After teasing its reveal earlier this week, Ubisoft has officially unveiled Assassin's Creed Shadows with its first cinematic trailer, revealing dual protagonists in the process. As many speculated, Shadows puts players in control of Japan's first African samurai, Yasuke (a real historical figure), and a female shinobi character, Naoe. It will be released on November 15.

This dual protagonist approach isn't too surprising given it's Ubisoft Quebec developing the game – it did the same with Kassandra and Alexios in 2018's Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Jacob and Evie Frye in 2015's Assassin's Creed Syndicate – but it's exciting nonetheless. According to the game's PlayStation preorder page, players can, "Switch seamlessly between two unlikely allies as you discover their common destiny," confirming you can control both in the story. The trailer also showcases the beauty and scale of the feudal Japan we'll be exploring in Shadows. 

Check it out for yourself in the Assassin's Creed Shadows reveal trailer below: 

Elsewhere in the game's PlayStation preorder listing, Ubisoft says players can explore the "captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes," while adventuring through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments. The changing seasons line seems to indicate the narrative of Shadows could take place over a long period of time, or at least a year. 

As a shinobi Assassin, Naoe uses stealth to avoid detection and agility to confuse enemies whereas Yasuke, a legendary samurai, uses lethal precision and power. You unlock new skills, gear, and progression independently for each character. Plus, as you explore the world, you can create your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across Japan, and different allies will have unique skills to help you accomplish missions. 

"Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base's layouts, decorations, and accessories," the preorder listing reads. 

Here's another look at Yasuke and Naoe: 

Shadows is an exciting entry in the sprawling Assassin's Creed series. It's finally bringing players to feudal Japan, something the fanbase has wanted for years and years, and it's the next open-world mainline RPG installment since 2020's Assassin's Creed Valhalla. While last year's Assassin's Creed Mirage was quite enjoyable – read Game Informer's review here to find out why we gave it an 8 out of 10 – it was a throwback to the more linear worlds of the Assassin's Creeds of yesteryear; Shadows is the series returning to its newer open world format that began in 2017 with Assassin's Creed Origins. 

Assassin's Creed Shadows launches November 15, 2024, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S,  Amazon Luna, PC (via the Ubisoft Store and Epic Games Store), and Mac (with Apple silicon via the Mac App Store).

For more about the series, head to Game Informer's Assassin's Creed Mirage hub for exclusive behind-the-scenes details, videos, and more. After that, check out Game Informer's ranking of the entire Assassin's Creed series. 

Are you excited for Assassin's Creed Shadows? Let us know which protagonist you're most excited about in the comments below!

Ubisoft has canceled The Division Heartland. First announced in 2021, the game was a free-to-play spin-off of The Division franchise developed by Red Storm Studio.

Ubisoft revealed the cancelation in an earnings report, stating,

“As part of Ubisoft’s efforts to streamline its operations and adapt to evolving market trends, there have been further reorganizations within the Global Publishing teams, both at the APAC region, that is not organized into three engagement hubs, and at the central level. Additionally, in line with the increased selectivity of its investments, Ubisoft has decided to stop development on The Division Heartland and has redeployed resources to bigger opportunities such as XDefiant and Rainbow Six.”

The Division Heartland had been quiet for some time after its reveal, including being delayed. It eventually resurfaced with closed beta tests, but scarce updates on its existence caused doubt and confusion among fans. The game was billed as a PvEvP survival action experience with players controlling a Division agent tasked with protecting a small town from enemy factions and chemical contamination. 

Despite the cancellation, we know it doesn't mean the end of the franchise. Ubisoft announced The Division 3 last September, with series creator Massive Entertainment back at the helm. That game currently has no release window. 

Heartland joins an expanding graveyard of canceled Ubisoft projects over the past few years. In January 2023, the publisher canceled its upcoming team-based arena battler Project Q and three other games in development. In 2022, the battle royale Ghost Recon Frontline, Splinter Cell VR, and two unannounced games were also axed. An unannounced sequel to Immortals Fenix Rising was also reportedly scrapped last July.