Assassin's Creed Shadows' Canon Mode Can Make All Of The Big Choices For You

Player choices have been a big part of the Assassin's Creed franchise, and that's still going to be true in Assassin's Creed Shadows. However, for any fans who don't want to agonize over which branching dialogue option to pick or who to romance, Ubisoft is introducing a new canon mode in Shadows that will let the players simply experience the story without having to make any choices of their own.

Shadows director Jonathan Dumont revealed the new option during a Reddit appearance alongside other developers from the game.

"Choices come more into play when recruiting allies and [romancing] some of the characters," said Dumont. "Since the fan base is divided on branching dialogues, we have incorporated an option called Canon Mode which allows you to play the game with choices already made for you, to give you a choice-free experience. Hope this makes it fun for everyone."

Dumont also noted that Shadows is close to Assassin's Creed Origins in terms of scale. Associate Narrative Director Brooke Davies added that the two main characters, Naoe and Yasuke, can pick their preferred romantic partners outside of Canon Mode for both "shorter and longer romance opportunities." She also said, "The story of Shadows culminates in a single, [canonical] ending. That said there are many unique paths leading to this point, and in particular that will determine who is (and isn't) at your side along the way."

The developers confirmed that Shadows will introduce a new direction for the modern-day storyline. Dumont indicated that Shadows "will be different than what we have done in the past, but that is connected to our modern-day lore and will develop over time in the Animus Hub and subsequent titles." He also said that Hattori Hanzō from Assassin's Creed: Memories will appear in Shadows.

Additionally, Davies indicated that Naoe and Yasuke won't immediately be on the same side.

"Their paths do ultimately converge and we see them form a league together around common cause," said Davies. "That said, this path is not always smooth and straight, and their unique backgrounds and perspectives do not always align. This is something we will see them and sometimes even help them to work through by making some interesting choices."

Ubisoft recently shared a lengthy overview of how combat will work in Shadows. Details about the game's battle pass have leaked online, and Ubisoft has stated that the rewards in the Animus Hub are free. Assassin's Creed Shadows will hit PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on February 14, 2025.