Meet Naoe, the fastest assassin in Assassin's Creed history

With the impending release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, slated for early next year, Ubisoft has promised a fresh twist with the character of Naoe, touted as “the fastest assassin we ever made.” However, this new title has sparked a considerable divide within the Assassin’s Creed community.

The backlash regarding Assassin’s Creed Shadows reveals deeper sentiments about how fans perceive the franchise and its evolution. The significant pushback from its original release date of October 2024 to early 2025 indicates Ubisoft's acknowledgment of the expectations surrounding the game.

In the interview with Entertainment Weekly, the creative director of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Jonathan Dumont, explained the advantages of Naoe, a shinobi-style character with insane agility levels:

Naoe’s the fastest Assassin we ever made. She runs super fast, she has a lot of gadgets to keep her stealth so that she doesn’t have to fight often. We wanted to satisfy that for players that come in for that ninja-Assassin game.

For years, fans of the Assassin’s Creed franchise have yearned for a title set in Japan, a demand that seemed to align perfectly with the franchise’s historical storytelling and rich lore. Ubisoft finally presented this to the fanbase when Shadows was revealed. However, the excitement quickly swung to disappointment for many. The issue largely stems from the high bar set by other titles like Ghost of Tsushima, which so masterfully captured Japanese culture and aesthetics.

Ultimately, whether Shadows will meet or fall short of community expectations remains to be seen. It is a pivotal moment for Ubisoft, one that could either rekindle the passion of long-time fans or further the divide among a once-unified community. Assassin’s Creed Shadows will launch on February 14, remember to check out our comparison tool for the best offers on Assassin’s Creed Shadows as soon as it's available.