Summary
- Assassin's Creed Shadows was delayed to Feb 14, 2025, following backlash.
- Recent reports suggest a co-op mode for Assassin's Creed Shadows, codenamed "LEAGUE."
- Co-op mode may offer strategic gameplay but may be limited to two players.
Assassin's Creed Shadows has been under fire lately, leading to a delay and a new release date of February 14, 2025. Based on what Ubisoft has outright confirmed, Assassin's Creed Shadows is still on track to eventually be released, and that might be even further confirmed by a recent leak that suggests something unique about its gameplay.
According to recent reports, Assassin's Creed Shadows will feature a co-op mode, currently codenamed "LEAGUE." The explicit details of the game mode have not been disclosed, but there are some assumptions that can be made based on the gameplay mechanics that have already been confirmed for Assassin's Creed Shadows. Should the reports of the game's co-op mode turn out to be true, Assassin's Creed Shadows would be reviving a game mode that hasn't been around in ten years since Assassin's Creed Unity.
Assassin's Creed Shadows Reported Co-op Mode Would Be a Game-Changer
Assassin's Creed Hasn't Featured Co-op Since Assassin's Creed Unity
Assuming the reports about Assassin's Creed Shadows' co-op mode are true, it still wouldn't be the first Assassin's Creed game to feature co-op. While it might have initially been a very divisive and controversial Assassin's Creed title, Assassin's Creed Unity also featured a co-op mode where up to four players could explore the game's world together and complete certain story-driven missions. It was possible to play co-op in Assassin's Creed Unity either by matchmaking, joining a friend's session, or inviting friends to a session. As such, it's assumed Assassin's Creed Shadows' reported co-op mode would function similarly.
Assassin's Creed Shadows' Co-op Mode Would Likely Allow Two Players to Control Yasuke and Naoe Simultaneously
The most obvious benefit to Assassin's Creed Shadows having a co-op mode is that two players would likely then be able to control Yasuke and Naoe simultaneously. With Naoe filling the classic stealth role for the game and Yasuke filling the action RPG role, this would allow players to be very strategic in their approach to certain situations throughout Assassin's Creed Shadows' world. In the game's default single-player mode, players are given regular opportunities to decide which protagonist they will control during missions, with some missions possibly favoring one approach over another. A co-op mode would potentially remove that choice barrier and see players completing missions using a hybrid of both styles.
While it might have initially been a very divisive and controversial Assassin's Creed title, Assassin's Creed Unity also featured a co-op mode where up to four players could explore the game's world together and complete certain story-driven missions.
The main downside to Assassin's Creed Shadows' reported co-op mode in comparison to Assassin's Creed Unity's is that the presence of two protagonists in the game suggests that there will only be room enough for two players to be in a game together, whereas Assassin's Creed Unity allowed up to four players to be in the same game. However, the distinct playstyles of both of Assassin's Creed Shadows' protagonists means it would be better for the game's co-op mode to be limited to two players.
Finally, another obstacle Assassin's Creed Shadows' possible co-op mode would need to overcome is balancing the strength of the two protagonists with their enemies. It would be anticlimactic for players to participate in a co-op game and very easily mow down their foes, with the two protagonists effortlessly overpowering anyone in their path. As such, Assassin's Creed Shadows' co-op mode would likely need to scale the difficulty a bit to ensure enemies are much smarter, much stronger, and, therefore, much harder to take down. Of course, this is all assuming that the reports of Assassin's Creed Shadows' co-op mode are true. For now, fans will likely need to wait until February 2025 draws nearer to find out.
Assassin's Creed Shadows
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 82%
- Released
- March 20, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Quebec
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- AnvilNext
- Franchise
- Assassin's Creed
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
