Ubisoft rolled out significant updates for Assassin’s Creed Shadows in July 2026, signaling the game’s transition into its final support phase. New Game+ arrives soon, letting players replay the campaign with their character’s level and gear intact but with story and objectives reset for a fresh challenge.

The Claws of Awaji expansion is scheduled for September 16, 2026. Players who pre-ordered Shadows will receive it for free. The expansion unlocks only after completing the main story, so there’s no rushing through the campaign to access new content.

What’s New in New Game+

Once you complete Shadows’ final mission and credits roll, you can opt into New Game+. Your character level, acquired gear, and skill points carry over. Your story progression and discovered locations reset. It’s designed for players who want to experiment with build variety on a second run without restarting from scratch.

The feature addresses a common request from the community: players wanted more replayability without the tedium of regaining every skill and weapon from level one.

Claws of Awaji Details

Ubisoft kept expansion details minimal for now. The studio has announced a Reddit Ask Me Anything session on August 12 where the development team will answer questions about what’s in the works, including likely details about Claws of Awaji.

The expansion represents Ubisoft’s commitment to support the game through 2026, though at a slower pace than launch year updates.

Final Support Phase

Shadows is entering its final phase of development support. Updates will be smaller and less frequent as the team winds down development. This is typical for live-service games after launch momentum cools. The studio shifts resources to new projects.

For Shadows players, September’s expansion and New Game+ give good reason to return. After that, don’t expect major additions.

FYI (keeping you in the loop)

Is New Game+ different from a regular replay?

Yes. You keep character progression (level, gear, skills) but lose story progress and discovered locations. It’s a speed-running mode for experienced players who want to try new builds.