AC Shadows Devs Talk Modern Day, Basim, and Isu Absence.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Developers Discuss Series’ Modern Day Future, Basim, and Why There’s No New Isu Artifact

Future of the Modern Day Storyline

The developers of Assassin’s Creed Shadows have addressed the future of the modern-day storyline within the franchise.

• They revealed the “Animus Hub” within Shadows is a starting point for new methods of delivering the modern-day narrative.
• The team emphasizes that it’s not the conclusion and they are actively considering fan feedback.
• Players can currently unlock text logs that depict a story set in the near future, featuring Assassins and Templars.

This suggests a shift towards a more futuristic setting for the modern-day segments, potentially distancing from the current timelines and characters.

Basim’s Fate and Future Appearances

The developers touched on the absence of Basim, a major character from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Mirage, in Shadows.

• The creators state that they didn’t want to diminish the prominence of new characters in Shadows by including Basim.
• The development team has introduced complex new characters into Shadows and felt Basim would have taken away from them.
• There are no guarantees regarding Basim’s return in a significant role in the future of the series.

While no explicit plans were confirmed, this leaves the door open for his potential return, perhaps in a future installment or expansion focusing on his storyline.

Absence of an Isu Artifact in Shadows

The development team discussed why there is no major Isu artifact playing a central role in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

• The Isu is a precursor race and has been the main focus in recent games.
• They explained that while Isu artifacts may still exist within the world of Shadows, they weren’t necessary for the specific story they wanted to tell.
• The game focuses on real-life historical elements with less emphasis on the supernatural or sci-fi aspects that defined recent titles.

This decision aligns with the game’s broader approach of grounding its narrative in historical authenticity, rather than relying heavily on mythological elements.

Canon Status of Crossovers and Expanded Universe

The developers addressed the canon status of crossovers and elements from the broader Assassin’s Creed expanded universe.

• The Dead by Daylight crossover content within Shadows is explicitly confirmed as non-canon.
• The recent Critical Role crossover with the character Rufino is canon and tied into the game’s main themes.
• The developers acknowledge the complexity of the Assassin’s Creed lore.

They stated that they aren’t retconning past events but won’t necessarily reference everything if it doesn’t directly contribute to the current narrative.

Claws of Awaji Expansion and Future Content

The article concludes by mentioning the upcoming Claws of Awaji expansion for Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

• The expansion will launch on September 16th.
• It will introduce a new region to explore and expand upon the stories of Naoe and Yasuke.
• The expansion may have supernatural elements involved but is not a certainty.

This suggests that while the main game avoids a strong focus on Isu artifacts, future content might explore more supernatural elements within the world of Shadows. It will expand on the main story and add new regions to explore.