Assassin's Creed Shadows: Free Updates and DLC Plans Revealed

Ubisoft has officially unveiled its comprehensive post-launch content plan for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, offering fans a clear roadmap of what to expect during the game’s first year following release. Among the most anticipated additions are features such as New Game+, enhanced difficulty settings, expanded story content, and more—all set to roll out in regular, free updates.

The full 2025 content schedule was shared in a detailed four-and-a-half-minute roadmap video released today. Though concise, the update gives players a transparent view of Ubisoft’s strategy for keeping the experience fresh and engaging throughout the year. The schedule is especially concrete for May and June, with plans to introduce meaningful gameplay improvements and narrative expansions that aim to enhance both immersion and replayability.

Assassin's Creed Shadows post-launch roadmap. Image courtesy of Ubisoft.

Kicking things off is *The Works of Luis Frois*, the first of several planned free story expansions, scheduled to arrive in early May. This update will be accompanied by a Codex update, along with a range of quality-of-life enhancements. Notably, players can look forward to significant parkour improvements and the long-awaited photo mode, both arriving next month.

According to Ubisoft, these updates are part of an ongoing effort to incorporate player feedback into future development cycles. “Your input continues to shape the direction of the game,” explained community developer Daniel St. Germain in the roadmap video. “We’re committed to delivering impactful changes, new features, and essential bug fixes across all platforms through regular title updates.”

Following in June, the next wave of content will include additional difficulty settings, gameplay immersion options, an open-world alarm system, and a toggle to keep or remove headgear during cutscenes—features that have been highly requested by the community.

Topping the list of upcoming releases is the first major DLC expansion for *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*, titled *Claws of Awaji*. While an exact release date hasn’t been confirmed yet, it’s expected to launch later this year. The expansion promises around 10 hours of new content, introducing the Bo staff as a new weapon and opening up a fresh region for Naoe and Yasuke to explore.

Those who pre-ordered *Assassin’s Creed Shadows* before its official launch will receive the DLC at no extra cost. Further details regarding pricing for standalone purchases will be revealed at a later date.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows launched globally on March 20 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Its immersive journey through Feudal Japan has already earned its place among the best games of 2025 so far and solidified itself as the top-selling title of the month. With a strong foundation and an evolving content roadmap, Ubisoft appears poised to deliver a rich, long-term experience for fans of the legendary stealth franchise.