proven to be a highly efficient tool for us at Ubisoft," said David Tisserand, Director of Accessibility.

"It has allowed us to assess the accessibility of our games for colorblind players much faster and more comprehensively than ever before. Because we believe accessibility is a journey, not a race, we're thrilled to share Chroma with the entire industry. We invite everyone to benefit from it, provide feedback, and contribute to its future development."

Chroma can simulate the three major types of color blindness: Protanopia, Deuteranopia and Tritanopia. With the tool, developers can test and optimize games to ensure content is accessible.

The GitHub page for Chroma outlines the main benefits of the tool:

• Color Simulation on single monitor. This solution works on top of [games] and can be maximized as per requirement.
• [Works] on all games. No dependency on any specific game or engine.
• High performance. Able to simulation live gameplay up to 60 FPS.
• Accurate results.
• Simulation of all type of color blind forms.
• Only available solution which capture screen live gameplay screen and simulate.
• Easy screenshot to log error.
• Easy and configurable UI.

"Chroma was created with a clear purpose---making color blindness accessibility a natural part of the creative and testing process," said Ubisoft's QC Product Manager Jawad Shakil.

Accessibility is crucial when it comes to gaming. Over the years we've seen several innovations that make gaming more accessible, such as the Xbox Adaptive Controller.

Earlier this year, team Xbox joined forces with EA, Google, Nintendo of America, Ubisoft, and other gaming companies by joining the Accessible Games Initiative.

Ubisoft is out making fans upset once more with its last response to the ongoing lawsuit over the shutdown of The Crew.

Initially spotted by Polygon, page 12 of the 2024 Ubisoft lawsuit response reads:

"The gravamen of Plaintiffs' Complaint (ECF No. 1) is that Ubisoft, Inc. allegedly misled purchasers of its video game The Crew into believing they were purchasing unfettered ownership rights in the game, rather than a limited license to access the game. But the reality is that consumers received the benefit of their bargain and were explicitly notified, at the time of purchase, that they were purchasing a license."

The Crew was released in September of 2014; the game would go on to receive two sequels before the original shut down in March 2024. To make matters worse, Ubisoft revoked digital licenses from players, so the games couldn't even be downloaded after their shutdown.

Outrage followed in the presence of what many perceived as an attack against video game preservation, especially once it was realized that The Crew had code that referenced a potential offline mode.

Here we stand now, on the precipice of gamer vs developer.

It's been legally determined for a while now that you don't actually own the digital copies of most games or software; you just have licences to them.

But to make matters worse, Ubisoft argues you don't even own the physical copy of a game but rather a license to said game.

"In the Complaint, Plaintiffs allege that they purchased physical copies of The Crew under the belief that they were obtaining unfettered access to the game in perpetuity."

Hearing this is brutal, but it's one of those things I've seen myself and others warning gamers about for years.

We don't own our games and never really have, at least, according to the developers.

In their eyes, our games are a license that can be taken away at a moment's notice for any reason.

In the era of at-will gaming, companies like Nintendo are doubling down on the idea that even physical games are simply keys to gaming paradise.

You don't own a game, whether you can hold it in your hand or not.

In the ongoing battle, the plaintiffs argue multiple points in an attempt to counter Ubisoft.

While Ubisoft contended that the statute of limitations had been reached, the plaintiffs responded in March with photos of their physical copies, which stated that the activation code didn't expire until 2099.

Oops, number one.

On top of it, the plaintiffs also argue that Ubisoft has broken gift card laws in California. The law, for the sake of simplicity, states that any gift card purchased can never expire.

In The Crew, players can purchase Crew Credits to buy other items. By removing the game, Ubisoft has forcefully expired Crew Credits that players had purchased.

Oops, number two.

The big takeaway for gamers

What this all means for gamers is this: If you buy a game from Ubisoft, whether physical or not, the company doesn't think you own it. It believes you only own a license to said game.

I hate this so much.

What do you think? Are you disappointed in Ubisoft?

You might even back Ubisoft; who knows? We can if you let us know below or on social media. Now, go enjoy some games you may or may not own!

Following French publisher Ubisoft's success with the launch of its new open-world action RPG Assassin's Creed Shadows last week, the firm has officially confirmed a major upcoming structural change for its business operations.

Specifically, Ubisoft announced on Thursday morning that it's creating a new gaming subsidiary that encompasses three of its largest franchises: Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six. The multinational Chinese company Tencent will invest €1.16b (roughly $1.2b) for 25% stake in the division, giving it an approximate enterprise value of €4b ($4.3b). This number exceeds Ubisoft's own by a large margin.

In exchange for a royalty, Tencent will be granted "a worldwide, exclusive, irrevocable, perpetual license" for Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six. The new subsidiary will include all of Ubisoft's development teams currently working on these intellectual properties and both previously released and upcoming games, and "will focus on building game ecosystems designed to become truly evergreen and multi-platform."

Ubisoft's announcement elaborates on this further, explaining that the group will take advantage of the investment to "drive further increases in quality of narrative solo experiences, expand multiplayer offerings with increased frequency of content release, introduce free-to-play touchpoints, and integrate more social features" into these brands. The rest of the publisher, meanwhile, will focus on Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon and The Division (among other projects).

"With the creation of a dedicated subsidiary that will spearhead development for three of our largest franchises and the onboarding of Tencent as a minority investor, we are crystalizing the value of our assets, strengthening our balance sheet, and creating the best conditions for these franchises’ long-term growth and success," commented Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot in the company's press release. "With its dedicated and autonomous leadership team, it will focus on transforming these three brands into unique ecosystems."

Tencent president Martin Lau also provided a statement. "We are excited to extend our longstanding partnership with Ubisoft through this investment, which reflects our continued confidence in Ubisoft’s creative vision and exceptional talent to drive sustained success in the industry," he said. "We see the immense potential for these franchises to evolve into long-term evergreen game platforms and create engaging new experiences for gamers."

Notably, Ubisoft was rumored to be seeking a buyout with Tencent in 2024 following recent struggles with the performance of the publisher's games. A report earlier this year also suggested that the two companies were looking to make a deal over some of Ubisoft's assets; this, evidently, is the result of those discussions.

Completion of this transaction is expected to finish before the end of 2025.

The start of a Ubisoft recovery?

As previously mentioned, Ubisoft has gone through significant financial struggles in recent years, with several games like Star Wars Outlaws ultimately failing to live up to the firm's performance expectations. The company's free-to-play shooter XDefiant is also scheduled to shut down this June, with the publisher also closing three studios in the US, Japan, and Australia.

With that context in mind, this deal with Tencent makes lots of sense for both parties; Ubisoft secures some very crucial funding, while Tencent stands to profit from future successes and gains rights to Ubisoft's biggest properties. This partnership — along with new upcoming releases like The Division 3, Beyond Good and Evil 2, the Splinter Cell remake, and others — has the potential to right the ship for the French publisher.

It's worth noting that Ubisoft's 2025 has seemingly started off quite well, with Assassin's Creed Shadows enjoying three million players just a week after its release. That makes it one of the most-played and fastest-selling entries in the series, with it only being surpassed by 2020's Assassin's Creed Valhalla.

Ubisoft's latest big game continues to see success early after launch, with the company sharing on Thursday via Instagram that Assassin's Creed Shadows has passed 3 million players already.

The company also confirmed that Assassin's Creed Shadows had the second-highest day one revenue in the company's history. This comes just a few days after Ubisoft confirmed that Assassin's Creed Shadows had passed 2 million players since it launched on March 20, 2025.

This number places Assassin's Creed Shadows as one of the most-played games in the series so far, only behind 2020's Assassin's Creed Valhalla, which remains the best-selling entry in the series and the second most-profitable game ever for Ubisoft. Assassin's Creed Valhalla also achieved 20 million players by Sept. 30, 2022.

In our review-in-progress, writer Zachary Boddy shared that "If you have fond memories of all the hours spent inside the incredible worlds Ubisoft built during its most innovative years, then Assassin's Creed Shadows may offer you that magic once again. This is a really well-made open-world game, period."

Assassin's Creed Shadows is off to a great start

Assassin's Creed Shadows is trucking along well so far, and while time will tell just how far this momentum carries it, the game's early success is likely a huge relief to Ubisoft, which has needed an undisputed win for some time.

The company has reportedly been in talks with investors like Tencent regarding setting up a new controlling company with some of Ubisoft's assets, or even selling off some of Ubisoft's IP.

I'm certainly curious to see what new milestones Assassin's Creed Shadows can reach, and I'm planning on grabbing a copy of the game myself when I get a couple of particular things done for work.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is available on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (via Steam and the Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Mac. It's also available through Xbox Cloud Gaming for Xbox players that buy the game and subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Ubisoft's latest historical role-playing game Assassin's Creed Shadows has already reached 2 million players.

Ubisoft confirmed the milestone in a post on Instagram, adding that Assassin's Creed Shadows had "surpassed the launches" of 2017's Assassin's Creed Origins and 2018's Assassin's Creed Odyssey.

Ubisoft is almost certainly using the phrase players as it's including anyone jumping in through the publisher's Ubisoft+ subscription service, in addition to anyone outright buying the game.

The choice of wording also seems to imply that Assassin's Creed Shadows has not overtaken the launch number for 2020's Assassin's Creed Vahalla, the prior mainline entry in the series.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla had a gargantuan launch and sustained sales, with Ubisoft saying at the time that it was the biggest launch of the entire franchise.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is a critical game for Ubisoft

While we don't have exact sales for every single Assassin's Creed game week-by-week, we do have enough prior milestones and PR statements to safely guess that Assassin's Creed Shadows is firmly the second-most successful game in the series so far.

Naturally, that could change in either direction as time goes on and depending on what post-launch support looks like. The game's success is critical for Ubisoft, as the embattled publisher has faced dozens of game cancellations and delays over the last few years.

This is combined with its claim that last year's Star Wars Outlaws underperformed expectations, while it is also winding down free-to-play shooter XDefiant, shuttering multiple development studios in the process.

Reports indicate Ubisoft's founding family is interested in spinning off some assets into a new controlling company with the aid of investors like Tencent, or possibly even selling some IP to other companies, but nothing official has happened just yet.

If you haven't played it yet, I encourage you to check out our Assassin's Creed Shadows review-in-progress, in which my colleague Zachary Boddy writes that "Assassin's Creed Shadows doesn't feel much smaller than its bloated predecessor, but it does feel more refined and focused. This is a visually stunning action-RPG adventure with varied, endlessly fun gameplay backed by serious attention to detail."

It's only March, but 2025 has been a pretty significant year for big gaming releases already — and later this week, we're about to get another one with Assassin's Creed Shadows. The latest open-world action RPG from publisher and developer Ubisoft has a lot riding behind it, largely due to the underwhelming performance of many of the studio's recent titles and the subsequent decline of its reputation in many gaming circles. Like most Ubisoft games, Shadows will be playable on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PS5 when it launches on March 20.

Ahead of that release, Assassin's Creed Shadows reviews from outlets and critics have gone live — and so far, they're promising. At the time of writing, the game has a "Generally Favorable" 82/100 score on the review aggregation site Metacritic, along with an 81 on Opencritic; that average comes from nearly 100 reviews conducted across the ARPG's platforms, a collection of which you'll find linked below along with some noteworthy quotes:

• VG247 (100/100): "There are problems with Assassin’s Creed Shadows, for sure. But it’s so fun to play, it’s telling a gripping story, and there is so much sense of progress and reward for every little thing you do that it actually feels like an open world game that’s taking its cues from a modern roguelike, or something. Every action has meaning, and the breadcrumbs that tempt you to clean up all the icons on the map are moreish. This may be one of the biggest Assassin’s Creed games ever made, but it also feels like the most well put-together."
• TechRadar (90/100): "Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a massive success and a winning combination of stealth and steel. It’s a fantastic entry in the open-world RPG line of games in the stealth series and the most refined version of that style yet, with satisfying and rewarding exploration, brilliant combat, and a dual protagonist system that really works. Even a few minor quibbles can’t hold it back."
• Wccftech (87/100): "Assassin's Creed Shadows is one of the finest entries in the series, successfully bringing back stealth-oriented gameplay while retaining the RPG mechanics and refined combat mechanics seen in previous entries in the series, seamlessly integrating them with the dual protagonist setup and a well-paced story that doesn't overstay its welcome. While the game still features way more content and gameplay systems than necessary, its rendition of Feudal Japan is among the best ever seen in a video game, and it is well worth experiencing for the vast majority of players."
• GamesRadar+ (80/100): "Assassin's Creed Shadows thrives on boldness. Its dual protagonists improve on the series' stealth-driven roots and modern RPG leanings, though they're let down by a vague story that fails to make full use of either character."
• Digital Trends (70/100): "Assassin’s Creed Shadows almost feels like what it would be like if Ken Burns was tasked with making a video game. It’s exhaustive in how it depicts Japan’s feudal era even in fiction, crafting its world with the eye of a historical documentarian. It’s not quite the in-depth slice of life that Red Dead Redemption 2 goes for, but it approaches that same idea with fewer systems. Some of my favorite moments came when I just got bored of stabbing people and got on my horse instead. I didn't stop every few feet to complete a puzzle. I didn’t stop to open another chest. I just rode, breathing in nature and listening to my own exhale intertwine with the wind."
• PCGamesN (60/100): "While its open world is stunning, its combat is robust, and its dual-protagonist design is somewhat novel, Assassin’s Creed Shadows proves too repetitive and dramatically flat to wholeheartedly recommend taking its trip back in time."

There's a notable range of scores overall, though the majority of reviews award the game the equivalent of an 80/100 or higher in their rating scale. Most evaluations praise Assassin's Creed Shadows' highly detailed, highly immersive depiction of Sengoku-era Japan, the game's blend of action and stealth-focused mechanics, and its overall graphical fidelity and audiovisual presentation. Indeed, Shadows' inclusion of both the combat-forward samurai Yasuke and the covert shinobi Naoe as playable protagonists means you'll have a fitting character to embody no matter which playstyle you prefer, and its open world sounds like the most impressive one Ubisoft has ever crafted.

