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With a second exclusive report out of the embattled Ubisoft development team this week, outlet Insider Gaming is living up to its reputation. A cooperative game mode is reportedly in the works for Assassin's Creed Shadows, in development long before the game's recent, lengthy delay was announced.
That's according to Tom Henderson's sources, who report that the mode (codenamed LEAGUE) does not have a release date and was previously planned as a post-launch update. Specifics are quite scarce, but presumably, the mode would allow the game's protagonists, shinobi Naoe and samurai Yasuke, to battle together in Shadows' open world. Insider reminds us just how all-in on Assassin's Creed the French publisher is going, with a secretive multiplayer entry in the series creeping up on a 2025 release date, the apparently Fall Guys-esque Assassin's Creed Invictus.
What do you think? Does co-op in Assassin's Creed Shadows sound like an appealing draw? Watch each other's backs in the comments section below.
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[source insider-gaming.com]
Comments 54
I've never really cared about an AC game doing well, but I hope it sells gangbusters just to spite the toxic armchair historians out there, with their fake outrage.
With rumors of AAAA game Skull & Bones costing north of $650 mil and SW: Outlaws doing so badly it's no wonder they're feeling the heat.
Not sure how much a co-op mode will move the needle. But other recent games have had success with co-op, right? Right!? 😬
Ghost 2 looks way more interesting. Never could get into any of the ac games.
Ugh…why?! The series has been single player since Syndicate. Why bring this back now?!
I remember playing the coop in unity. Forget about stealth as your teammates will XD
However this will probably be coop with no matchmaking and only people on your friends list can join. The way ubisoft likes to do it and has screwed me out of a few trophies in the past XD
I had a pretty decent time with Unity's co-op mode with a buddy so I could actually see myself enjoying this. I always thought AC's multiplayer offerings were extremely underrated so I'm happy to see them coming back!
I hope this turns out well. Shadows is the first AC game I've ever been excited for. And even with the Ghost of Yotei reveal, it's still pretty high on my list for most wanted 2025 games.
@Korgon I really enjoyed Unity's co-op mode as well and the game as a whole is one of my favorite ACs to date.
As for AC: Shadows I'm still firmly in the 'we'll see' column, but I'd love to love this game. I've platinumed every main AC game to date with the exception of Black Flag (due to the multiplayer) and I'd like to continue the tradition.
Not for me but I know some people love Far Cry’s co-op. As long as it doesn’t tie it to trophies, that’s the only reason I don’t have Black Flag and Far Cry 4’s platinums!
What are they gonna win by doing co-op? The most selling ac games are 100% single player and it's not like people will buy more helix just because of co-op
@OthmaneAD it’s an option… 🤷🏾♂️
Funny how for the last 2 years all the articles written about how Xbox is going out of business, while Ubisoft’s stock was nose diving to now less than a cheeseburger from a fast food restaurant. This game tanks and they are near bankrupt.
That’s exciting! Co-op added to ANY game is always welcome, but AC sounds extra fun. It also kinda makes sense with the release date near Valentine’s Day
@MidnightDragonDX new free features?! WAAAAHHH :,(
@LikelySatan I pre ordered it for this reason. Was planning on playing anyway but I like this series and hope it continues for many years. It’s got so much potential still.
@AhmadSumadi things like this may impact the core gameplay. Unity had some missions that were very hard to do alone and also some trophies may be related to co-op so it's not just an "option"
Ah, yes! That would be the type of innovative gameplay we can expect from Ubisoft these days: co-op.
@Doctor_BK I have never been hooked by an AC game. Origins is legit though, and I might pick it up again some time.
@Doctor_BK I can feel like it’s not needed. No need to be rude.
@LuXifer it's a toe in the water (or, hand in your wallet) because of the AC live service BS they are building.
@LikelySatan Got to chase down that Fortnite money...or burn down your whole company and thousands of jobs trying.
So if Yasuke and Naoe fight together, does hip hop music still play, or is that exclusive to Yasuke in single-player mode?
@HonestHick not Xbox going out of business. More like Xbox ‘hardware’ disappearing and going software only as ‘MS gaming’.
They are constantly talking about cloud streaming to everything from mobile to tv, heck, probably find a way to stream it to everyone’s toilet or shower!
Why can't they just stick to the formula of origins and odyssey, as they're single-player and a couple of three best selling games they made.
Nothing wrong with a bit of co-op with friends, it makes almost every game more enjoyable. As long as the single player experience isn't impacted, I'm all for it.
Having said that, I doubt they're in a position to spend extra resources on this at the moment, they need to focus all their attention on the core experience first.
2025 does not need potentially THREE Assassin's Creed releases ffs Ubisoft
That might work well if it's done right and I don't trust Ubisoft with that tbh.
Call it Schadenfreude, but I am so ready for this company to die. Ubisoft, EA, Activision, and TakeTwo are the Axis of Evil of video game publishers as far as I'm concerned.
Ignore the discussion about DEI and historical accuracy that is dominating the news cycle, there are so many other totally legitimate reasons this company is where it is. A culture of sexual harassment, predatory microtransactions, live service push, uninspired releases. This didn't happen overnight. They check all the boxes.
@PSme none of the big 3 are going out of hardware business. They are all working on next generation hardware as we speak. Not sure if Sony does a PSVR 3 tho, but they might. Otherwise business as usual. But Ubisoft really needs to pull it together soon as they truly are near bankrupt.
