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 emphasis on player agency. The transmog system allows players to separate weapon appearance from stats. If you love a weapon's stats but hate its look, you can change its appearance while retaining its performance. This feature unlocks by building a Forge in your Hideout, accessible thereafter from the inventory menu.
Julien explained the Forge's broader role: "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 truly unique weapon aesthetics: "The final result could be the blade of one weapon, with the guard of another, and the handle of your newly acquired one."
A Reimagined Progression Loop
Building on Creative Director Charles Benoit's IGN Fan Fest 2025 presentation of combat mechanics, Ubisoft's new post delves deeper into the game's progression system. Julien discussed the impact of having 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 reflects their archetypes.
Julien elaborated on the mastery system: "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 enhance gameplay and damage output. However, some abilities and mastery points require reaching specific Knowledge Ranks, increased through non-combat activities like finding Lost Pages, praying at Shrines, Kuji-kiri Meditation (Naoe), or learning Kata (Yasuke).
Crafting Your Unique Playstyle
AC Shadows empowers players to define their characters' playstyles. Perks modify, enhance, or specialize equipment, providing stat boosts, affliction influences, and unique conditions that encourage diverse gameplay.
While Naoe and Yasuke have distinct starting archetypes, players can deviate significantly. Example builds showcase this flexibility: Naoe can be a devastating close-range fighter, while Yasuke can excel as a stealthy archer. Perks and abilities support various builds, offering substantial customization.
With its recent reveals, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has generated significant excitement. The game launches March 20, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Stay updated with our dedicated article!