Among lower-score reviews, criticisms vary — some take issue with systems believed to be too simplistic, while others point to unimpressive AI — but most highlight the game's story and writing as a weak point, with many asserting that the stories of Yasuke and Naoe are uninspired individually and don't connect in sufficiently meaningful ways. Reviewers have also argued that Shadows on the whole hasn't done enough to evolve Assassin's Creed, and that its world — while stunning to look at and listen to — doesn't engage the player in a way that makes it stand out in the ever-growing market of open-world titles.

I should note that we have our own Assassin's Creed Shadows review here at Windows Central, though it's still an unscored review-in-progress since my colleague Zachary Boddy hasn't finished it yet (it's a huge game). In their piece, they wrote that "Assassin's Creed Shadows doesn't feel much smaller than its bloated predecessor [Valhalla], but it does feel more refined and focused. This is a visually stunning action-RPG adventure with varied, endlessly fun gameplay backed by serious attention to detail. As long as it sticks the landing in the final hours, Ubisoft truly has a win on its hands with Shadows — and I hope it's a lesson the publisher learns for the rest of its portfolio."

Personally, I haven't really enjoyed the Assassin's Creed games for a long time now, as I feel like the focus on action over stealth that began with 2013's Black Flag has eroded the franchise's identity and made it feel far more generic than the original titles. 2023's Assassin's Creed Mirage tried to go back to its roots, but disappointing parkour, janky animations, and a somewhat sparse map made it difficult to enjoy the renewed emphasis on stealth. I didn't exactly have confidence in Shadows to please as a result of this, but the positive reception it has so far and the widespread praise for its world and gameplay flow actually has me feeling hopeful about the experience.

Even if Shadows isn't particularly innovative or avant-garde, it does seem to be refined — and after the frustrating clunkiness of Mirage and ~10 years of action-heavy AC, I'll be satisfied with a smooth and stylish Assassin's Creed that lets me live out my sneaky assassin fantasies. I probably won't pick this one up right away, but I'm definitely buying when it's on sale.

Looking for a new open-world RPG to play? One of the best Xbox games and best PC games of 2025 for you will likely end up being Assassin's Creed Shadows. The game is scheduled to go live later this week on March 20 on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PS5. Notably, you can get the Xbox version for a small discount thanks to this deal that brings it down from $69.99 to $65.99 at CDKeys.

Ubisoft has had a rough few years, and that's an understatement.

Its most successful franchises have withered under repetitive, bloated, and outdated open-world game design, its attempts at new victories have failed thanks to half-hearted trend-chasing or truly broken launches, and the few gems we've seen have been subsequently abandoned because they weren't immediate financial successes.

Ubisoft has fallen from the height of video game publishers to one of the most derided and least trusted in the industry — and Assassin's Creed Shadows, the long-awaited sequel for Ubisoft's hero franchise, is one of its last chances to reverse the tide and restore community confidence.

When I went hands-on with Assassin's Creed Shadows, hours of gameplay were more than enough to convince me that Ubisoft at least deserved the chance at redemption. Now, I've sank an astonishing 112 hours into the final game (and one minute, to be exact), and my mind is made up.

Ubisoft actually pulled it off. Assassin's Creed Shadows isn't just a great game, it's one of the absolute best to ever come out of the publisher — and one of the best of the year so far. If Ubisoft can learn the right lessons from this title and take them forward, the publisher could be on the precipice of a slow, arduous, but possible comeback.

This review was made possible thanks to a review code provided by Ubisoft. Ubisoft had no input nor saw the contents of this review prior to publication.

AC Shadows review: What is it?

Assassin's Creed Shadows is a brand-new, mainline entry in the storied Assassin's Creed franchise, following 2020's Assassin's Creed Valhalla as an action-RPG rather than the classics-inspired Assassin's Creed Mirage released in 2023.

Developed by the flagship Ubisoft Quebec studio and published, of course, by Ubisoft, Assassin's Creed Shadows is the most important video game the French publisher has released in years.

Steady declines in trust and regular struggles to win over modern players have heavily impacted Ubisoft, led by years of increasingly formulaic, repetitive open-world games and half-hearted trend chasing.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is Ubisoft's latest attempt to rectify its mistakes, with a lot of hopes and expectations riding on this ambitious action-RPG.

Set in 16th-century feudal Japan torn apart by bloody conflicts between indifferent warlords, AC Shadows follows the adventures of young shinobi Naoe and legendary samurai Yasuke, giving players two entirely different playstyles from which to choose.

Assassin's Creed Shadows officially released on Mar. 20, 2025, for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5. We already know that the game will receive a major "Claws of Awaji" DLC expansion at some point in 2025.

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AC Shadows review: Performance and stability

One component contributing to Ubisoft's current dour standing is a reputation for launching games in a sorry state. Major performance issues, game-breaking bugs, and crashes have been common in many Ubisoft titles at launch.

The additional time in the oven Ubisoft gave Assassin's Creed Shadows has clearly paid off, though, as this game doesn't feel half-baked at all.

Performance has been excellent across the board, even in busy environments or during heated combat segments, and I've only noticed a handful of dropped frames or stutters.

Playing on Xbox Series X lets you choose between the framerate-prioritizing "Performance" mode and resolution-prioritizing "Quality" mode. The latter is locked to 30 frames-per-second, but it feels smooth and responsive alongside noticeably improved visuals, making it my preferred way to play.

I did encounter a myriad of random glitches and minor issues, though, especially with character and cloth animations, and occassionally the lighting engine. During my dozens of hours, the game crashed on me three times, but I lost next to no progress thanks to aggressive auto saves.

Ubisoft has been resolving issues at an impressive rate, too, as well as responding to player feedback with new features and quality-of-life improvements. Several of my complaints have already been directly addressed, and more updates are on the way.

On PC, matters are also quite positive. Assassin's Creed Shadows is a heavy game on your system, but it gives you a ton of options to tailor the game to your setup, including ultrawide monitor support, High Dynamic Range (HDR) support, an uncapped framerate, in-depth graphical customization, and AMD FidelityFX, NVIDIA DLSS, and Intel XeSS 2 integration for dynamic resolution, upscaling, and frame generation.

On ASUS ROG Ally X, I was able to enjoy playing the game at around 40 frames-per-second (FPS) on the lowest preset and AMD's Super Resolution and Frame Generation features enabled. This was on one of the most powerful handhelds, though, so others may have very different experiences.

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AC Shadows review: Visual and audio presentation

Assassin's Creed games have been known for their visual and audio presentation since the series' inception, with previous titles like Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag helping set the graphical standard for an entirely new generation of consoles.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla looked incredible, whatever weaknesses the game may have had, but Shadows comfortably surpasses it at every turn. Japan is already a beautiful country, and this game's idealized and polished visuals more than do it justice.

You'll find a stunning spectacle around every corner, with Assassin's Creed Shadows boasting varied, vertical, and vibrant landscapes adorned with swathes of lush foliage, dotted with intricately constructed buildings and temples, and teeming with worn roads, overgrown trails, and hidden secrets.

This game is beautifully rendered, with perfectly over-saturated visuals that highlight the immense detail in the environments. Towering mountains, tranquil oceans, vast tilled fields, shrouded groves of flowering trees, it's all tied together so well in a lovely clash of browns, blues, greens, whites, pinks, and more.

There's even a surprisingly vast variety of wildlife to encounter, including herds of deer, mischievous monkeys, lone foxes, families of tanuki, flocks of herons, geese, and crows, pairs of pheasants or hares, sniffling boars, and more.

Settlements will have their own ecosystems, too. Horses, pet dogs and cats (and their puppies or kittens), hungry strays — they're all there.

Don't worry; you can pet many of the animals, and those you do can actually be added to your hideout to visit at any point, while other pets can be collected from vendors, quests, or simply finding and painting them in the world as Naoe.

It's not just the natural environments, though. Castles, cities, villages, and even random farmhouses possess unmatched character.

There are entire districts of cities that you'll never need to visit (because there are no quests, vendors, or secrets) that nonetheless faithfully recreate the industries, markets, and houses that comprise it. Ubisoft has never struggled with the world-building aspects of its games, and Assassin's Creed Shadows showcases the publisher at its very best.

This isn't a static world, either. AC Shadows makes sure you, the player, know you have a presence in this rendition of Japan. Snow and mud defamation leave a persistent mark of your passing in your wake, while wind, rain, and snow leave their mark on your clothing and body.

Many of the environments you pass through acknowledge your existence, too. Plants and cloth will move as you pass, carts, doors, and furniture will suffer the consequences of heated combat and violent attacks, and animals will react to your approach (normally by running).

The world changes over time, too. The wind comes in any form, ranging from a light breeze to a bustling gust, while overcast clouds can bring misty mornings and light drizzles or violent torrents of rain and deep peals of thunder following sharp cracks of lightning. Blizzards can wash the world in frozen white, disguising the horizon from your view.

The world does change as day dynamically shifts into night and back again, and the weather further impacts the world by whipping plants and trees, casting leaves and petals into the sky and on the ground, and more — but the most dramatic changes come from the passing of seasons.

Ubisoft divided Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter into different stages — you don't just get Winter, you get the first snow blanketing the lingering orange and red foliage of Autumn, then you enter deep Winter and its frozen lakes, before finally transitioning back into the new green of Spring and its humid downpours.

I've not even talked about the beautifully detailed animations for animals, characters, and clothing, either. This game is spectacularly gorgeous in every sense of the word, and that does apply to audio, too.

AC Shadows delivers swelling and moving music, captivating ambient soundscapes, spontaneous and tactile gameplay effects, and more. It's all very well done, but you may be too busy taking screenshots to notice.

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AC Shadows review: Gameplay experience

Love it or hate it, Ubisoft continued to polish and refine the new RPG gameplay of Assassin's Creed through Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla. Each game became increasingly bloated and repetitive, though, while the gameplay continued to trek further and further from what made Assassin's Creed one of the world's biggest franchises in the first place.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is still an action-RPG, but Ubisoft has done an excellent job paring down the excess fat, polishing gameplay and traversal, re-incentivising exploration, and giving players a proper, distinct choice between the fast-paced gameplay of old and the heavier combat of new.

Enter: Naoe and Yasuke. The twin protagonists (although Naoe definitely feels more like the main character, especially in the Prologue and Act 1) each play a huge role in the story. You can spend most of the time as either one after Act 1, and your choice will dramatically impact how you approach the game.

Naoe is the possessor of the iconic hidden blade, passed down to her by her father, and she is an accomplished, highly trained shinobi. The smallest and lightest assassin we've seen in the series yet, Naoe is also the most acrobatic and agile.

Using a vast arsenal of tools and weapons in addition to her physical talents, Naoe is able to find her way into places Yasuke could never reach. Her climbing prowess allows her to scale almost any wall, her grappling hook allows her to reach the places she can't climb, and her compact stature allows her to crawl or slip into areas no man could follow.

It's here where you see the most dramatic changes Ubisoft has made to the modern AC formula. Finally, parkour feels revitalized with a suite of new animations specific to Naoe. More importantly, it also feels more controlled despite the flashier animations.

How Naoe approaches ascension or descension depends on your approach and how you command her, with three of the four face buttons on your controller playing a role in her traversal abilities.

You'll still experience moments of frustration when Naoe doesn't respond the way you expected, failing to smoothly leap, roll, flip, or slide as she normally does, but my frustrations were far lesser than in previous AC games.

Yasuke, by contrast, can only climb the surfaces that give him adequate support to handle his increased mass and generous handhelds to accommodate his armored gloves.

You're not entirely limited to the ground (far from it), but Yasuke absolutely faces life head-on, including being able to physically barge through almost any obstacle (like barricaded gates, for example).

When you're not elegantly sliding across the boulder some idiot put in your path or gracefully flipping off a rooftop to assassinate some other idiots in the way of your landing, AC Shadows also shows its gameplay improvements through combat.

Yasuke and Naoe are equally gifted fighters but in very different ways. Each can utilize a unique set of tools, weapons, and abilities (that you can customize, evolve, and customize to your heart's content) that complement those styles.

Naoe specializes in diversion, distraction, and discrete assassination and, in a pinch, can rely on her parrying and evading skills to keep her in the action. She may not pack the punch that Yasuke does and she may not be able to take the same hits, but she's more than capable enough to come out of a heated battle unscathed.

Yasuke, on the other hand, does not find the word "subtle" in his vocabulary. His massive frame provides ample strength to wield an arsenal of weaponry that allows him to control entire battlefields with ease.

That size gives him space to don the toughest armor, too, so Yasuke can dish out damage in a wide area just as well as he can take it — and that's very well indeed.

Both play wonderfully, with interesting and engaging weapons and abilities that force you to think differently. I personally prefer Naoe, the successor to the golden age assassins we remember fondly, but Yasuke's brutal strength is extremely satisfying, too.

Beyond those two elements, Assassin's Creed Shadows also, finally meaningfully improves Ubisoft's open-world formula. No more is your map inundated with endless icons and a depressive grind to obtain 100% completion.

You're incentivized to explore because of the opportunities and secrets you may uncover, not to find one of a hundred collectibles you'll never actually care about.

Side quests and activities are more varied and dynamic than ever, although you're not entirely free of the open-world bloat. Side quests and activities can absolutely feel repetitive after a while, and obtaining 100% completing in AC Shadows remains a daunting task.

Even so, I remained engaged with Assassin's Creed Shadows for over 100 hours, exploring as much of the world as I could (and completing every single mission I could find), while most other games of this size lose me around the 60-hour mark.

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AC Shadows review: Story and characters

If you're marching into this section of the review with thoughts of "Ubisoft isn't respecting Japanese culture" and "Yasuke wasn't a real samurai" on your tongue, you can go ahead and leave.

I'm not going to claim that Assassin's Creed Shadows boasts the most realistic depiction of ancient Japan we've ever seen in video games, but I never expected it to — this is Assassin's Creed, a fantasy series grounded by a seed of historical truth.

What I can say, though, is that Ubisoft has done a great job paying respectful homage to Japanese culture while also retaining the fantastical, over-the-top elements that make this an Assassin's Creed game.

