Assassin's Creed Shadows Director Explains How the Dual Protagonist System Works (2024)

Assassin's Creed Shadows has been officially unveiled by Ubisoft earlier today, with the world premiere trailer showcasing a long-awaited, beautiful setting that's a first for the game franchise: feudal Japan. Shadows will feature a dual protagonist system with Naoe and Yasuka, which Ubisoft notes is "to fulfill two iconic player fantasies – shinobi and samurai – and ensure that its late-Sengoku period setting, known for its political tumult, warfare, and dramatic social reformation, serves as an authentic backdrop for the pair. This means both protagonists offer vastly different gameplay experiences, and overlapping perspectives on a transformative moment in Japanese history."

Naturally, there are still plenty more player questions regarding the dual protagonists, which is why Xbox Wire has conducted an interview with Shadows' game director, Charles Benoit, who has been working with Ubisoft for nearly twenty years across multiple Assassin's Creed titles, Watch Dogs, Immortals Fenyx Rising, and For Honor. When asked about the story set-up, Benoit noted he is avoiding spoilers, but that in Shadows they're "introducing our two protagonists one by one, to help you know where they are coming from narratively, what their story is and what leads them to collaborate. Once they become allies, the players can pursue multiple stories, some personal to Yasuke or Naoe, and some around their common goals. The world and the story's structure are open, to let you pick the character you prefer and explore the world how you want."

Xbox Wire followed by asking what inspired the choice behind the dual protagonists for the first time since Assassin's Creed Syndicate, to which Benoit shared, "It came very naturally when looking at feudal Japan setting and what we wanted to accomplish in terms of gameplay. We wanted to have the Shinobi fantasy for sure, since it's the best fit for an Assassin's Creed. The Shinobis were the representation of stealth by spying and assassination, so it was a great natural fit. But at the same time, the Samurai is the Feudal Japan iconic fantasy and we wanted to be able to have it as an experience for players. Having only one character wouldn't [allow us to] accurately fulfill the Samurai and the Shinobi fantasies, since they are coming from very different places in terms of the way to live, social classes and role in the Japanese society."

Following this information, Benoit also answered one of the most burning questions from Assassin's Creed fans today: "Yes, you can switch between Yasuke and Naoe at any moment in the open world, once they are united. Of course, it won't be accessible in the middle of a fight or an infiltration, but we're giving the control to the players to choose their experience. There are a few moments where we're forcing one character, like during their introduction, their personal quests, and a few special missions where both are present at the same time, but I would say most of the game is totally free to choose."

You can read the full interview with Benoit on Xbox Wire to get some additional great early insights into the game. Assassin's Creed Shadows is set for a PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X release on November 15th, 2024.