The early years of Assassin’s Creed saw players explore both the past and the modern-day through its protagonist Desmond Miles, and while recent games have focused less on the person inside the Animus, Ubisoft plans to address that in the future.
During a recent interview, Assassin’s Creed boss Marc-Alexis Coté talked about how recent games struggled to create a meaningful connection between the past and the future. In the game’s context, ancient history is recreated through the Animus, a VR machine that taps into a subject’s DNA and enables them to experience the genetically inherited memories of an ancestor.
Assassin Creed’s Modern-Day Story To Have New Story
"Desmond's journey was at the heart of the modern-day conflict driving the search for powerful Isu artifacts--Pieces of Eden--that could change the course of history," Coté told Eurogamer. "Ending Desmond's arc was a difficult decision, and afterward, the modern storyline struggled to find its footing."
To address this, Assassin’s Creed Shadows will lay the groundwork for the future of the series, as it’ll be integrated inside Assassin’s Creed Infinity, a hub presented as the in-game Animus that will host the ongoing modern-day narrative.
"The groundwork for this new direction will take shape with Assassin's Creed Shadows, which will lay the foundation for this narrative evolution that will grow in the years to come," Coté said.
Originally slated to launch in October, Assassin’s Creed Shadows was delayed to February 14, 2025. The developer said at the time that the delay was made to provide the developers more time to fine-tune the game, and Assassin's Creed Shadows' early access has also been canceled.
Also Read: Assassin's Creed Shadows: Everything You Need to Know
Ubisoft Won’t Give Early Access Of Assassin’s Creed Shadows
If Assassin’s Creed Shadows had stayed on schedule, it would have been launched just within a month. Instead, shadows were pushed back to an early 2025 release. Now, players who buy the Assassin’s Creed Shadows collector’s edition won’t be getting early access to the game.
According to Insider Gaming, Ubisoft confirmed the cancelation of Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ early access during a Discord Q&A session. The company also restated that it will not be moving forward with its plans of implementing season passes.
Consequently, the price of Assassin’s Creed Shadows collector’s edition will be dropped from $280 to $230. The collector’s edition will still come with a steel book, an art book, a statue, and more. However, there could be additional changes to those products before the final release.