As always, it's clear that Ubisoft invested significant resources in researching this era of Japan, using the spoils of its efforts to inform the meticulous, deep worldbuilding in Assassin's Creed Shadows.

Ultimately, that's what carries this game's narrative and single-player campaign. You're part of an alternate, dramatized Japanese history, but you can also immerse yourself in the unique culture of the period and its arts, customs, religions, and traditions.

AC Shadows is happy to take its time with cinematics, animations, or dialogue to remain faithful to its setting, too.

To be frank, I don't care if Yasuke was a storied warrior or a simple sword-bearer; Assassin's Creed Shadows explores the former within its fictional realm, including the course of his life after the death of his lord.

Yasuke is, in a single word, a complete badass. He's an awesome character, and it's interesting to see how the world around him reacts to his unfamiliar appearance before adjusting to acknowledge him as an honored samurai.

The vast majority of the people you'll meet are born-and-raised Japanese, of course, including Naoe, but there's also a fair number of Portuguese merchants, missionaries, and diplomats.

In the "Immersive Mode" (which I highly recommend), you'll experience the world of AC Shadows with everyone actually speaking Japanese or Portuguese as they would, with native speakers lending a ton of credibility and emotion to the voice acting (as opposed to the English voice acting, which is... ah, not great).

Yes, the worldbuilding and characters make Assassin's Creed Shadows' campaign, because the actual narrative treads safer paths. Naoe seeks revenge for the death of her father, unknowingly embroiling herself in a heated conflict that will not only decide the fate of her homeland... but also possibly the world as a whole.

It's a well-done story, and the writing is of decent caliber, but I doubt we'll see AC Shadows winning heaps of "Best Narrative" awards at the end of the year.

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AC Shadows review: Microtransactions and DLC

Modern Ubisoft games have especially been criticized for in-game stores laden with microtransactions on top of the premium price tag attached to its games, and Assassin's Creed Shadows does not buck that trend.

You can buy unique, legendary gear for Naoe and Yasuke, cosmetics for your allies and hideout, crafting resources to give you a leg up, and even a map to highlight the location of treasures and secrets in the world.

It's dumb, but the "pay-to-win" elements don't actually matter in a purely single-player game, and AC Shadows has felt perfectly balanced — to the point where I've never once felt tempted to dive into that store to skip some grinding.

You can also earn premium items just by playing the game. AC Shadows features a number of live service elements that stay completely out of your way unless you look for them.

You can complete time-limited events and mini-missions for in-game currency that you can use at the Exchange, a periodically refreshed shop offering random premium items. It adds more endgame content, it lets you pick up some sweet gear, and I've earned quite a bit just by playing the game (I never once sought out any of these features).

Assassin's Creed Shadows will get more content after launch, too. Sure, that means more optional purchases in the store if you care about it (most people won't), but we already know this game is getting post-launch expansions. The first one is coming later this year with over 10 hours of new content and a new area.

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AC Shadows review: Accessibility design

Ubisoft is one of the more underrated publishers when it comes to building approachable, accessible games, and Assassin's Creed Shadows is one of the company's best efforts.

While a complex game, AC Shadows' menus are quite legible, and you have a ton of options to customize your gameplay experience, including tuning the combat, exploration, and stealth difficulty (even enabling guaranteed assassinations), toggling sensitive content and visuals, and more.

When it comes to accessibility, you can toggle post-effects, bind individual controls with distinct profiles for controller and keyboard, adjust the mechanics for combat, events, and more. You even have individual deadzone and threshold sliders for each thumbstick and trigger.

Customize the Heads-Up Display (HUD) and adjust every element of the audio (including the frequency of music and the mix between loud, soft, dynamic, and ambient noises) — there's a lot here.

I wish Ubisoft had condensed the most important options into a dedicated "Accessibility" menu (like what you get when the game first starts), though, but my other complaints regarding needless hurdles in the UX have already been resolved by post-launch updates, like allowing you to sell or dismantle lots of gear at once.

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AC Shadows review: Final thoughts

✅You should play this if ...

• You're searching for a massive, beautiful world to spend a lot of time in
• You miss playing as an actual assassin in Assassin's Creed games
• You've been waiting for Ubisoft to return to form with its games

❌You should not play this if ...

• You really don't like the modern Assassin's Creed RPGs
• You'd much rather play more condensed 10-30 hours games

When the credits finally rolled in Assassin's Creed Shadows — after 112 hours of exploring Japan as Naoe and Yasuke — it took a very long time to roll. Hundreds of people worked on this game, and their efforts are obvious.

Recent Assassin's Creed games have been well made in their own right, but nothing since Black Flag has approached this level of polish, cohesion, and fun. Assassin's Creed Shadows is an incredible RPG and one of Ubisoft's best.

Dual protagonists blend the best of classic and modern Assassin's Creed games, and the straightfoward narrative is (at least in my opinion) somewhat elevated by focusing on Japan rather than some parallel modern timeline.

The gameplay is more refined and fluid than ever, and it actually feels meaningful to explore this world — which showcases Ubisoft's genuine expertise in worldbuilding. Assassin's Creed Shadows is also far more polished than we've seen from a flagship Ubisoft game in a very long time.

It all comes together to create a game-of-the-year contender for 2025. I can't overstate how impressive it is for any title to retain my attention for more than 60 hours, let alone keeping me hooked for well over 100. Assassin's Creed Shadows isn't perfect, but I love it anyways.

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Ubisoft's upcoming Japanese role-playing adventure Assassin's Creed Shadows will support Xbox Cloud Gaming at launch through Microsoft's "Stream Your Own Game" feature.

That update comes via the official Xbox Bluesky account, which shared the news on Friday.

Through Stream Your Own Game, players that buy a game on Xbox and subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate can then stream that game through the cloud, making it playable without having it locally installed on a console.

After promising to implement a version of the feature for years, Microsoft finally began rolling out support for streaming games players already own last year, with an initial wave of 50 titles that included Baldur's Gate 3 and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2.

Recent additions have seen the library grow, adding games like Cult of the Lamb, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and Subnautica.

Right now, streaming your own game through Xbox Cloud Gaming is available through Amazon Fire TV sticks, Meta Quest VR headset, web browsers (via Xbox.com/play) and Samsung Smart TVs.

Microsoft currently plans to bring support to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and the Xbox PC app at some point later in 2025.

A stronger push for Xbox platform features

While it won't be my preferred way to play Assassin's Creed Shadows, providing this as an option is still really cool.

This comes just after Konami's Silent Hill f got a reveal trailer, with the store page seeming to indicate the game will support Xbox Play Anywhere. Earlier the same day, we learned that over 1,000 games now feature Xbox Play Anywhere support.

It certainly appears to me that Microsoft is continuing to push for increased developer and publisher adoption of these features, emphasizing the benefits of providing Xbox Play Anywhere and Xbox Cloud Gaming support.

Hopefully we'll see more and more games from big publishers support Stream Your Own Game and Xbox Play Anywhere in the months ahead.

As for Ubisoft, a lot is riding on the arrival of Assassin's Creed Shadows, which has been delayed twice. It also comes at a time when Ubisoft has canceled or delayed numerous games while shuttering multiple development studios.

Ubisoft's founders are reportedly seeking a deal with investors (including Tencent) to found a new holding company with some of Ubisoft's IP and assets.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is slated to launch on March 20, 2025 across Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (via Steam and Ubisoft Connect), PlayStation 5, Amazon Luna, and MacOS.

As soon as I saw the first trailer for Assassin's Creed Shadows, I knew that this was going to be the first Assassin's Creed in a long time to really get my interest. After all, I have a lot of respect for Ubisoft Quebec which is leading the game's development since this team has previously brought us some of my favorite Ubisoft games including Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Assassin's Creed Syndicate, and Immortals Fenyx Rising.

But before you can dive into this dual-protagonist adventure that's finally coming out on March 20, 2025, you'll need to make sure your gaming laptop or gaming PC can handle Assassin's Creed Shadows system requirements. I'll go over what those requirements are and then will offer helpful tips for upgrading your PC if you need to do so.

• Buy Standard Edition (PC): $52.09 at CDKeys | $69.99 at GMG
• Buy Gold Edition (PC): $77.49 at CDKeys | $109.99 at GMG
• Buy Ultimate Edition (PC): $115.59 at CDKeys | $129.99 at GMG

Assassin's Creed Shadows specs: System requirements

The exact Assassin's Creed Shadows PC file size hasn't been revealed yet, but we'll update the page when this info is made known. Otherwise, here are the minimum and recommended system requirements for this RPG.

Assassin's Creed Shadows PC Minimum system requirements for Windows

• OS: Windows 10/11
• Processor: Intel Core i7-8700k / AMD Ryzen 5 3600
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB or AMD Radeon RX 5700 8GB / Intel Arc A580 8GB
• Storage: SSD mandatory
• DirectX: DirectX 12

The CPU and GPU requirements listed here aren't very demanding and they aren't all that modern either. Of the processors listed, the Radeon RX 5700 is the newest with its July 2019 launch date. As such, as long as you've upgraded your gaming PC or purchased a decent gaming laptop within the last few years you'll more than likely be able to play Assassins' Creed Shadows at its minimum system requirements.

Assassin's Creed Shadows PC Recommended system requirements for Windows

• OS: Windows 10/11
• Processor: Intel i5-22600k / AMD Ryzen 5 5600x
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060Ti 8GB / AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT 12GB / Intel Arc B580 12GB
• Storage: SSD mandatory
• DirectX: DirectX 12

Even Assassin's Creed Shadows' recommended system requirements aren't that strenuous. As long as you're computer has been upgraded to a decent CPU and GPU within the last five years (or you've purchased a decent gaming laptop within that time), then you should be able to play Shadows as it was intended.

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How do I see my computer configuration to see if it can run Assassin's Creed Shadows?

• Hold down Ctrl + Alt + Delete to make a menu pop up.
• Next, click on Task Manager.
• When the Task Manager window pops up, click on the Performance tab on the left side of the screen. You can then click on the following sections to see your computer's configuration info:
  • CPU: There's a lot of info here, but simply look above the graph to see the exact name of your central processing unit.
  • Memory: Once again, look above the graph while in this view and you'll see how much RAM your computer or laptop has.
  • Disk: This page will tell you if your computer has an HDD or SSD as your data storage device. Look at the bottom of the window where it says Capacity. Just note that the number that appears will be slightly less than your actual storage capacity. For instance, my work computer shows 1.8TB, which means I have 2TB of space.
  • GPU: As with CPU and Memory, once again look above the graph to see the specific graphics card your computer has. If your computer has multiple graphics cards then you might have multiple GPU sections. Note that only one of these GPUs needs to meet Assassin's Creed Shadows system requirements.

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Can my gaming handheld run Assassin's Creed Shadows?

On the official Assassin's Creed Shadows Steam page, Steam Deck compatibility is listed as "Unknown." As such, it's unclear how well the game will run on Valve's handheld. However, given that the minimum PC requirements aren't that intense and the Steam version offers controller support, it seems likely that the game will be playable.

Meanwhile, It seems likely that Shadows will work on PC gaming handhelds like the ROG Ally, Legion Go, and MSI Claw. However, it's unclear at present how smooth the gaming experience will be on these devices. We'll have to wait and see if Ubisoft incorporated a specific handheld mode or at least has settings better suited to these handhelds.

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How to upgrade my computer for Assassin's Creed Shadows

• Recommendations: Best pre-built gaming PCs | Best gaming laptops
• Memory: How to upgrade and install RAM in a laptop | How to upgrade and install RAM in a desktop
• Storage: Best SSD for PC | How to upgrade laptop HDD to SSD | Tips to free up space on Windows 11
• CPU: Best CPU for your PC | How to install an Intel CPU in your PC
• GPU: Best graphics cards | How to install a new graphics card
• Overall tips: How to build your PC the right way

Since the CPU nad GPU demands for this game aren't too taxing, you should be able to play Shadows if your gaming laptop or rig has decent processors that released in the last few years. However, if that isn't the case then you might need to consider making an upgrade.

You'll also need to make sure you have a decent amount of storage available on your system in order to install and run Assassin's Creed Shadows. If you are out of room, you'll have to delete files to make space or else should consider upgrading your SSD.

Assassin's Creed, but in Japan

Assassin's Creed Shadows features two protagonists much like Assassin's Creed Syndicate did, but that's not surprising given that the same studio was lead developer for both games. I'm excited to see what challenges playing as two people with completely different fighting styles brings to the series. But before you can dive in, you'll need to make sure your computer can handle this game.

Thankfully, both the recommended and minimum system requirements aren't too demanding. As long as your gaming PC has been updated somewhat recently you should be able to play this game. But if you do find that your computer isn't up to snuff then it might be time to upgrade it or grab a new gaming laptop.

Good luck getting that all sorted. Hopefully, you and your gaming PC will be ready and rearing to go once Assassin's Creed Shadows launches on Mar. 20, 2025.

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Ubisoft used to seem like an unstoppable juggernaut in video games, barreling seemingly unchallenged from one wild success to the next. Innovations in open-world game design and the pursuit of relentless fun have stagnated into formulaic reiterations driven by shareholder decisions and faceless committees, though; that once unshakeable momentum has been withered by constant disappointments and persistent fatigue.

I myself have lost hope in Ubisoft over the years, and I'm not alone. An aversion to risk taking, haphazard attempts to inject "live service" elements where they don't belong, a growing reputation for broken launches and buggy games, and a tendency to abandon the few actually amazing projects (like Immortals Fenyx Rising and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown) have toppled Ubisoft from its throne. For many, the ailing French games publisher has one more chance at redemption: Assassin's Creed Shadows.

I had a limited preview for Assassin's Creed Shadows last year that gave me hope, but I've nonetheless avoided hyping this game up too much — I'd like to avoid setting myself up for disappointment once again. Now, though, I've actually played AC Shadows, enjoying a four-hour remote preview that has broken through my lingering reservations. I can't help it, I'm extremely excited for this game... And it may just be the redemption that Ubisoft sorely needs.

What is Assassin's Creed Shadows?

