Assassin's Creed Shadow will eventually end 2 key storylines in its Awaji extended claw, even though Yasuke is now in the “support character”
Blog Andrew Joseph 10 Sep , 2025 0
No one can blame Assassin's Creed Shadow As a brief game, or lack of more reasons to stick with it after its main campaign is over. Ubisoft itself recommends you reserve 60 hours to reach its final credits, which will eventually roll after completing the task designed to limit the personal trip of its dual protagonists Naoe and Yasuke. Six months after posting, my save file is now 100 hours north as I continue to explore further untouched corners of its map.
To sum up, the Shadows story still feels incomplete. When these credits do eventually roll, several key story threads remain unresolved, such as Naoe's position and real state of the month and the last of three mysterious boxes – Hunting drives most of the game's plot. Meanwhile, Yasuke announced his mission to just start looking for the Templars.
It's a weird note for the ending – but, then, thanks to the Awaji's extended 10-hour paws that will continue the story (and release it for free for those who book the shadows, as an apology for the game's delay), it's clear that the Shadows ending isn't the real story's ending. Assassin's Creed game has long continued its heroic adventures in DLC, but has never been closely linked to its underlying game story, which should make Awaji's paws feel even more important, while also adding pressure from its manufacturers to ensure its delivery.
Awaji's Claws is the work of Ubisoft Bordeaux, the team behind Druids' delightful but unnecessary curse of Creed Valhalla DLC, which continues to lead the well-behaved Assassin's Creed Phantom. In a recent visit to the studio, I sat down with Claws of Awaji Content Director Simon Arsenault to see how his team worked closely with Shadows’ Lead Studio Ubisoft Quebec to continue Naoe’s story and provide fans with “right closure” in anticipation of the final answer.
“When we started, we came up with several ideas,” Arseno said. “Eventually we met with Quebec. They had thought of stuff before because they've been working on the project like two or three years before we jumped in. But that doesn't mean that they wanted to realize it — it was just an idea. Everyone can have ideas — that's kind of the easy part. You come up with an idea and then you trash it. That's easy. But trying to kind of act on it and figure out every detail of it, that's where the real craftsmanship is. So they had thought of stuff, but they don't necessarily attach to everything.
For example, (Ubisoft Quebec) has prepared some backstory for Naoe's mother, such as how she and (Naoe's father, Vineyard) meet Nagato.
It is safe to say that there is no introduction that ruins too many shadows, and it can be said that Naoe has good reason to believe that her mother Tsuyu was captured, so Naoe will head to the game's Nishima Awaji. Upon arrival, Naoe reveals the truth about Tsyu's status – and hears the last mysterious box, which puts her in the main adventure of expansion.
“The main game doesn't have much personal relationships,” Arsenault said. Discussions are scattered in Awaji's paws, in which Naoe gets to know her family. “(In the beginning) there are a lot with Nagata, a little with Tomiko, and will definitely be with Jujiro. But the ending, we don't necessarily have a romantic relationship. Mother is still not there.
“So (we say) 'let's something we bring to this character' – after (setting), it's also helpful,” Aresnat continued, referring to the fact that Awaji's claws are arranged in chronological order in time as the main game and can only be played after the credit limit. “And for Yasuke – if we did it elsewhere in the story, Yasuke wouldn't finish his storyline, so he didn't even talk to Naoe about his mother.”
Arseno revealed that despite this, Bordeaux is not always going to do the story. Awaji focuses on Naoe's mysterious paws, as well as the third box, as the studio's discussion with Quebec, as development begins. For example, Bordeaux knows that the expansion will bring new weapons to the game, but this is not a stone. (This is Bo employee, and all players will get free of charge, whether or not they have Awaji's paws. Arsenault questioned. “Maybe not.”
It also sounds like there is some flux as it develops in Shadows' main storyline, and Awaji's claws are all improving. Fans have long wondered about Shadow's main MacGuffins, ultimately speaking, three boxes containing the rich Japanese empire. There are only two that can be found in the main game, and there are three left?
“It happened very quickly,” Aresnat replied. “It happened so quickly, we started talking. If I remember correctly, because the game was still moving at that time, and there was only one box in the game in total, so we didn't know if there would be a second box or a third box or a third box or all the boxes. So they were still competing for their own game. That was the box we started talking about, and when we could pick up a box, maybe in that thing, maybe in that thing, maybe in that thing, that's OK, and that's a good idea, and then, it was a good thing, and at that time, it was a good thing, and at that time, it was in that thing.
It is at this point that Bordeaux also decided to return to the role with Hattori Hanzo of Awaji's claws, Arsenault continued. “That was when Hanzo came in, yes, it was a round trip. Since the extension was released close to the release of the main game, both had to be produced simultaneously in the schedule. Otherwise, you wouldn't ship this quantity of content in this quality.”
In all the discussions about Nai's personal story, I'm curious how Awaji's paws feature Yasuke. “So we're paying more attention to his story – he's still doing Templar hunting, but he's more emotionally at this point. He kind of helped her go through her life.” Naoe and Yasuke often go on their own journeys in the shadows, and they're “going a road together” in Awaji's claws, Arsenault continued.
As a story is closely related to the story of the base game, Awaji's Claws are positioned as an experience that Assassin's Creed fans want to return. After that – Will the expansion of Bordeaux now provide the final ending once my save file reaches at least 110 hours? Or did Shadows' story baton pass on to the Anoher team?
“We are now working on closing and letting Naoe close her personal story,” Arsenault concluded. “You can always reopen things, we've watched TV shows, we've watched movies. It's easy to do. So, nothing completely closes the door. But we can at least expect a proper shutdown with Naoe's story.”
For more information on the extension, please check out IGN Report on Awaji Metal Equipment Solid Inspired Invisible Boss Fighting Clawsand Arsenault’s idea of getting players full of new ideas, even in 100 hours of gameplay.
Tom Phillips is the news editor for IGN. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on the Blues @tomphillipseg.bsky.social