Assassin's Creed Shadows Includes Same-Sex Romance Choices

Assassin's Creed Shadows will offer same-sex romance options, but unlike previous entries in the series such as Odyssey and Valhalla, most of the romanceable NPCs in Shadows will not be playersexual, meaning the protagonists Naoe and Yasuke will have distinct romance options tailored to their individual orientations and preferences, with the game also set to feature more platonic relationships alongside the romantic storylines.

New Approaches to Romance in Assassin's Creed Shadows

A Ubisoft official revealed quite a few new details about Assassin's Creed Shadows in a recent interview, including the confirmation that the upcoming game will feature same-sex romance options. However, the way romance in general will be handled in Assassin's Creed Shadows will be slightly different compared to the last few entries in the popular franchise.

Same-sex romance was featured in both Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Odyssey. The latter offered 14 romanceable characters, while the former had a dozen of them. Each game allowed its respective pair of protagonists to get intimately involved with any romanceable character. In contrast, the game's official confirmed that most of the romanceable NPCs in Shadows will not be playersexual, meaning the protagonists Naoe and Yasuke will have distinct romance options tailored to their individual orientations and preferences, with the game also set to feature more platonic relationships alongside the romantic storylines.

Naoe and Yasuke to Offer Distinct Romance Paths in Assassin's Creed Shadows

In a recent interview, Assassin's Creed Shadows Associate Narrative Director Brooke Davies confirmed that the upcoming game will feature same-sex romance options, but Ubisoft is moving away from the playersexual approach seen in previous entries, and will instead be offering distinct romance opportunities for the protagonists Naoe and Yasuke that are tailored to their individual identities and roles in the story, rather than allowing them to pursue romantic relationships with any romanceable NPC, as was the case in Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Odyssey.

Expanded Relationship Opportunities in Assassin's Creed Shadows

Davies also revealed that the Assassin's Creed Shadows protagonists will have opportunities to pursue "more developed" relationships compared to the previous series entries, some of which will be platonic in nature. As for romance, the Ubisoft official said that the game isn't aiming to be a "dating simulator," but that it will nonetheless try to offer a balanced mixture of serious romance and flings. She also confirmed that Naoe and Yasuke will both have optional opportunities to romantically pursue both male and female characters, and that none of those encounters will be missable by making certain story choices.

Based on that overall description, it sounds like Assassin's Creed Shadows will build on the way romance worked in Valhalla, but while significantly cutting down on the number of playersexual characters. Having predetermined sexual orientations for NPCs has the potential to make the game's world feel more realistic, as the protagonists will be able to pursue meaningful relationships that align with their own identities and backgrounds, rather than having access to a wide array of romance options regardless of their personal preferences.

Assassin's Creed Shadows Removes Time-Skipping Meditation

In the same interview, Davies revealed additional details about Assassin's Creed Shadows, including the fact that the protagonist Yasuke will not have the ability to wear a hood like Naoe, and that the game's seasons will change dynamically based on an internal clock, rather than being tied to story progression, unlike previous entries in the series which allowed players to freely skip ahead to any time of day using a meditate feature, which will not be present in Shadows. Davies also noted that most Templar targets will be accessible year-round, but the experience of reaching and engaging with them will vary significantly depending on the current season, as the game aims to leverage the changing environments and weather conditions to create a more immersive and reactive open world.