Assassin's Creed Shadows is the latest in one of the longest-running video game franchises, continuing to evolve the RPG gameplay mechanics introduced with Assassin's Creed Origins in 2017. This time, Ubisoft is taking players to a location that has been heavily requested since basically the beginning of the series — Japan. More specifically, 16th Century feudal Japan, during the war-torn Sengoku period.

Following Assassin's Creed Valhalla, the last major AC entry released in 2020, Ubisoft has made a lot of changes to win back classic Assassin's Creed fans. Now, players will be able to instantly switch between two protagonists at any point, with each main character boasting an entirely different playstyle. There's the agile shinobi, Naoe, and her repertoire of ninja tools, and then there's the imposing samurai, Yasuke, a powerful warrior based off the real-world historical figure.

AC Shadows could represent the start of a brand-new era for the franchise, if it truly delivers (and I have a feeling it actually might). Assassin's Creed Shadows was recently delayed until Mar. 20, 2025, but it won't be too long before you'll be able to explore feudal Japan on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5. You can read our Assassin's Creed Shadows FAQ for more information on this game.

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AC Shadows hands-on: Bringing feudal Japan to life

Since its inception, the Assassin's Creed franchise has been known for cutting edge visuals and technically impressive open worlds. Assassin's Creed Valhalla is positively gorgeous, so it makes sense that its true, next-gen successor would push the limits even further. Well, Assassin's Creed Shadows isn't a massive leap in graphical fidelity at first glance, but an upgraded Anvil Engine and a lot more development time allowed Ubisoft to make tremendous changes in arguably more important places.

Largely, that means a more dynamic open world. AC Shadows is building its rendition of feudal Japan on three features: dynamic time-of-day, transitions through four distinct seasons, and a myriad of unique weather events. The bustling towns and villages, expansive fields and farms, and serene forests and mountains all look incredible on their own, but even in my limited hands-on I was able to witness how time affects it all.

The world changes more than visually as time progresses, too. As the seasons roll, you may discover new opportunities, observe new world events, and witness new unique weather effects. It's not just about the big picture — Ubisoft paid attention to the minute details, too. There's much greater variety to NPC appearances and behaviors, and crowd density has been increased. NPCs will react differently depending on which character you're playing as, and will be affected by the weather, change of seasons, and more.

Many elements of the environment are interactable and even destructible, too. An errant whip of Naoe's kusarigama (basically a sickle on a chain) may smash through nearby crates and carts, and each mighty swing of Yasuke's sword may precisely cut through entire fences and doors. It's impressive in action, and makes combat feel more impactful.

One moment that particularly stands out to me is when, shortly after Spring transitioned into Summer, I stepped outside of a building and was hit by a mighty gust of hot wind. The trees and tall grass in front of me were being pulled along by this wind, and debris like leaves and dust were swept past me and into the distance. It's a small moment and certainly not unique to Assassin's Creed Shadows, but it's just one tiny fragment of the dynamic, living Japan Ubisoft set out to create.

I adored exploring the tiny slice of Japan Ubisoft set me loose in. Certain elements like facial animations and textures may not quite approach games like Senua's Saga: Hellblade II (although I was pleasantly surprised by the voice acting quality), but I'm more than happy to skip the pixel peeping and instead simply enjoy what very well could be the best open world sandbox we've ever seen in Assassin's Creed.

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AC Shadows hands-on: Major gameplay upgrades

A common criticism aimed at the modern RPG-style Assassin's Creed games is that the core gameplay (especially combat) has drifted too far from what made the original games so successful. Combat feels less fluid, enemies are spongier, and despite technically having significantly more options it still felt like you were given less choice in how to fight. I was already optimistic that AC Shadows would undo some of this bad rep, and now I know that's true.

Assassin's Creed Shadows stars two main characters: the fictional shinobi Naoe, who utilizes a vast array of ninja tools and her incredibly agility to outmaneuver her opponents, and the historical samurai Yasuke, who's imposing size and strength allow him to wield the most terrifying of weapons and smash through many obstacles. You don't choose one or the other; both these characters play a critical role in the story, and you can swap between them at any point. Naoe, especially, highlights the improvements Ubisoft has made to the AC stealth mechanics, including going fully prone to remain hidden or access tight spaces.

Their playstyles are diametrically opposed, too, each with their own unique arsenal of weaponry, gear, and abilities. Naoe is the smallest playable character in the Assassin's Creed franchise, and she's also the fastest and most nimble. Yasuke is one of the largest playable characters in the franchise, and he's also one of the strongest and most deadly in direct combat. Whether you want to be stealthy and utilize your hidden blade or charge directly into the heat of battle, you can approach almost every mission and objective in Assassin's Creed Shadows the way you choose.

Both characters feel amazing to play as. Naoe was my preferred character for the majority of my four-hour preview, and many of the improvements Ubisoft made in AC Shadows shines here. The all-new suite of animations for combat and parkour looks stunning, and both gameplay mechanics are more fluid and dynamic. It may take a moment to adjust, but I felt like I had more control than ever over how I traversed the map, even if AC Shadows doesn't boast quite as many climbable surfaces as past games (I never really saw this as an issue, though, I always had multiple available paths).

Combat ticks all the boxes I want — it's precise and tactile, with excellent feedback from enemies as you stagger them, shatter their armor, cut into their flesh, or brutally finish them off. There are obvious advantages and disadvantages to each character that make you choose your approach to combat and scenarios carefully. Naoe may be able to go almost anywhere, but she's in trouble if she's caught and surrounded. Yasuke may be able to challenge powerful foes without issue, but no one is going to miss seeing him approach.

In general, though, I had a blast playing AC Shadows. I was only able to explore one part of the open world, but it felt like a positive shift in game design compared to recent AC titles. You still craft and upgrade gear, and you will have your own stronghold that you build up over the course of the game, so that does mean a lot of mundane resource collection.

AC Shadows doesn't inundate you or your map with endless minor objectives, though; the world changes over time, and simply being aware of your surroundings will get you the materials you need. Missions and points of interest require careful investigation, including building up a network of spies and informants to help you track down your next objective. Items that do appear on your map tend to be more interesting, including contracts, side missions, and extremely valuable treasure. You have some reasons to go off the beaten track, too, as Naoe loves to paint wildlife as she discovers them, like a heron fishing for its lunch or a mother doe bathing her fawn.

I'll need more time with the full game to know if this world remains interesting and engaging throughout, but I'm feeling more positive than I have in a long time about an open-world Ubisoft game. There are other improvements that I genuinely love, too. Whenever you're supposed to be following a character, you can now press a button to perfectly match their pace and pathing, so you no longer have to worry about being too fast or too slow. If you prefer to stay true to the Assassin's Creed storyline, you can enable the returning "Canon Mode" from AC Valhalla, which makes Naoe and Yasuke automatically make the decisions Ubisoft respects in the lore.

My personal favorite is the "Immersive Mode." AC Shadows lets you choose your own language options, including fully voiced Japanese, but the Immersive Mode has every character speak their native language, fluidly switching between Japanese, Portuguese, and more as needed, all while respecting your subtitle language. It's an option that more games set in different parts of the world need to have. There are plenty of areas you can see the benefit of AC Shadows' longer development time, as it really does feel like Ubisoft is paying attention to the details and striving to make this the best Assassin's Creed game ever.

• Back to the top ⤴

AC Shadows hands-on: Signaling a change at Ubisoft

Ubisoft knows as well as we do that it needs Assassin's Creed Shadows to succeed. The last Far Cry and Assassin's Creed games failed to meet expectations, Ubisoft recently shuttered its XDefiant first-person-shooter experiment, and the publisher's "AAAA" disaster (otherwise known as Skull and Bones) missed the mark entirely. Ubisoft is even in talks with Tencent to break up some of its video game assets as part of a new venture.

Ubisoft's best games in years, Immortals Fenyx Rising and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, internally missed some metrics or whatever, and those teams were scattered; even Star Wars Outlaws, a game I listed as one of my favorite of 2024, still felt like half the game it could've been. For years, you've been able to rely on Ubisoft for one thing: to ultimately disappoint you in some way or another.

The fact that Ubisoft continues to delay Assassin's Creed Shadows shows that the publisher is serious about getting this right, and my hands-on preview two months ahead of launch lends me hope that it actually succeeded. There's still much we don't know about this game and won't until it finally arrives, but the combat, traversal, open world, and accessibility may all count among the very best in the franchise. If Ubisoft can stick the landing, it may signal a desperately needed change at the publisher.

Cookie cutter games aren't enough to shine through the endless morass of launching titles, especially when so many incredible teams are actively seeking new ways to innovate. If Ubisoft wants to keep up, it needs to break its tendency to stick to tradition or halfheartedly chase short-lived trends — give developers the time and resources they need to craft the games they want, with both passion and attention to detail. I've only played a few hours of Assassin's Creed Shadows, but maybe Ubisoft finally got the memo. I just hope it's not too little too late.

• Back to the top ⤴

The future of one of gaming's biggest publishers may be getting a little stranger.

A report from Bloomberg citing sources familiar with the matter indicates that Ubisoft's founding family, the Guillemots, are considering creating a "new venture" in partnership with Chinese megaconglomerate Tencent. This new company would gain some of Ubisoft's assets, giving Tencent more control while keeping the new venture privately owned.

At this time, it's unclear exactly which assets would be moved into the new company and which would remain nominally with Ubisoft. The company oversees several massive franchises, including Assassin's Creed, Ghost Recon, Spliter Cell, and the Tom Clancy games.

Reports indicate that Ubisoft's heads have been seeking a buyout of some kind since at least 2024, with months of conversations between CEO Yves Guillemot and Tencent, but the parties have been unable to reach a deal so far.

The big immediate question mark surrounding these negotiations is the company's upcoming role-playing game, Assassin's Creed Shadows, which has been delayed twice and is now expected to arrive on March 20, 2025. It's one of the only games the company has publicly slated to launch in 2025, adding increased pressure to expectations surrounding its commercial success.

Alongside Assassin's Creed Shadows' delay, Guillemot confirmed the company had appointed advisors to to aid in "exploring various strategic and capitalistic options to unlock the full value potential of our assets."

Turning the corner?

Ubisoft has faced increasingly turbulent financial straights over the last couple of years, with the company explicitly blaming the claimed underperformance of Star Wars Outlaws as a major factor. Ubisoft also announced that its free-to-play shooter XDefiant would be winding down in 2025, with 277 employees affected by the closure of three development studios across Osaka, San Francisco, and Sydney.

While Ubisoft is currently in a rough patch, the company is hardly done fighting. Insider Gaming indicates that Ubisoft has a number of large games on the way that are yet to be announced or dated (or both) but are meant to launch before the end of 2026. This roster includes a remake of Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Assassin's Creed Hexe, a new Ghost Recon, the Splinter Cell remake, and a few other "smaller" projects.

Other major games in Ubisoft's portfolio, such as The Division 3, Beyond Good and Evil 2, another mainline Assassin's Creed role-playing game, and another Assassin's Creed remake, are all reportedly further out.

Naturally, I'll be keeping a close eye on Ubisoft in the coming weeks and months. The company is one of the largest western publishers, responsible for the biggest games in existence. It'll be interesting to see where everything ends up falling.

The next big game from Ubisoft is being delayed once more.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is delayed to March 20, 2025, Ubisoft shared in a press release on Thursday. Originally slated to launch back in November 2024, the game was initially delayed to February 2025 in order to allow for additional polish.

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot says that the second delay was decided in order to give the teams as much time as possible to craft the "most ambitious opus of the Assassin's Creed franchise," adding that they "made the decision to provide an extra month of development to Shadows in order to better incorporate the player feedback gathered over the past three months that will enable us to fully deliver on the potential of the game and finish the year on a strong note."

With its release date bumped to March, Assassin's Creed Shadows faces less stiff competition immediately around launch. Multiple major games are currently slated to arrive in February, including Xbox and Obsidian's Avowed and Capcom's Monster Hunter Wilds.

Assassin's Creed Shadows also faces more direct competition in the form of Ghost of Yōtei, PlayStation and Sucker Punch Productions' sequel to Ghost of Tsushima. Ghost of Yōtei is penciled in for a 2025 launch at the moment, though the exact release date is not known.

The Assassin's Creed franchise has long remained one of Ubisoft's main pillars, with the last mainline entry, 2020's Viking role-playing tale Assassin's Creed Valhalla, being of Ubisoft's best-performing games of all time. Ubisoft is confirmed to be working on remakes of some older Assassin's Creed titles as part of its longterm strategy, including a reported remake of 2013's hit Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, which allowed players to sail the seas as a pirate.

Ubisoft continues to face financial struggles

This second delay comes as Ubisoft is struggling, with the company blaming the underperformance of titles like Star Wars Outlaws. Just before the end of the year, Ubisoft announced it was discontinuing support for free-to-play shooter XDefiant in June 2025, with its San Francisco, Sydney, and Osaka studios being shut down after around 277 employees who worked on the game were laid off.

Ubisoft leadership is now exploring options around selling the company, with Guillemot noting that the company has appointed advisors to assist with "exploring various strategic and capitalistic options to unlock the full value potential of our assets."

Prior reports indicated that Ubisoft could see a buyout from its founding Guillemot family in conjunction with Chinese megaconglomerate Tencent. A potential deal might even see the company taken private. Ubisoft currently holds the cloud gaming rights to Activision Blizzard King titles, a deal that was reached with Microsoft in order to allow the latter to acquire Activision Blizzard King back in October 2023.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is currently slated to launch on March. 20, 2025 across Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (including Steam and the Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, Mac, and Amazon Luna.

Ubisoft has shared new information about the fundamentals of Assassin's Creed Shadows' parkour system in a new blog post. Slated for a Feb. 14 release date, Assassin's Creed Shadows features two protagonists: the Shinobi, Naoe, and the Samurai, Yasuke. With Naoe proving to be the more nimble of the two leads, it only makes sense that the Shinobi is the highlight of the newly shared details about the changes to the series' much-loved parkour gameplay.

