Ubisoft dropped a surprise live stream during the holidays for Assassin’s Creed Shadows that was not just about the daily login gift. More than that, They showed off gameplay that was working on the new Switch console. Believe it or not, the Nintendo Switch 2 is the real deal this time. On top of that, they are giving away Twitch drops just for watching. The stream has already been going on for a while on their Twitch channel and it is not only the free loot that is causing the players to talk about it.
The main news couldn’t be more obvious. The official Assassin’s Creed account of Ubisoft tweeted out the invitation for a ‘festive chat’ during which they were going to show the Switch 2 gameplay for Shadows and give out Twitch drops. This means a lot because of two reasons. First, it is the most direct and sort of official view we have had at the Switch 2 being used for a major third-party AAA title. Second, it shows that the game is being optimized for the new hardware already which is a good indication of its performance when the console is finally launched. And third, free stuff. It is always good.
What was I saying? Oh right, the stream. They are giving away free gifts every day and the gifts that you can claim in-game are one of the holiday promotions for the live service games during the season, which is pretty standard. But still, it is a big deal that a Switch 2 showcase is coming along with it. It sounds like a soft confirmation that Shadows will be a launch title for the new Nintendo system or at least very close to it. The audience got to watch the medieval Japan setting of the handheld device, very likely, which is a big issue for anyone who is thinking of buying the next console.
Hold on, and the replies to the tweet… they went wild and completely off topic. It is a bit hilarious. In the midst of a modern game stream talk, quite a few comments became lost in a long, academic discussion about the historic character of Yasuke—the African samurai who was one of the game’s heroes. We are talking about people who study ancient languages, and historiographers fighting.
The users ‘HtaJiro59589’ and ‘Grok’ engaged in a long discussion about the meaning and origin of the ‘Yasuke’ (弥助) name. One group argued that the kanji used for the name suggests a lower social rank, one that would be assigned to a commoner or a servant, which would mirror the reader’s view of him. The other group was counter-arguing that there are no primary historical sources that explicitly declare how the name was derived, and that claiming it is from ‘Isaac’ or associated with the Yao people is just pure speculation. They are quoting research papers from 2025 and everything. It is like a full history seminar in the comments of a gaming tweet.
It is completely different from the other major reply by user DemianDeVile, who just bluntly stated that the game was boring and unappealing at launch and that they, as a long-term AC fan, had no interest in trying Shadows. So on one side, there is the very niche historical debate and on the other side, the classic gamer opinion of ‘this game looks lame’. That is the internet for you.
Let’s go back to the stream. The revelation of a Switch 2 gameplay so openly suggests a few things. For one: confidence. Ubisoft will be confident and hence, content with the port’s progress to reveal it. It also serves as a very potent marketing strategy. ‘Join us to acquire your complimentary holiday item and see the future of mobile Assassin’s Creed.’ A seductive two-for-one offer. For players still on the fence about Shadows, watching it be smooth on what is effectively a powerful handheld could be a strong selling point, especially with the game’s dual protagonist and intricate open world system.
The Twitch drops are the cherry on top—the icing on the cake—a minor inducement to raise the viewer count and their involvement. You log in, watch for a bit, might learn something from the Switch 2 version, and then get a cosmetic or resource pack as a reward for your effort. It is the usual playbook, but pairing it with actual hardware news makes it less of a routine promotion and more like an event.
A ‘come watch our stream’ tweet can surprisingly evolve. You would expect the excitement or criticism of the game itself, but instead, it leads to a rabbit hole about the 16th-century Japanese naming practices and the legitimacy of modern academic publications. Meanwhile, the actual news—Switch 2 gameplay!—is just there being somewhat huge. It tells more about the lore and historical influence of Assassin’s Creed Shadows that have reached a few people even if the others are uninterested.
So if you are curious about the adventures of Naoe and Yasuke on the go, you might want to check out the new update. For other platforms, the game is also available on PlayStation and Xbox.
