Ubisoft developers say Assassin’s Creed Shadows is intended as a soft reboot that re-establishes the series timeline before deepening the franchise’s signature Assassins-Templars conflict. Speaking in a Reddit Q&A, level design director Luc Plante said the storyline will “receive a deeper dive in the near future,” after the main game and a recent Critical Role tie-in only “scratched the surface.” The team confirmed that Shadows deliberately drops the franchise’s hallmark “social stealth” in favour of what it calls a “tactical shinobi experience.” While the crowd-blending mechanic may return in later instalments, the current design forces players to rely on cover, climbing and other evasive tactics instead of disappearing into a crowd. Plante also indicated that the series’ modern-day narrative thread will resume through a new Animus Hub interface, though no timetable was given. Additional story content is set to arrive with the Claws of Awaji expansion on Sept. 16, 2025, which will further develop protagonists Naoe and Yasuke.