From the cathedrals of Italy to the pyramids of Egypt, Assassin's Creed has long served as a massive playground where gamers could experience historical districts via unconventional means. Parkour has cemented itself as an integral part of the Assassin's Creed series, and it should come as no surprise that it is also integral to Shadows' gameplay.

The latest update to the Ubisoft blog from the team behind AC Shadows sets the stage for the parkour gameplay that players can expect when the game launches next month. Set in the crowded streets and dangerous castles of Feudal Japan, Naoe will offer speed and masterful agility as she bounds across rooftops and scales towers to overlook the landscape. Naoe's way isn't the only path players can forge, however, and Yasuke will prove to have his own useful set of skills for traversing Japan. Though his methods may prove to be a little more brute force than skillful ninja.

Shadows offers new movement features like a physics-based grappling hook and prone movement that will help players scale the stone walls of Feudal Japan's domineering castles and locate new hidden pathways that may present unique parkour challenges. According to Simon Lemay-Comtois, the Associate Game Director for Assassin's Creed Shadows, players will want to be more mindful of how they approach parkour in the upcoming game because of these changes.

“In our game, holding down the parkour up button like it’s a gas pedal is not the optimal way to do parkour," says Lemay-Comtois. "Discerning which button does what is necessary to maximize a great parkour flow and keep your momentum."

Lemay-Comtois explained in the post that players will find dodge mechanics have been merged with the new parkour down mechanics. This creates a new mapping scheme that disconnects the playable character's stance from parkour in order to prevent players from executing parkour down when they do not mean to. This runs alongside the "parkour up" mechanics series fans will recognize as a long-running gameplay staple, including features like running up a wall to grab a ledge or leaping across a gap between two rooftops.

Of course, we've all made the jump from one rooftop to another, only to land with a hearty thud and lose a portion of our health bar. A new recovery roll mechanic can now be deployed when jumping from a distance so that Naoe can soften her impact (and the noise it may produce.) New dodge features also give players the opportunity to traverse downward with smoother transitions. When playing as Naoe, this results in acrobatic moves, while the clunkier Yasuke will have a weightier drop.

Sprinting has also seen some reworking in preparation for Shadows' two protagonists. Naoe will feature a sprint dodge mechanic that triggers a dive-roll, allowing her to cross agriculture fences, wooden crates, guardrails, and more while avoiding damage. This new mechanic can also be automated so that players can just bypass small objects without additional inputs, but without the benefit of damage protection. Sprinting isn't just for Shinobis, though. Yasuke can also sprint and shoulder bash his way through obstacles, with automated pass overs kicking in for low, non-destructible objects.

Both characters can also chance stances while sprinting. Pressing to crouch will result in a sliding animation that ends in a crouch, while switching to prone results in a diving animation. Sprinting from crouch or prone will force the characters back into the standing stance.

While those are all meaningful changes to Assassin's Creed's movement system, it's the grappling hook that may serve to have the biggest impact. "Any proper Shinobi game needs its grappling hook," said Lemay-Comtois. Naoe's grappling hook will offer players a new way to ascend, descend, and pivot or swing around Japan. Naoe can interact with numerous grapple points around the world, and will sometimes need to hook-swing between multiple points to cross dangerous areas that would otherwise be impossible to traverse.

Players can also master other impressive movement mechanics in Shadows, including a wall run eject, backward dodge, and various stance dodges. These mechanics can be strung together to create some impressive moves, like a backward roll paired with an assassination. Mastering the game's movement mechanics is also pivotal to making the most of your time in Feudal Japan, as there will be areas that you can only explore with one character or the other. "This is a pretty big deal for us," said Lemay-Comtois, "This means we had to be more thoughtful about creating interesting parkour highways and afforded us more control about where Naoe can go, and where Yasuke can’t, making our two play styles even more contrasted."

Assassin's Creed Shadows is developed by multiple regional Ubisoft studios and published by Ubisoft. The open-world action-adventure title will launch on February 14 on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. You can check out our preview of Assassin's Creed Shadows, or read our in-depth FAQ for Shadows to learn more about the game ahead of its launch.

What you need to know

• Ubisoft launched free-to-play first-person shooter XDefiant on May 21, 2024, after years of open and closed testing.
• While the game saw initial success in garnering millions of players, this playerbase quickly collapsed in the months after launch.
• Ubisoft is shutting XDefiant down in 2025, and is barring new players from downloading the game starting Dec. 3, 2024.
• Per Game File's Stephen Totilo, Ubisoft is shuttering its San Francisco and Osaka studios, laying off around 177 employees, with half of the XDefiant team are reportedly being moved to other projects.

It's another dark day for the gaming industry, an event that repeatedly occurs with clockwork precision in recent months.

Ubisoft is shutting down its free-to-play shooter XDefiant, with the game no longer being accessible for new players to download starting Tuesday. Per a message from the game's official X (Twitter) account, XDefiant will remain playable for existing players through June 3, 2025, with the promised Season 3 content still arriving at an unknown point before then.

Per Stephen Totilo of Game File, the bad news doesn't stop there, with Ubisoft closing down the Ubisoft San Francisco and Ubisoft Osaka studios while laying off half of the team that worked on XDefiant, or about 177 employees.

First announced all the way back in 2021, XDefiant went through years of testing before finally launching on May 21, 2024 across Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5. The game was designed as a competitor to Xbox and Activision's Call of Duty franchise.

In our review of XDefiant, my colleague Cole Martin wrote that "Ubisoft's free-to-play first-person arena shooter is less Call of Duty and more Overwatch, but the Snowdrop engine shines even on maps that are way too large for their purpose. Weapon grinds are sluggish, leaving players with more time in the game access to better attachments, while newcomers struggle to even leave their spawns."

The latest blow in a long line of problems for Ubisoft

The closure of XDefiant and the reported shuttering of two development studios is the latest in a long line of problems facing the oft-vaunted publisher. While Ubisoft maintains control of massive franchises like Assassin's Creed and Far Cry, the company continues to face issues, and has canceled dozens of games in the past few years.

Just a few months ago, Ubisoft launched Star Wars Outlaws, a game that managed to get near the top of the U.S. sales charts in August 2024 but was still deemed a disappointment, underperforming the company's expectations. Following the critical success but commercial disappointment of Persia of Persia: The Lost Crown, Ubisoft split the development team up, though at least some of the developers are now reportedly working on a Rayman game.

Ubisoft also delayed Assassin's Creed Shadows, moving what was meant to be its year-ending blockbuster from November 2024 to February 2025. The delay is meant to polish the overall experience, partially in response to player feedback around bugs and glitches in Star Wars Outlaws.

All of this comes as reports indicate Ubisoft could soon be bought in a joint deal between Tencent and the Guillemot family, the latter of which founded Ubisoft decades ago.

What you need to know

• Assassin's Creed Syndicate first launched in 2015 across Xbox One, Windows PC, and PlayStation 4.
• The game focuses on the Frye siblings as they aid the Assassins in Industrial Revolution-era London.
• While praised for its story and setting, the game saw weaker sales than many of its predecessors, which was attributed to franchise fatigue and the bug-ridden launch of 2014's Assassin's Creed Unity.
• Assassin's Creed Syndicate is now playable at 60 FPS on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.

It's the perfect time to visit one of 2015's most underappreciated games.

Assassin's Creed Syndicate now runs at 60 FPS on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, thanks to a free update from developer and publisher Ubisoft. This entry in the Assassin's Creed franchise is the last of an older "classic" style before the series began more heavily exploring role-playing game elements.

While the game was playable on modern consoles thanks to backward compatibility, it was previously locked to 30 FPS, making it feel and look slower compared to many other games. Now, it's a 60 FPS experience, making it smoother to revisit or play for the first time.

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An underappreciated gem

Assassin's Creed Syndicate was well received at launch by critics and players, but the game's sales suffered in spite of this quality.

That's largely due to it coming just a year after 2014's Assassin's Creed Unity, a launch laden in technical issues and glitches that took a long time for the developers to fix. This was combined with perceived franchise fatigue, with Ubisoft launching at least one Assassin's Creed game per year starting in 2009 with Assassin's Creed 2.

Following softer sales for Syndicate (which sold around 5.5 million copies in its first year) Ubisoft relaxed on attempting to get a game out every single year, allowing some of the creative teams to introduce new ideas, like the role-playing game elements seen in Assassin's Creed Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla.

If you never played Assassin's Creed Syndicate, I encourage you to give it a chance now that it plays at 60 FPS on modern consoles. The older style of gameplay can feel a bit refreshing after years of massive open-world titles, and Evie Frye is a seriously underrated protagonist.

What you need to know

• According to a new report, the developers responsible for making this year's acclaimed Metroidvania platformer Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown have been moved to three new games by Ubisoft.
• The news comes a day after another report said Ubisoft broke the team up and turned down a sequel to The Lost Crown, which the publisher later confirmed in a statement.
• Reportedly, most of the team now works on Beyond Good and Evil 2, with a dozen devs contributing to the next Ghost Recon game and another 12 joining a group at Ubisoft Milan making a Rayman remake.
• A remake or reboot of Rayman would be the first new mainline game in the platformer series since 2013's Rayman Legends, though the project is apparently unpopular internally (as is Beyond Good and Evil 2, which is said to be in development hell).

According to a new report, developers from the team responsible for creating the acclaimed 2D Metroidvania platformer Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown have been moved to three other projects. The news comes just a day after another report claimed Ubisoft broke up the group and that a The Lost Crown sequel was cancelled, which was confirmed by the publisher in a statement to Eurogamer.

In its report, Insider Gaming says that the Assassin's Creed maker has shifted the majority of The Lost Crown's developers to Beyond Good and Evil 2 — a sequel to the original 2003 action game that was revived and announced in 2017, but hasn't been seen since and is thought to be in development hell. Around a dozen have gone to work on Project Over instead, which is Ubisoft's next Ghost Recon game. Another dozen have joined the team building Project Steambot, which Insider Gaming claims is a Rayman remake being developed by Ubisoft Milan.

Rayman is a popular adventure platformer series that began with the original game's launch in 1995, though there hasn't been a new mainline release since 2013's Rayman Legends 11 years ago. This report suggests Ubisoft is finally going back to it by making a remake or a reboot, though no other details were mentioned.

A potential Rayman return will surely excite fans of the franchise, but the report notes that the game is "somewhat unpopular" internally, citing the way series creator Michal Ancel "looms over the project" as a consultant. Many at Ubisoft are also baffled by leadership's decision to "invest tens of millions a year" in Beyond Good and Evil 2 given its extremely tumultuous development over the course of the last seven years.

Reportedly, Ubisoft's choice to send Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown's developers to "other projects that will benefit from their expertise" was made in May after the platformer failed to meet sales expectations. The publisher was hoping the game would sell millions of copies like other big-name Metroidvanias, and although it did review very favorably, the game's commercial performance disappointed. At the time of writing, it's thought that The Lost Crown has sold one million units.

With Ubisoft deciding to turn down a sequel to Prince of Persia: The Long Crown, it's unclear if we'll ever get a new platformer in the series like it. The few workers who are still working on the game say they're "focusing on making the game available to more players," with a Mac release planned for this winter. Fans also have a remake of the beloved 2003 action game Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time to look forward to, though it's not expected until 2026 — a release window six years after its announcement.

The Lost Crown itself was apparently seen as a "perfect project," with developers appreciating its "relatively straightforward development pipeline" that contrasted with Beyond Good and Evil 2's messier organization. To many, it was a "beacon of hope to create" that was enjoyable to contribute to when burnt out from working on the long-awaited sequel.

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Analysis: Exciting news tinged with uncertainty

While it's exciting to know that there's another Rayman game on the way, it's also disheartening that a sequel to Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown — one of this year's best Xbox games and best PC games, and ultimately a victim of Ubisoft's poor reputation — was turned down so that more developers could join the teams behind it, the next Ghost Recon, and Beyond Good and Evil 2. The latter project seemingly isn't even going anywhere, and with the Rayman remake reportedly unpopular internally, I'm not confident it will come out either.

At this point, I'm just hopeful that development on the remake goes as smoothly as it can, and that Ubisoft is finally able to clean up Beyond Good and Evil 2 and make its creation less turbulent, too. Based on what was said in Insider Gaming's report, however, I'm far from confident.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is available for $39.99 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One systems, Windows PC (via Steam or Ubisoft Connect), PS5, PS4 systems, and Nintendo Switch. On PC, it's also available to play on Ubisoft's Xbox Game Pass-like gaming subscription service Ubisoft+.

What you need to know

• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a 2D Metroidvania platformer released earlier this year by Ubisoft. It's available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PS5, PS4, and Nintendo Switch.
• The game reviewed very well with critics when it came out in January, and also has very favorable user review scores across all of its platforms.
• However, a new report claims that the development team at Ubisoft's Montpellier office responsible for making it has been disbanded, with a sequel turned down and developers assigned to other projects.
• Reportedly, Ubisoft's reasoning for the decision is financial, with the publisher choosing not to make a sequel due to The Lost Crown failing to meet sales expectations.

Original article: Ubisoft's Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown stood out as one of the best games the company has released in quite some time when it launched in January. Now, though, the development team responsible for it has reportedly been disbanded by the publisher.

That news comes from French game journalist Gauthier "Gautoz" Andres, who reported that he heard the information directly from several developers within Ubisoft's Montpellier office (the branch that made the title) in a video on Tuesday morning. Many saw it as a "beacon of hope to create" and an enjoyable project to work on when burnt out on developing Beyond Good and Evil 2 — that game hasn't been seen since its 2017 announcement, though Ubisoft said it's still on the way — but Ubisoft has now broken up its creators and has turned down a sequel, citing poor commercial performance.

"Internally, the fate of the game was already decided a few weeks after the release of the game. It was clear in spring that after releasing a few DLCs and cosmetics it would be the end," explained Andres. "A few members of the core dev team fought to get a sequel greenlit, which did not happen. Then they pushed for two expansions hoping that it would work this time, but it didn't since Ubisoft needed more hands to help on other projects that had a better sales potential which wasn't the case with Lost Crown not meeting sales expectations."