Ubisoft have chosen their path, a hard pass from me.
Sounds like they wanted to implement some sort of live service into this
@UnlimitedSevens I think the current iteration of Ubisoft has huge problems and they need serious changes, but it would be a very sad day for video gaming if they were to stop existing. They have such a rich history dating back to the 80s, full of memorable games and IPs. It would be a big loss.
We don't need them to go away, we need them to do better.
Coop would actually be nice, if I had friends who would play as well.
It looks stupid and I hope it fails miserably, which I’m sure it will.
@MidnightDragonDX it’s odd to me to complain about. Just cause you don’t want the feature doesn’t mean a ton of other people do.
@LikelySatan which AC games have you played? Playing them at release is preferred
Never cared for multiplayer in any game to be honest, much less a single player RPG.
It always comes at the expense of the single player experience. Look at the difference in quality between GTA 4 and 5 for example.
@ProfessorNiggle Three? What do you mean?
If the game or company fail the only ones that suffer are the lower paid devs who lose there jobs globally into the thousands.
If its coop in the story. Like Gears 5 then I just became way more interested in this game than I thought I would ever be. I got a friend whos hooked on AC games, me, not so much. But I would love to play this with him.
@Ainu20
Trust me, I remember a better time where Ubisoft put out good stuff - the first couple Assassin's Creed games, some original IP like Child of Light, and the awesome Rayman Origins and Legends come to mind. They have talent. Further back into the PS1 and PS2 era they were a truly impressive and creative company.
I don't want anyone to lose their jobs, but my logic here is if the company goes under, that talent will be snapped up quickly by other devs or publishers. It's an institutionally rotten company for sure, but there's always some good with the bad.
If there was a path forward for them to be better, I can't help but think they would have already pursued that. This has been a long time in the making. Maybe if they sell and get new management, scale down, and change up their business model? I really don't know. Here's to hoping.
@MidnightDragonDX AC Shadows, AC Invictus, AC Shadows co-op. Three AC titles in a year is going to be rough for Ubisoft
@ProfessorNiggle Feels they’re repeating past mistakes.
Star Wars: Outlaws put me off UbiSoft for good.
@MidnightDragonDX they are doomed tbh. I thought outlaws would be a turning point. Though I am excited for AC Shadows, it is feeling like another Valhalla but in Japan. Their attitude towards making games is the same as their attitude towards what they put in the games which is just bloat and keep adding stuff until it's as big and plentiful as possible! They have good IP and it shouldn't be in the hands of the Guillotine brothers
@Doctor_BK 1-3 w Brotherhood and Revelations. Only finished 2 and Revelations of that lot. Black Flag, but I honestly thought it was the most overrated game I'd played maybe ever. I'm about 30 or so hours into Origins and might finish that one. I played a few hours of Odyssey. Like I said, they rarely click with me.
@ProfessorNiggle AC Shadows is really interesting and depressing. They finally broke the emergency glass and pulled out the Japan setting, and everyone just let the fire spread cause the firefighter was a black dude. I mean it's a joke, right, but I want to hear some response to the outrage from Ubisoft once the dust settles. I mean real responses that we weren't meant to hear. I'm sure a lot of higher-ups were shocked.
@LikelySatan I agree Black Flag is one of my least favorite AC games. I’d recommend giving Syndicate a shot as it’s definitely the most underrated and Valhalla is an epic Viking tale that happens to have assassins creed attached to it, you’ll enjoy it more if you just treat it like a big RPG. When I started doing that I really got into it.
@Doctor_BK I have Syndicate installed. I enjoyed what I played well enough. It just takes a lot for an open world to hold my attention.
@ProfessorNiggle The only way they're leaving is if they're forced out, sadly.
@LikelySatan yeah let’s be honest with the Yasuke stuff all they need to say is what’s written on all AC games. That it’s not a flippin 1:1 representation of history. That is it. Yasuke was real and people should just shut up and relax, it's a video game. It is for fun. Leave the black character be.
Very interesting case because from what I’ve seen it just looks like more AC but in a good setting with good characters and good looking animations so me personally I’m just a bit confused to see all the outrage about the characters. The complaints about everything else is warranted but the complaints about historical inaccuracies, and not respecting Japanese culture is just typical Ubisoft isn’t it, not doing their due diligence and homework. SP could never.
@MidnightDragonDX yeah or if the company sinks to unexpected lows and investors pull out one by one until it gets sold
@ProfessorNiggle ehhhhhh, but also, and I keep saying this....but aren't a good deal of the people complaining about Yasuke, torii gates, and historically incorrect architecture etc the same ones that scream about DEI and Sweet Baby Inc? Cause those kind of things considered culturally insensitive are why firms like Sweet Baby exist. To screen for things like a one-legged torii gate that invokes maligned historical events. It's a huge game set in a period that probably takes a lot of research to nail. Spread over probably thousands of developers "From all creeds, religions, races, whatever," right? I'm not here advocating for Sweet Baby or firms like them, but these people acting all upset about the sanctity of architecture need to understand that creating feudal Japan might be like, hard.
I don't care if someone is offended by a game, and I'm about as left as they get. Changing goal posts is getting old, and just shows how performative it all is.
@LikelySatan I agree, a lot of it is just people seeing a chance to be angry for a group of people that may not be overly offended by the mistakes. Mistakes that shouldn't be made however in a production as big as this and I guess shows why firms like Sweet Baby are used as often as they are. But then again gamers love to complain as they are chronically online
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