As of June 2026, Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows still isn’t free to download, despite recent headlines and social posts claiming that it is. Ubisoft released the latest mainline Assassin’s Creed game on March 20, 2025, and it remains a paid title on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Ubisoft and the major storefronts still list Assassin’s Creed Shadows as a paid release, with standard, deluxe, and collector’s editions on sale. Since launch, Ubisoft has pushed out several updates and also released the paid Claws of Awaji expansion in September 2025.
The confusion seems to come from free post-launch content for people who already own the game, not from Ubisoft making the full thing free. In the patch notes for Update 1.1.11, released on June 16, 2026, Ubisoft added the free Black Tides story quest along with new Animus HUB crossover projects. Nice extra content, if you already have the base game.
Shadows is also the fourteenth main entry in the series. It’s set in feudal Japan during the late Sengoku period, with Naoe centered on stealth and Yasuke built for direct, head-on combat. Ubisoft has also described the open world as being on a similar scale to Assassin’s Creed Origins, with a dynamic seasonal system that can change how missions play out.
If you’re hoping to find a free download, this isn’t one to go chasing, even if the newer content may be worth checking out for current players. Reviews were generally positive, especially when it came to the improved stealth and combat, though there’s been less long-term coverage around player engagement and the game’s reception in Japan.
If you want to play Assassin’s Creed Shadows, you can buy it now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