"Another crazy justification that the dev team received from higher-ups was that releasing a sequel for the game would cannibalize long term sales of the first game," he added.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was met with very favorable reviews when it came out earlier this year, and has an overall Metacritic score of 85-88 depending on which platform you're looking at reviews for. It also enjoys high ratings across Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch, with a "Very Positive" ranking on Valve's PC gaming platform and 83% of all user reviews on it positive.

My Windows Central colleague Zachary Boddy gave the game a score of 4/5 stars in our Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown review, calling it a "definitive win" for Ubisoft and "a decidedly fun, challenging, and interesting Metroidvania 2D platformer" as well as "a great game that you shouldn't immediately write off."

And yet, "write it off" is potentially what many did, with this report seemingly confirming rumors of disappointing sales that began to circulate a few weeks after The Lost Crown's arrival. Overall confidence in Ubisoft has waned in recent years due to several underwhelming releases, and that reputation likely bled into how the game was perceived by players and damaged its marketability. Its quality may have helped repair the firm's standing, but with its developers now disbanded and assigned to other projects, Ubisoft may never release a game like The Lost Crown again.

Analysis: Ubisoft has to be willing to take a hit

Assuming this report is true, the dispersion of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown's development team is terrible news. The game was one of this year's best releases for fans of platformers and Metroidvania titles, and also one of the best Xbox games and best PC games in general. Yes, it underperformed commercially, but I'd strongly argue that's because of Ubisoft's poor reputation and not because of anything to do with the actual title.

As a result of launching many underwhelming games in recent years, the publisher gets a bad rap from players, and many tend to steer clear from its new titles as a result. The only way to win those fans back is to show them that Ubisoft can consistently make enjoyable games again, but inevitably, that will mean accepting that some projects will fall short of desired profit as the company's reputation comes back above water.

By breaking up the team that delivered one of Ubisoft's only critical successes in years due to missed sales expectations, though, the publisher communicates to its fans that it's only willing to make commitments for its major cash cows like Assassin's Creed or Far Cry. I'm willing to bet excellent games like The Lost Crown would be commercial hits if they were coming consistently from a company known for its creative, high-quality releases, but that's just not what Ubisoft is right now — and until its executives are willing to grit their teeth and accept some struggles as it works to reach that status, I don't think it ever will.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is available for $39.99 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One systems, Windows PC (via Steam or Ubisoft Connect), PS5, PS4 systems, and Nintendo Switch. On PC, it's also available to play on Ubisoft's Xbox Game Pass-like gaming subscription service Ubisoft+.

What you need to know

• Ubisoft is the game publisher behind franchises like Assassin's Creed and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six. 
• Ubisoft's share price has plummeted in recent months after the softer-than-expected launch of Star Wars Outlaws and the delay of Assassin's Creed Shadows to 2025. 
• Per a new report, Chinese tech powerhouse Tencent is considering teaming up with the Guillemot family to acquire Ubisoft. 
• The acquisition might include plans to take the company private, and comes after Tencent acquired a stake in the Guillemot family's holdings in 2023.

There could be another seismic acquisition shaking the gaming industry soon.

A new report from Bloomberg indicates Chinese tech conglomerate Tencent is considering teaming up with the Guillemot family and buying Ubisoft, the developer and publisher of franchises like Assassin's Creed and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege. The move reportedly includes the possibility that the company would be taken private following the acquisition. 

This news comes as Ubisoft faces increasing financial challenges in recent years. Massive Entertainment's Star Wars Outlaws received "softer" sales than the company expected, while upcoming action-adventure title Assassin's Creed Shadows has been delayed from November 2024 to February 2025. 

Meanwhile, a number of other Ubisoft games have been repeatedly pushed back years past their expected launch dates. Ubisoft's shareholder price has fallen to its lowest point in a decade, while Tencent acquired a stake in the Guillemot family's holdings in 2023.

With over 19,000 employees and dozens of development studios around the world, Ubisoft is one of the largest gaming publishers in the world. Ubisoft currently holds the Cloud gaming rights for Activision Blizzard titles, after Microsoft sold the rights off in order to appease the CMA (the regulatory authority in the UK) and finalize its acquisition of Activision Blizzard King in October 2023.

Ubisoft is a huge part of gaming history

The Guillemot family founded Ubisoft back in 1986, with the company rising through the following via a series of strategic moves such as acquiring Red Storm Entertainment, a studio in Cary, North Carolina founded by author Tom Clancy.

That growth continued with the launch of games like Assassin's Creed, a title that began life as a Prince of Persia game but went on to spawn Ubisoft's biggest and most successful franchise. 

The prior mainline game in the series, the Viking RPG Assassin's Creed Valhalla, vastly exceeded expectations, reaching over 20 million players and over $1 billion in revenue by 2020. 

Assassin's Creed Shadows is currently slated to launch on Feb. 14, 2025 across Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, Mac, and Amazon Luna.

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What you need to know

• Assassin's Creed Shadows was slated to arrive on Nov. 15, 2024. 
• Ubisoft is delaying the game out of the year to polish the experience. 
• All new preorders of the game will be granted the first expansion for free, and Assassin's Creed Shadows will now launch on Steam day one. 
• Assassin's Creed Shadows is now scheduled to arrive on Feb. 14, 2025. 

Ubisoft's next big game is getting pushed out the year. 

The company shared on Wednesday that Assassin's Creed Shadows is now launching on Feb. 14, 2025, being pushed out of its original November 2024 release date.

"This is an ambitious addition to the franchise, a rich experience that can be lived through the eyes of two unique protagonists - but we realize we need more time to polish and refine the experience, pushing further some of our key features," Ubisoft's statement reads. 

Assassin's Creed Shadows was slated to arrive across Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC via Uplay, PlayStation 5, Mac, and Amazon Luna, but is also now coming to Steam on day one.  All current preorders are being refunded soon, and any new preorders for Assassin's Creed Shadows will now get the game's first expansion for free, while Ubisoft is "departing" from the early access season pass model for this game, meaning season pass owners won't get three-day early access to the game.

This delay also comes on the back of Ubisoft's recent launch for Star Wars Outlaws, a launch that Ubisoft states was "softer than expected," adding that Star Wars Outlaws will be coming to Steam on Nov. 21, 2024.

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Two open-world Japanese adventures in the same year

This delay means Assassin's Creed Shadows is now launching in the same year as another big open-world adventure set in Japan.

PlayStation Studios and Sucker Punch Productions' Ghost of Yōtei, a sequel to Ghost of Tsushima, is slated to launch on PlayStation 5 at some point in 2025. Introducing a new protagonist named Atsu who takes up the mantle and mask of the legendary ghost Jin Sakai, little else is known at this time. 

While it's likely that the games will be separated by at least a few months, the timing is certainly noteworthy, especially given how long game development takes for blockbuster titles.

What you need to know

• In a livestream dedicated to its The Crew franchise, Ubisoft has made a series of important announcements, but one stands out to most. 
• The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest will both, at some point, be updated to include an offline mode. 
• This comes after community outrage that the first game in the series was completely killed when Ubisoft turned off the servers without adding an offline mode to allow players to keep playing a game they'd bought. 

Ubisoft continues to find ways to generate headlines, but at least this one is for good reason. Even if it comes too late for some of us. Following the absolute storm that followed the company's decision to turn off the servers for The Crew, the first title in the open-world racer series, the follow-up games will not be facing the same fate. 

The issue wasn't so much turning off the servers, after all, it's an inevitability that when older games no longer warrant the costs involved in such an enterprise, this is what will happen. The issue was that The Crew had no offline mode, which meant that when the servers went dark, the game was no longer playable in any form. A game a lot of people had paid good money for. 

Ubisoft has learned from that, at least, and made a statement regarding an offline mode coming to The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest in the future. 

What isn't on the cards, alas, is a surprise return to life for the original game in the series. That one is still dead, and my disc, like many others, will simply sit there as a reminder of something I gave Ubisoft my money for, but that I never actually owned. 

When I originally covered the news of The Crew's impending shutdown, I headlined it with the term "one of gaming's worst trends" and I stand by that. It's come to mind once more this week with the total mess that has been the Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown launch, with servers that were completely hosed during the paid for early access period. 

There's absolutely no excuse for games like these not to have an offline mode. Shared open worlds are fun, but ultimately, a racing game doesn't need real people, you can race against computer opponents just fine. The original game in The Crew series had a heap of content that's no longer accessible because the servers went off. Thank god that Ubisoft actually listened to its players and decided to keep the newer titles alive. 

Game preservation should be a topic we all care about. We have to fight enough against live service, always online requirements, and the dreaded expiration date of licenses. That final point hit home most recently with the influx of interest in the old Activision-made Deadpool game, something that can now only be bought on the used market and for increasingly extortionate prices. 

With services such as Xbox Game Pass, we can accept that we don't own the games we play. It's literally a part of using it. But we all deserve better when it comes to titles we buy outright. 

So thank you, Ubisoft, for at least ensuring that I, and many others, can still play The Crew 2 when it's time for the servers to get turned off. A valuable lesson seems to have been learned. Now, can you also think up something for The Division, because I'm already nervous enough that one of my favorite franchises in gaming will be lost forever through not having any form of offline mode. 

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Rather than being on Steam, the latest Ubisoft PC games have only been available on Ubisoft Connect, which is the publisher's own digital distribution service and game launcher. This means that certain Ubisoft games aren't available to play on Steam Deck out of the box. 

Thankfully, a helpful open-source plugin launcher known as Decky Loader makes it easy to access Ubisoft Connect and, therefore, any Ubisoft PC game on Steam Deck. I'll go over how to install Ubisoft Connect on Steam Deck using Decky Loader so you can start playing your library of games on your Linux-based gaming handheld. 

Steam Deck controls are not supported when accessing Ubisoft Connect this way. You will either need to hook up a mouse and keyboard to your Steam Deck (check out our best Steam Deck accessories for suggestions), or create your own button map or download customized controls that someone else has already created. While it is possible to install Star Wars Outlaws on Steam Deck via Decky Loader, the game always crashes when you attempt to run it. 

How to install Ubisoft Connect on Steam Deck using Decky Loader

Arguably, the easiest way to get Ubisoft Connect on Steam Deck is via Decky Loader. If you haven't downloaded this program yet, you'll need to do that first. For assistance, go to our guide on how to get Decky Loader on Steam Deck then come back here.

1. Press your Steam Deck's QAM button (Quick Access Menu — the three-dot button on the right) and select the newly added NonSteamLaunchers app (If it isn't there, then Decky Loader wasn't installed properly. Look at our Decky Loader on Steam Deck guide to check your steps).
2. Select Game Launchers. 
3. Toggle on Ubisoft Connect. 
4. Scroll down and toggle on Separate Launcher Folders if it hasn't been toggled yet. 
5. Next, select Install then wait while installation completes.
6. When done, press the Steam button. 
7. Go to Library. 
8. Use R1 to switch to the Non-Steam apps and select Ubisoft Connect. 
9. Select Play to open the app.
10. Login to your Ubisoft Connect account. 
11. Navigate to your library of games. 
12. Download/install the game you want to play. Star Wars Outlaws or Assassin's Creed Shadows, for instance. Then, wait while the game installs. 
13. When the game is ready, select it to start playing on Steam Deck.  

It isn't the most intuitive set of steps, but there's no denying that Decky Loader is one of the most convenient and fastest ways to access Ubisoft Connect on Steam Deck. 

Ubisoft Connect via Decky Loader FAQ

You might have some more questions about Ubisoft Connect on Steam Deck or Decky Loader. This area should hopefully catch any additional inquiries you might have. 

Start playing your Ubisoft Connect games on Steam Deck

The Steam Deck is basically a gaming laptop with controllers attached, but it's a bit more limited out of the box than the ROG Ally or Legion Go, which are Windows 11 gaming handhelds. Thankfully, you're not limited to playing only your Steam games on Steam Deck if you take the time to install Decky Loader and then use that service to download other game launchers like Ubisoft Connect. 

Based on what we've seen with games like Star Wars Outlaws and Assassin's Creed Shadows, it's unclear if Ubisoft's future games will come to Steam at all. As such, it's a good idea to make it possible to play these adventures from your preferred gaming device. That way, you won't miss out on any PC games that aren't available via Steam. Just be prepared to either play these games with a keyboard and mouse on Steam Deck, or else create your own customized controller map. 

It's been a long time coming, but Ubisoft's Star Wars Outlaws has now officially launched for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. There are three different versions of the game available, but thanks to some awesome deals going on right now, they're all discounted. When it comes to PC versions, the Standard Edition, which usually sells for $69.99, is only $52.59 at CDKeys, the $109.99 MSRP Gold Edition is down to just $85.49 at CDKeys, and the $129.99 Ultimate Edition is lowered to $99.89 at CDKeys.

You can also find the Xbox versions for sale right now too. While not a huge discount, the Xbox Standard Edition is lowered to $69.00 at Walmart, the Gold Edition is only selling for $102.59 at CDKeys, and finally, the Ultimate Edition is only $119.69 at CDKeys.

What is in each Star Wars Outlaws edition?

There are three editions of Star Wars Outlaws, with the more expensive options providing more in-game goodies. For a full edition rundown, check out our Star Wars Outlaws buying guide, or look at this recap below: 

• Standard Edition: Simply gives you the base game. 
• Gold Edition: Gives you the base game, Season Pass with two narrative expansions, an exclusive launch mission, and character cosmetic pack.
• Ultimate Edition: You get the base game, Season Pass, Sabacc Shark bundle, Rogue Infiltrator bundle, and a digital art book. 

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Assemble a heist crew in a galaxy far far away

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I've already beaten Star Wars Outlaws, so I can talk about the overall playing experience. I scored it 4/5 (basically 80/100) in my review, and that's about where it landed critically, as you can see from this Outlaws review roundup put together by my colleague. Ubisoft's latest Star Wars game doesn't really push any new boundaries and the story isn't the best, but it is a fun game that allows you to sneak into Imperial compounds, play the role of a scoundrel, and explore familiar locations found across the nine Skywalker Star Wars movies. We can even help you get started with our Star Wars Outlaws beginner guide.

