Ubisoft’s dropping more shinobi goodness today with Claws of Awaji, the first big expansion for Assassin’s Creed Shadows. It’s live right now on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PC (Ubisoft Store, Steam, Epic), Mac, and Amazon Luna. If you pre-ordered Shadows, you’re in luck—it’s free. Otherwise, you can pick it up standalone or play it as part of Ubisoft+.
Welcome to Awaji
This isn’t just a side quest. Claws of Awaji packs in over ten hours of fresh story content, whisking Naoe and Yasuke off to the mysterious island of Awaji. But don’t expect a warm welcome—the ruthless Sanzoku Ippa faction is making life hell for the locals, and you’re about to crash their party. Expect ambushes, traps, and a lot of bloody work ahead.
New Gear, New Moves
The expansion isn’t stingy on rewards. Both Naoe and Yasuke can pick up new weapons, armour, and gear—all of which carry over into the base game. You’ll also face off against new enemy types and some nasty bosses who aren’t messing about.
Oh, and everyone gets a free new toy: Naoe’s Bo Staff. It’s agile, fast, and perfect for smacking multiple enemies around with slick combos. Expansion players can even nab Legendary Bo staves with unique engravings exclusive to Awaji.
Built on a Growing Game
Ubisoft’s been busy with post-launch updates already, adding New Game+, a brutal Nightmare mode, and fan-requested tweaks like time-skipping and automatic fog clearing after syncing all points. Claws of Awaji builds on all that, giving you another excuse to dive back in.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Recap
For anyone just joining the blood-soaked fun, Shadows is Ubisoft’s deep dive into feudal Japan, where you split your time between Naoe the stealthy shinobi and Yasuke the powerhouse samurai. The game’s world is packed with political scheming, dynamic combat, stealth, and a whole lot of messy vendettas. Handy hint: Shadows is currently up to 40% off on the Ubisoft Store and other platforms, so now’s the time.