Ubisoft releases Claws of Awaji expansion for Assassin's Creed Shadows

Ubisoft has released Claws of Awaji, the first major expansion for Assassin's Creed Shadows, adding a new island, new weapons and boss encounters while delivering roughly 10 hours of additional play focused on stealth and tighter, handcrafted design. The DLC continues protagonist Naoe’s search for her missing mother on the island of Awaji and introduces a brief 2.5D prologue that frames the story before sending players back into the main game’s world.

Claws of Awaji centers on smaller, denser level design that several critics said sharpens the series’ stealth DNA. Reviewers and player guides described an opening puppet-show sequence that unfolds as a sidescrolling mission from Naoe’s mother’s perspective, followed by mission areas that encourage rooftop navigation, bush concealment and use of grapple points. The island condenses varied biomes into a compact area, producing more deliberate routes and ambush opportunities than the base game’s sprawling map, and many reviewers praised its visuals and atmosphere as the expansion’s strongest element.

The DLC adds new mechanics and loot. Naoe gains a Bo staff and a legendary kusarigama called the Ophidian Feeder, while Yasuke can...