Rather than playing as a Jedi or even taking part in the Empire vs Rebellion War, play as a young criminal named Kay Vess, who is just starting to make a name for herself. As part of that, you'll get to meet various syndicate leaders, including Jabba the Hutt. It's up to you to increase protagonist Kay's reputation with these groups by knowing when to help one gang and when to betray another. The more a syndicate likes you, the more perks you'll get in their territory. 

Combat is pretty punchy, allowing you to stealthily take down enemies if you haven't been spotted or rely on your blaster and grenades if you're being pursued. It is a little weird that you can't shoot regularly on a speeder bike, though. Since Kay is a Slicer (basically a hacker) she has tools that allow her to pick locks and hack into terminals. After agreeing to a job from a syndicate or other NPC, you'll usually end up sneaking around in vents, picking off guards, and collecting valuable loot. 

Something that sets Outlaws apart from other stealth games is that you have Kay's fuzzy friend, Nix, to help you distract enemies or push distant buttons without being spotted. The more creative you get with commanding Nix, the more convenient it can be to pull of a job. You can make Nix and Kay more powerful by finding upgrade components, leveling up, and unlocking new abilities. 

Unlike some previous Ubisoft games, the PC versions of Star Wars Outlaws are not available on Steam. This means PC players must purchase the game from the company's own distribution and launcher service, Ubisoft Connect. But if you want to get these games at a discount, your best bet is to purchase the PC version at CDKeys. Even if you're purchasing for Xbox Series X|S, CDKeys currently has the best discounts on the Xbox versions. 

Star Wars Outlaws doesn't work on Steam Deck due to few issues including Star Wars Outlaws' PC system requirements being somewhat hefty and the game not being on Steam. The same is true even when Outlaws is installed on Deck with a workaround like Decky Loader. Because of this, it's unclear if the game will ever work on Steam Deck.

However, Outlaws plays very well on more powerful Windows 11 gaming handhelds such as ROG Ally, ROG Ally X, and Legion Go. I myself have put over eight hours into the game on my ROG Ally X. But you'll want to adjust both in-game and system settings to get the adventure to run as smoothly as possible. For help with that, check out our Outlaws handheld guide.

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We've been waiting far too long for an interesting new Star Wars games not made by EA, and it's finally here. Star Wars Outlaws follows the adventures of scoundrel Kay Vess as she maneuvers around the galaxy's most notorious criminal syndicates. It's a massive, open-world action-adventure game with seven planets to explore, and in typical Ubisoft fashion there is a lot to keep in mind as you explore.

Star Wars Outlaws also features many unique mechanics and gameplay systems compared to other Ubisoft games, though, so even familiar fans may find themselves scratching their heads at first. Here's our ultimate beginner's guide to Star Wars Outlaws, with seven tips and tricks to turn you from bumbling novice to veteran scoundrel in moments.

If you keep these in mind, everything else you need to know about Star Wars Outlaws will come naturally.

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1. Play until your ship is in Jaunta's Hope

Star Wars Outlaws may be an open-world game that spans seven detailed planets, but it actually takes a while before your reigns are loosened. At first, Kay Vess is stranded in the entertainment city of Canto Bight on Canto, and for the first hour or two you'll be very limited in where you can go, with little reason to explore the few places you can go. Even after you escape Canto and crash-land on Toshara, you still won't be allowed to roam.

Sure, you'll have access to your handy speeder, but you'll basically have to take it straight to the city of Mirogana. From that point, you'll mostly be restricted to the city until you reach the "New Tricks" mainline quest. Finally, you have freedom! It's at this point you're told to leave the city in search of a part to upgrade your blaster, and at the same time you're informed by your companion Waka that your ship, the Trailblazer, has been moved to the village of Jaunta's Hope.

This is when Star Wars Outlaws properly opens up, although you still won't be able to quite leave the planet. Completing the "New Tricks" quest lets you exit Toshara's atmosphere, but not its orbit. Still, there's literally hours of content and quests just on Toshara alone, so I suggest playing up until this point before really committing to exploration or completion.

This is also when you'll be able to begin tracking down new Experts in order to unlock important new abilities, like the Speeder Boost and Advanced Slicing Kit, that give you access to new areas and secrets.

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2. Take advantage of Nix's abilities

It seems you can't make anything Star Wars without also having a cute animal or droid companion, and Star Wars Outlaws is no exception. This time, your best friend is Nix, an adorable and highly intelligent furry critter that can help you in far more ways than you might expect. Nix is your most valuable asset when exploring Star Wars Outlaws, and it massively helps to know what they're capable of.

• Nix can access many areas that you can't thanks to small openings and gaps
• Nix can open and close doors, vents, and shutters for you, even from a distance
• If you spot items or loot in hard-to-reach places or want to snatch something without being caught, Nix can fetch almost any loose items and bring them straight to you
• This includes weapons, as Nix can pick up powerful weapons from gun racks or fallen enemies and bring them to you
• Nix is also able to sabotage alarm systems and set explosives and other traps to detonate on a brief timer, often with far more subtlety than you'd be able to on your own
• Nix can attack enemies to give you a starting advantage in combat (including letting you do a quick takedown)
• For the stealthier approach, Nix can distract enemies with a little show, moving them away from their position and occupying their attention for a brief time
• Finally, Nix can use their enhanced senses to "scan" the area around you, temporarily highlighting enemies and interactable elements

Nix isn't a get-out-of-jail-free card, as it takes them time to move and enemies can notice them, but they're still extremely versatile when it comes to assisting you in almost everything you do. You can also customize Nix with unique cosmetic accessories, or give them new abilities (like the ability to kick grenades away from you) by taking them out to eat and obtaining treat charms.

There are parts of the game where you simply won't be able to manage without Nix, but in basically every situation they're handy to have around. I find myself using Nix more and more as time goes on, so the sooner you explore Nix's abilities, the better.

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3. Use your Journal and acquired Intel

Star Wars Outlaws is happy to hand you out new quests and objectives just by way of its main storyline. But, much of what you'll do in Ubisoft's latest adventure is actually motivated by the intel and info you pick up along the way. As you explore Star Wars Outlaws, you'll find various datapads that contain notes and tidbits of info, or encounter people engaged in a private conversation on which you can eavesdrop, or make new discoveries simply based on the connections you'll create throughout the game.

Anything you see, hear, or do that can lead to rare upgrades, new secrets, and even entire quest lines is classified as Intel, and it's organized in your Journal. If you want to make the most of your time in Star Wars Outlaws, be sure to use your Journal, regularly checking it to follow new clues and track down new leads. The Journal organizes all your Intel in separate categories depending on their importance and difficulty, helping you prioritize what you should do next.

One piece of Intel may have you track down rumors of a new Expert, which in turn will become a series of quests you'll need to complete in order to gain that Expert's trust (and help). Another may be a hint of a hidden stash somewhere in the world that you have to track down. It's an interesting quest system, especially considering all the possible sources of Intel. Your Journal will also link to the map whenever you have location information, making it even easier to track things down.

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4. Pay attention to your Syndicate Reputation

One of the biggest systems in Star Wars Outlaws is your Reputation. Kay Vess has relationships with up to four of the galaxy's biggest Criminal Syndicates (the Pyke Syndicate, the Crimson Dawn, the Hutt Cartel, and the Ashiga Clan). Knowing your Reputation with these Syndicates can play a huge role in how successful you are in certain quests and just in general, honestly.

You're always able to check your Reputation with each of the Criminal Syndicates in the dedicated menu, and it basically ranges from "shoot them on sight" to "we love them, they have no restrictions." Each Criminal Syndicate will have various territories all over the playable planets, for example, and your Reputation with that organization will dictate whether or not you're allowed to roam inside and what kind of access you have.

An improved Reputation also means access to Criminal Syndicate-exclusive merchants, and as your relationship with a syndicate grows, so too does the stock the merchants can offer you and the discounts on that stock. You can even see a list of all the syndicate-specific merchants you've met on each organization's dedicated page.

You also get exclusive benefits and rewards for reaching new Reputation tiers with each organization. Accidentally wandering into the wrong territory when your Reputation isn't good enough is a fast way to get shot, though, so it's important to be familiar with how to check your Reputation. Of course, it's also important to know how to improve your Reputation.

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5. Master juggling the four Criminal Syndicates

There are many ways to bolster and tarnish your Reputation with the four dominating Criminal Syndicates in Star Wars Outlaws. Obviously, completing requests for syndicates will improve their trust in you, but it's more complicated than that. First, let's cover the negatives. If you're caught (emphasis on "caught") stealing or sabotaging inside syndicate territory, trespassing inside restricted areas, or fighting syndicate members, you'll lose a lot of rep.

The fastest way to make a syndicate dislike you is to betray them, though, and this is where quests and requests become more complicated. Many of the quests you'll have in Star Wars Outlaws will come from syndicates, either directly or indirectly, and the choices you make during those quests are important. Star Wars Outlaws will frequently force you to make decisions, often with major consequences.

For example, you may be given a quest to recover stolen syndicate property for the Pykes. During that mission, though, a member of the Hutts may approach you and offer you Credits to turn that property over to them instead. Completing the quest like normal will increase your rep with the Pykes, while betraying them may earn you a lot more money and positive rep with the Hutts, but lose you a lot of Reputation with the Pykes.

Sometimes, though, it's not as clear-cut, and you have to use your knowledge and intel to know which syndicates know about what. You may have an opportunity to recover crucial data from the Empire on the Crimson Dawn, for example. You can choose to sell that data to the Pykes or return it to the Crimson Dawn, scoring a huge amount of positive rep with the syndicate you choose. Either way, the other syndicate will be none the wiser since the data came from another source.

The consequences of your decisions can usually be guessed with common sense, logic, and what you know about the quest you're on or Intel you're pursuing, but there can still be unexpected results thanks to the actions of syndicate members. A Crimson Dawn agent may infiltrate a mission from the Hutts, for example, and force you to make a last-minute decision to either betray the Hutts or risk the ire of the Crimson Dawn. Because of all this, your Reputation with each Criminal Syndicate is likely to fluctuate frequently, even if you attempt to please everyone.

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6. Take advantage of quests to upgrade your gear

Kay Vess and Nix are a capable duo, but their enemies in Star Wars Outlaws are far more powerful and considerably better equipped. If you want to remain competitive and take on the more challenging jobs with ease, you'll have to upgrade your gear. There are a few ways to do this, too, and a lot of it comes down to Intel.

As you explore Star Wars Outlaws, you'll come across a lot of information and leads that could potentially guide you to better gear, valuable upgrade components, and new abilities. For one, you'll encounter Experts that — after earning their trust — will hook you up with a new ability and a variety of additional upgrades you can earn through completing specific missions.

You'll also discover information on specific components and upgrade parts that can be used to make your blaster, speeder, or ship better. These components may be found in hidden stashes, locked inside secure vaults, or even just available for sale by a specific merchant. Yes, merchants play a part, too, and your Reputation with a syndicate may be the only thing in the way of you purchasing a valuable component for your gear.

Finally, Vess can also equip new shirts, pants, and holsters that can provide special bonuses, like increased health or faster movement speed. This gear isn't particularly common and isn't something you can make on your own. Instead, you'll find unique gear spread all across Star Wars Outlaws in various treasure chests. You can also buy gear from certain merchants, with some stock again being exclusive to only the inner circles of the Criminal Syndicates.

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7. Use everything you can find in battle

Kay Vess is equipped with a trusty blaster, but it's hardly the most destructive weapon in the Star Wars universe. Unlike other Star Wars games, you're not playing as an extremely powerful Jedi or galaxy-renowned warrior. Vess is a thief, and can very easily be overwhelmed in combat by large numbers or even larger guns. To come out on top, you'll need to take advantage of everything at your disposal.

That means using environmental hazards like explosives to take out groups of opponents, commanding Nix to distract and confuse enemies, and (especially) picking up the weapons on fallen enemies. You can find blaster rifles and sniper rifles that give you a huge edge in battle, and although their ammo is limited and your mobility takes a hit, the increased firepower can be worth the trade-off.

Mostly, though, stealth is your friend. Vess can take down most opponents with quick (often goofy) takedowns, and many of her unique abilities are specialized in moving unseen and dispatching foes just as quietly. Just remember that, if all hell breaks loose, that abandoned blaster rifle could save your life.

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Star Wars Outlaws is a big game, but worth exploring

Star Wars Outlaws isn't a perfect game, with a mesh of bugs and other issues that keep it from our list of the best Xbox games of the year. It's still a step-up for Ubisoft versus the publisher's other recent games, however, offering a fun experience that's a refreshing change of pace compared to other Star Wars games. Playing as a scoundrel in the Star Wars universe can offer a lot of joy, especially with the Intel and Reputation systems.

If you're looking to dive into Star Wars Outlaws for yourself, this guide is your one-stop shop to get all the basics mastered. Those still on the fence can check out our Star Wars Outlaws review, which goes over all the pros and cons of this open-world action-adventure title. I've personally been really enjoying my time with Star Wars Outlaws, although the opening hours could stand to move along faster and I would've had an easier time had I already known the above.

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While Star Wars Outlaws PC system requirements aren't insane, they are a bit heftier than some other recently released PC titles. Because of this, I was curious to see how well Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment's new open-world RPG handled on gaming handhelds such as Steam Deck, Legion Go, and ROG Ally. 

After spending time playing (or attempting to play) Star Wars Outlaws on each of these devices, I can say that the game really only runs on ROG Ally, ROG Ally X, and Legion Go. There are currently multiple issues preventing it from being playable on Steam Deck. That said, if you want to play on ROG Ally or Legion Go, you'll need to adjust settings to get it to run as smoothly as possible. Let's go over what settings you need to adjust. 

• Star Wars Outlaws Standard Edition (Xbox): $69.99 at CDKeys
• Star Wars Outlaws Gold Edition (Xbox) was $109.99 now $105.59 at CDKeys
• Star Wars Outlaws Ultimate Edition (Xbox) $129.99 at Xbox
  Star Wars Outlaws Standard Edition (PC) $69.99 at Ubisoft
• Star Wars Outlaws Gold Edition (PC) was $109.99 now $54.09 at CDKeys
• Star Wars Outlaws Ultimate Edition (PC) $129.99 at Ubisoft

Best Star Wars Outlaws settings on ROG Ally and Legion Go

I spent several hours playing Star Wars Outlaws on my ROG Ally X and Legion Go. The game can get pretty choppy at times, which is why it's best to leave ray tracing off or as low as possible. Most graphics settings will need to be on their lowest settings as well. 

