Assassin’s Creed: Shadows Shifts to “Chunkier Updates” Over Second Expansion
▼ Summary
– Assassin’s Creed: Shadows will not receive a second expansion after Claws of Awaji, breaking from the series’ recent tradition of multiple expansions.
– Ubisoft is shifting to “chunkier updates” for Year Two, similar in size to the Attack on Titan crossover, rather than full downloadable content.
– The development team plans to release fewer but more substantial updates based on community feedback and learnings from Year One.
– The Attack on Titan crossover has received negative feedback online for issues like poor quest design and animations.
– Assassin’s Creed: Shadows will soon be available on the Nintendo Switch 2, while Mirage recently got a free story DLC backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
Assassin’s Creed: Shadows is charting a new course for post-launch content, moving away from the traditional model of releasing multiple large-scale expansions. Instead of a second story DLC following the Claws of Awaji expansion, Ubisoft plans to deliver what it calls “chunkier updates.” This new strategy marks a significant departure from the established pattern seen in the series since Assassin’s Creed Origins in 2017, which popularized the two-expansion model.
Associate game director Simon Lemay-Comtois confirmed this shift, stating that while the team continues to work on post-launch support, there is currently no plan for a full-sized DLC comparable to Claws of Awaji for the game’s second year. He emphasized that the development philosophy is now centered on being “small and reactive,” allowing the team to gauge community feedback before committing to larger content drops.
The approach for Year Two is a direct result of lessons learned from the game’s first year. Lemay-Comtois explained that the initial strategy involved frequent, smaller updates to quickly address player concerns and “put fires out.” With those immediate issues now resolved, the team feels liberated to focus on more substantial, albeit less frequent, content releases. He described the goal as delivering “chunkier updates that shake things up a little more,” aiming to provide players with meaningful reasons to return to the game.
These substantial updates are expected to be, at a minimum, on the scale of the recent Attack on Titan crossover event. However, the reception to that particular limited-time crossover has been mixed, with some players on social media criticizing its quest design and animations. Despite this, it serves as a benchmark for the size and scope of future content.
This change in direction for Shadows comes as the game is also preparing for its release on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, with Ubisoft recently detailing the features for that version. In a contrasting move for the franchise, Assassin’s Creed Mirage recently received a surprise free story DLC, an initiative reportedly backed by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, showcasing the varied support models now present within the Assassin’s Creed universe.
(Source: EuroGamer)
