Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Deep Dive into Progression and Customization
Transmogging and Weapon Customization
Assassin’s Creed Shadows (AC Shadows) offers players extensive customization options, including a powerful transmogging feature. In a March 1, 2025, website post, Associate Game Director Julien detailed the game's progression system and its impressive depth. Players can modify weapon stats without sacrificing their preferred aesthetic. This transmogging functionality unlocks after creating a Forge in the Hideout, accessible directly from the inventory menu.
Julien explained the Forge's importance in inventory management, stating, "Overall, the Forge plays a key part in managing your inventory. There you can upgrade or dismantle weapons & gear, but we will share more in an upcoming article on the Hideout." Furthermore, the game allows for mixing and matching weapon components: "The final result could be the blade of one weapon, with the guard of another, and the handle of your newly acquired one."
A New Progression Loop
Building on Creative Director Charles Benoit's IGN Fan Fest 2025 presentation on combat and progression, Ubisoft's recent post delves deeper into the mechanics. Julien addressed the challenge of designing progression for two protagonists: "Having two separate characters with unique archetypes in our feudal Japan world pushed us to rethink how we wanted to approach player progression. Our goal was to stay as close as possible to the philosophy of mastery and martial art."
Mastery, Abilities, and Knowledge Ranks
AC Shadows features unique mastery trees for Naoe (shinobi/assassin) and Yasuke (samurai). Each tree caters to their respective archetypes. Julien highlighted the freedom this offers: "With the unique Mastery trees, we want to give players the freedom to dedicate themselves into a specific weapon, playstyle, or archetype, and ensure they can deepen their mastery of it. The points you invest in a Mastery tree also unlock additional bonuses for that weapon or archetype, further reinforcing your progress."
Mastery trees unlock abilities that add exciting gameplay twists and increased damage. However, access to certain abilities and mastery points requires reaching specific Knowledge Ranks. These ranks increase through non-violent activities like finding Lost Pages, praying at Shrines, performing Kuji-kiri Meditation (Naoe), or learning new Kata (Yasuke).
Customizing Your Playstyle
AC Shadows empowers players to fine-tune their playstyle. Perks modify, enhance, or specialize equipment, offering stat improvements, affliction influences, and unique gameplay conditions. Despite their initial archetypes, Naoe and Yasuke offer diverse build possibilities. The post showcases examples: a damage-focused, mobile combat style for Naoe, and a stealthy, ranged build for Yasuke, highlighting the game's customization depth.
With the recent reveals, anticipation for AC Shadows' March 20, 2025 release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC is at fever pitch. Stay updated on all things Assassin’s Creed Shadows with our upcoming articles!