Even then, the game won't run 100% smoothly, but it can be playable. To increase performance, it's best to do the following:

Best ROG Ally or Legion Go system settings 

• Set to max TDP: It is definitely going to drain the battery, but if you want this game to run as smoothly as possible, you need to put TDP up high. On ROG Ally, this is quickly done within Armoury Crate's Command Center side menu. On Legion Go, this is done within Legion Space. If you're worried about battery life, play while the handheld is plugged in and charging.
• Put VRAM to 6G: You'll find that Star Wars Outlaws runs a lot smoother if you up the VRAM allotment to 6G on your gaming handheld. For help with that, you can check out our guide on how to increase ROG Ally VRAM.
• Turn on AMD Fluid Motion Frames (AFMF): AFMF uses AI to generate additional frames and significantly improves a game's overall frames per second (FPS). For help turning this on, check out our ROG Ally AFMF guide.
• Go to 120Hz refresh rate: This is a steady rate that shouldn't be too taxing. 
• Resolution at 900p: This is really a matter of preference, but you don't need to have the Ally at 1080p. It will help the system if you put the resolution to a lower setting. Resolution can be adjusted within Armoury Crate or Legion Space. 

Best in-game graphics settings for ROG Ally and Legion Go

• Run Star Wars Outlaws → Settings → Video
  • Vertical Sync: On
  • Display mode: Borderless Window
  • Resolution: 1920 x 1080 or lower (will be greyed out, must be changed in Armoury Crate/Legion Space or Windows)
  • Cinematic display mode: Whatever you want. Full-screen makes it easier to see more detail but 21:9 allows you to see more of the world at once
  • Monitor refresh rate: 120.00 Hz (will be greyed out, can be changed within Armoury Crate/Legion Space)
  • Cinematic framerate: Locked
  • Frame rate limiter: Off
  • Out of focus sleep: Off
  • Screen Calibration: Can be left alone or adjusted to your preferred light and contrast
  • Upscaler type: AMD FSR 3
    • Frame Generation: On
    • Ray Reconstruction: Off (this will really mess with performance if turned on)
  • Upscaler mode: Biased
  • Upscaler quality: Ultra performance
    
    
• Run Star Wars Outlaws → Settings → Graphics
  • Quality: Low
  • Advanced graphics:
    • Environment reflection quality: Low
    • Fog blur: On
    • Mcrodetail quality: Low
    • Particle quality: Low
    • Scatter density: Low
    • Shadow quality: Low
    • Shadow proxies: On
    • Spotlight shadows: Few
    • Spotlight shadow quality: Low
    • Deformable terrain quality: Low
    • Lens and cinematic effects quality: Low
    • Extra streaming distance: 0
    • Object detail: 75
    • Destruction quality: Low
    • Spotlight projection resolution: 128
    • Terrain tesselation: Low
    • Raytraced contact shadows: Low
    • Raytraced diffuse reflections: Low
    • Raytraced diffuse reflections resolution: Medium
    • Raytraced specular reflections: Low
    • Raytraced specular reflections resolution: Very low
    • BVH quality: Low
    • Volumetric fog: Low
    • Volumetric Clouds: Low
  • High contrast mode: Adjust these settings to your liking
  • Chromatic aberration: Off
  • Film grain: Off
  • Depth of field: Low
  • Motion blur intensity: 2
    • Camera motion blur intensity: 5
    • Per-object motion blur intensity: 5 
  • NVIDIA RTX Direct Lighting: Off
  • MSI Mystic Light: Off

What does Star Wars Outlaws look like on ROG Ally and Legion Go?

⬆️ Look at the above gallery to see screenshots taken on ROG Ally X. ⬆️

At the time of writing, I've spent over eight hours playing Star Wars Outlaws on my ROG Ally X. As usual, this 3D video game won't look as good on ROG Ally, ROG Ally X, and Legion Go as it does on a powerful gaming laptop or gaming desktop. However, it looks good overall on these Windows 11 handhelds. Textures render decently, and pop-in isn't too bad. Choppiness can be an issue, but can be reduced with the right settings. 

Star Wars Outlaws on Steam Deck

⚠️ As of right now, Star Wars Outlaws does not run on Steam Deck. ⚠️

Since the PC version of Star Wars Outlaws isn't on Steam (only on Ubisoft Connect), players currently have to find a workaround to install Ubisoft's game on Steam Deck. I attempted various methods, including using an open-source launcher plugin called Decky Loader. 

However, even after I got the game installed on my Deck and booted it up, the program didn't support Steam Deck controller. What's more, while I can open to Outlaws's opening menu, the game always crashes if I attempt to actually start it. 

Now, it's possible that a Steam Deck fix could be coming down the line, but since this isn't a Steam title, it isn't guaranteed. In case that changes or in case you want to attempt it yourself, here are some guides I've written on how to install Decky Loader on Steam Deck as well as how to install Ubisoft Connect on Steam Deck using Decky Loader.

Star Wars Outlaws on Steam Deck warning

When playing on Steam Deck, a Warning notice will appear after starting Star Wars Outlaws. It reads: 

WARNING The game is currently installed on a mechanical hard drive which might result in unexpected and unwanted issues (streaming issues, low resolution textures...). It is recommended to install Star Wars Outlaws on an SSD. 

You can bypass this notice by tapping on the Continue button with your finger. But once again, even at lowest possible settings, the game will crash if you attempt to run it on Steam Deck. 

Star Wars Outlaws gaming handheld FAQ

Get playing in a galaxy far far away

Ever since I got my Steam Deck, I've mostly only wanted to play my PC games with a gaming handheld. Since Valve released its system, I've been able to get an ROG Ally, ROG Ally X, and a Legion Go as well, and I find that each of these devices has its uses. More often than not, I find myself playing PC games in bed with one of these three systems before going to sleep. It makes for very convenient and comfortable gaming. 

Of these three, my favorite device to play Star Wars Outlaws on is the AMD Z1 Extreme ROG Ally or ROG Ally X. I was easily able to download Ubisoft Connect right on the system, and it's far more powerful than Steam Deck anyway. Additionally, since ASUS's handhelds support VRR, they reduce screen tearing better than Legion Go does. 

The Steam Deck is a pretty awesome gaming handheld, but the fact that it cannot easily access game services out of the box other than Steam can make it feel a bit limiting. Thankfully, there's a helpful homebrew plugin called Decky Loader that widens the gaming handheld's initial abilities. With it installed, you can easily access your library of games on Epic Games, Ubisoft Connect, and more.

Plus, Decky Loader comes with a bunch of cool widgets and additional settings that you can install as desired. Here's how to get Decky Loader installed and enable its various features.

1. Turn on Developer Mode

To start things off, we need to make sure that the Steam Deck has Developer Mode enabled. Here's how to do that.

1. Press the Steam button.
2. Select Settings.
3. Select System.
4. Make sure Enable Developer Mode is toggled on (to the right)
5. In the left menu, scroll down and select Developer.
6. Scroll down to the Miscellaneous section and toggle on CEF Remote Debugging.
7. Press the Steam button again.
8. Select Power.
9. Select Restart and then Confirm.

2. Download Decky Loader in Desktop mode

With Developer Mode on and the handheld restarted, it's time to head to the Steam Deck's Desktop mode for the next stage of the Decky Loader install process.

1. Press the Steam button.
2. Select Power.
3. Select Switch to Desktop Mode.
4. You need to use Google Chrome for this to work. If you don't have it installed yet, open a browser (Mozilla Firefox is in the bottom tray by default). Press Steam button + X to bring up (or close) the on-screen keyboard and type in "Google Chrome download" into the search bar. Then, download/install the Debian/Ubuntu version of the app.
5. Using Google Chrome go to the Decky Loader download page on GitHub.
6. Click the big Download button.
7. After the app has downloaded, close out of Chrome and open the Dolphin file explorer (the blue file icon on the bottom tray).
8. Click on Downloads and then drag and drop the Install Decky file onto the desktop.
9. Double-click on Install Decky and run through the recommended installation settings. If your Deck is set to Beta Steam OS, choose the prelease option; otherwise, choose release. Then click OK.
10. After installation has completed, click OK.
11. Click on the Return to Game Mode icon on the desktop.

3. Activate Decky Loader's NonSteamLaunchers app

At this point, Decky Loader is on Steam Deck, but you haven't yet made it possible to access various game launchers. Here's what you need to do to install these.

1. Press the three-dot button on the right of the Steam Deck. This is the Quick Access Menu button (QAM).
2. Go to the outlet Plugin tab at the bottom and click on the small cogwheel Settings button.
3. Change the Store Channel drop-down menu to Testing.
4. Press the QAM button again and select the Store button next to settings.
5. Scroll down and install the NonSteamLaunchers app.
6. Press Install again.
7. Press the QAM button and select the newly added NonSteamLaunchers app.
8. Select Game Launchers.
9. Toggle on the game launcher you want to use.
10. Scroll down and toggle on Separate Launcher Folders.
11. Next select Install. Wait while installation completes.
12. When done, press the Steam button.
13. Go to Library.
14. Use R1 to switch to the Non-Steam apps and select the launcher you just added.
15. Select Play to open the game launcher app.

4. Download any other widgets or plugins you want

Decky Loader offers some really helpful features including the ability to add Discord to Steam Deck, install a video recorder, and add a better screenshot saving process. Here's what you need to do to install these widgets.

1. Press the QAM button.
2. Go to the Plugin tab and click on the Store icon.
3. Browse the list and install any widgets and plugins that look cool.

All game launchers that work with Decky Loader

As of the time of writing, these are the game launchers that currently work on Steam Deck via Decky Loader.

• Amazon Games
• Battle.net
• EA app
• Epic Games
• Gog Galaxy
• Humble Bundle Games
• IndieGala Client
• Itch.io
• Legacy Games
• PlayStation Plus
• Rockstar Games Launcher
• Ubisoft Connect

Just because a game launcher is put on Steam Deck does not mean that it has controller support. You might need to find workarounds to get the Steam Deck controls to work with certain games.

Now you can access a ton of cool features and various game launchers on Steam Deck

With these steps taken, your Steam Deck is now capable of accessing far more features and game launchers than it initially could.

Take some time to explore within Decky Loader to see all of the plugins and widgets it provides you with. You might find you like some of the new settings provided.

Remember that you will still need to log in to whatever game launcher services you access through Decky Loader, so be ready to enter your account information before you can start playing your different game libraries.

Controller support isn't always guaranteed to work on some of these services. As such, you might need to connect a keyboard and mouse to play certain games or try to find other solutions to play on Steam Deck.

Star Wars Outlaws is strictly single player

There's just a few days left until the official Star Wars Outlaws release date, on which fans will finally get access to the highly anticipated open world action/adventure game. Unlike most titles set in the galaxy far, far away, Outlaws stands out for its focus on the universe's shady underworld and the powerful crime syndicates that operate in its shadows. Over the course of its expansive storyline, you'll fill the boots of scoundrel Kay Vess as she explores the galaxy with her trusty critter companion Nix and ND-5, her trench coat-wearing commando droid partner in crime.

Offering players plenty of chances to get mixed up in action-packed battles, explosive dogfights, tense stealth missions, and exploratory expeditions, Star Wars Outlaws looks to be one of the best Star Wars games in years — something that's only been reinforced by its favorable review scores. Whether or not it has multiplayer, though, is something that fans have been wondering for quite a while, especially since ND-5 looks like he'd be a blast to play as in co-op.

• Star Wars Outlaws Standard Edition (Xbox): $69.99 at CDKeys
• Star Wars Outlaws Gold Edition (Xbox) was $109.99 now $105.59 at CDKeys
• Star Wars Outlaws Ultimate Edition (Xbox) $129.99 at Xbox Star Wars Outlaws Standard Edition (PC) $69.99 at Ubisoft
• Star Wars Outlaws Gold Edition (PC) was $109.99 now $54.09 at CDKeys
• Star Wars Outlaws Ultimate Edition (PC) $129.99 at Ubisoft

Unfortunately for multiplayer hopefuls, however, it's now been confirmed by reviews that Star Wars Outlaws doesn't have any kind of multiplayer component whatsoever. That means there's no way to play with friends cooperatively, and there's not a PvP mode, either. Notably, this lines up with a comment game director Mathias Karlson made in an interview with Eurogamer last year: "We're super focused on delivering a single-player experience."

Will Star Wars Outlaws get multiplayer?

Something important to highlight is that while Star Wars Outlaws doesn't have multiplayer now, there hasn't been any hard confirmation that the game will never or can't get a mode at some point in the future. Theoretically, Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment could add something like co-op to Outlaws in DLC or a free update, and may even do so if there's a strong enough demand for it.

With that said, it's also important to note that there haven't been any announced plans for this at the time of writing, so multiplayer isn't something I would expect. All I'm saying is that the door doesn't seem to be completely closed, which is good news in and of itself for folks hoping to journey across the galaxy with a player two.

Even if Star Wars Outlaws never gets multiplayer, there are a handful of other great modern Star Wars games available that do feature it prominently — and all of them have incredibly low barriers to entry. Thanks to CDKeys deals (read our CDKeys FAQ for more on the retailer), Star Wars Battlefront II is just $9.09 on PC and $14.59 on Xbox, and it's the perfect shooter to play if you like the sound of large-scale Battlefield-style Star Wars battles. Interested in tense spaceship dogfighting? Check out Star Wars Squadrons, which is $4.59 on PC and $11.89 on Xbox. For the MMO crowd, there's also the popular and free-to-play Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Star Wars Outlaws is headed to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PS5 later this week on August 30, and will surely be one of the best Xbox games and best PC games you can play in 2024 if you're a huge Star Wars fan. Prices for editions of the game start at $69.99, though you also have the option of checking it out through Ubisoft+ Premium if you're a PC player.