Ubisoft did not hold back, that’s for sure. They were upfront that they wanted new finishers as their Christmas gift, and the new finishing moves are already part of the latest update for Assassin’s Creed Shadows players. The whole process even got a happy hashtag, #AssassinsCreedShadows, with a link to check it out. It’s a minor gift for the season, a touch of extra elegance for your murders in the land of feudal Japan. But if you quickly skim through the responses, it seems you just got a present with a thick pair of socks and a pen that is only somewhat cool. The general reaction is… mixed, to say the least.
So here is the news summary for Google’s sake and for everyone who wants only the facts: Ubisoft has put out a new Title Update for Assassin’s Creed Shadows that allows a new set of combat finishers to be used by the players. The update is already available on most platforms, while the Nintendo Switch 2 version is set for release on December 17th. The announcement was made through the game’s official social media channel and the holiday theme was used. Player reactions are mixed, with some users welcoming the new content and others venting their dissatisfaction with missing features, bugs, and the overall direction of the game.
Well, let’s go back to the messy and human part of the story. The official tweet is all about joy and cheer, whereas the comments section is exactly where the real game is played. The players are very much into it. Lucas costa photographer wished the team a good happy ending of the year, and JAYMS ⚡ simply expressed, ‘They look cool.’ Demi Gabriel even joked that Naoe is going to be ‘shocking like Yasuke,’ which is a pretty nice way of looking at it. Thus, without a doubt, there is a section that shows gratitude for the support and new bloody animations.
On the other side, and it really gets hot fast, players are saying: ‘Great, but… where is the stuff we really wanted?’ Kyle Katana was talking about gyro aiming and he said it’s a no-go for them, particularly on Switch 2 where it is much more expected, so they are going to Avatar on PS5, another Ubisoft game that according to them seems to care about accessibility. ‘If there’s no gyro, there will be no buy’ that’s how they put it. That’s quite a bold statement.
Then there’s MasChoose 🎮🎨 who pointed out the oddities in the prioritization. ‘This should have been on day one,’ they claimed, asserting this change makes Yasuke’s battles less dull but questioning why it’s coming now. And this feeling is, so to speak, echoed in other replies. AustrianGaoller doesn’t want finishers; they want a ‘huge DLC expansion with new regions to explore.’ Mr DJ is thinking more and more ahead and asking for a proper wrapping of the characters’ stories before the team moves on. Players are not interested in mere cosmetic or gameplay tweaks; they are instead looking for comprehensive content.
And boy oh boy, the bug reports. TL3 174 posted in German about not being able to get a platinum trophy because he’s got two skills missing from the tree, which have been removed while a quest is also bugged, so he can’t get the skills back. Stormwolf said that they found the store items have been ‘taken’ after a patch. TerrorIncognit0 simply said they tried it and ‘still only the old finishers..’ So, for some players, the update may not be working as intended. That’s a huge yikes.
The negativity in some areas can be quite fierce. One user, veroukas, unburdened himself: ‘Just let the game die. It’s not worth it. Worst AC game ever.’ Another one, J, simply begged: ‘Please sell the company so someone can save this franchise.’ Oof. That must be some strong frustration, indeed. Even the festive spirit was mocked, with Mimir🇬🇧 sarcastically commenting, ‘Wow this totally screams Christmas.’
What was I saying? Oh, right, the update itself. Ubisoft did clear one point in the replies. When Darkling Gaymer asked about the Switch 2 version, the official account responded that it is set for release on December 17th at 2 PM UTC. Hence, at least that is clear for those players who are waiting. However, it still brings to light the fragmented release schedules which could be frustrating to people.
So, what is the conclusion that can be drawn from all this holiday merriment and clutter? Assassin’s Creed Shadows is going to receive post-launch support, which is great. New finishers are a nice addition for those players who are still actively taking part in the combat. However, the community’s reaction is a loud and clear signal that one segment of the player base on Xbox and other platforms wants more substantial fixes and content.
