Assassin's Creed Shadows players won't have access to all of the game's day-one missions due to Ubisoft locking one behind the Season Pass and another behind a preorder bonus.
As is standard for the publisher, Shadows will launch in a handful of different versions — the Standard Edition at $69.99, the Gold Edition at $109.99, the Ultimate Edition at $129.99, and the Collector's Edition at $279.99 — but only those who preorder the Gold Edition or higher get access to both additional missions on launch day.
Preordering the game doesn't come at any extra cost (just the commitment to buy), meaning one of these missions is on the easier side to get, but the Season Pass is currently only available in the more expensive versions of the game, which cost an additional $40 at the absolute minimum. Ubisoft will likely sell the Season Pass separately later, and likely for $40, but it has so far not confirmed this.
Ubisoft has yet to share meaningful details on the two missions either, but announced that the preorder bonus is called Thrown to the Dogs, and released artwork featuring dual-protagonist Naoe with a dog at her side. As for the Season Pass mission, Ubisoft has only said players must "infiltrate a secret society from the inside."
The decision to lock day-one content behind additional requirements is perhaps unsurprising to some who experienced the same when Ubisoft announced the different editions of Star Wars Outlaws, its sci-fi open world adventure launching August 27.
Fans shared their frustration online when a Jabba the Hutt mission was similarly locked behind the Season Pass despite being ready day-one, but Ubisoft insisted this was an "optional, additional" mission that won't impact the overall experience much. The publisher seemingly didn't take fan upset to heart as it's done the same again with Shadows.
The upcoming Assassin's Creed game was fully revealed on May 15, 2024 as a Japanese-set entry where players take control of two protagonists: the stealthy shinobi Naoe and the action-orientated Yasuke, who's a real figure from Japanese history.
IGN had a wealth of exclusive content on the reveal, and you can read about all the gameplay changes, story beats, and open-world assassinating coming with Shadows in our extensive interview with the development team.
If that's not enough, check our analysis and explanation of where and when Shadows is set and 40 key details we've learned about the game. You can also watch our full breakdown of the cinematic trailer to discover all its hidden details, Easter eggs, and more.
Shadows launches November 12, 2024 for those buying the Gold, Ultimate, or Deluxe Editions, while the Standard Edition is available on November 15, 2024.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
