Assassin’s Creed Shadows Now Free Following Major Update

Ubisoft’s samurai assassin RPG received generally positive feedback in 2025, but it sparked some debate among gamers. If you found yourself feeling fatigued by the stealthy parkour gameplay last year or prefer to wait for significant discounts before diving into new titles, you might have held off on playing Assassin’s Creed Shadows. However, now there’s no reason to stay on the sidelines.

From June 18–23, Ubisoft is offering a free trial of its subscription service, allowing players to explore a wide range of titles released in recent years, including all the DLC. This is the perfect opportunity to jump into Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Recently, the game added a free new story quest along with fresh weapons, outfits, and trinkets. Additionally, a new mode called Domains has been introduced, featuring five gameplay simulations designed to test your combat and survival skills. Completing these challenges rewards you with exclusive end-game sets, new engravings, and a unique progression tree. Ubisoft has promised that the toughest levels will hide secret rewards and unlocks that longtime fans of the series will recognize. Notably, these Domain unlocks will remain exclusive and will never be available for purchase.

The update also includes various quality-of-life enhancements, such as increased damage for shurikens and improved navigation for the Forge engraving lists.

The trial features a variety of games, including the highly debated Star Wars Outlaws, a narrative-driven open-world heist experience. Some players found it to be a standard adventure with a compelling story, while others felt it offered the closest experience to living out a Han Solo fantasy. Now you can determine where you stand on that spectrum.

Once the trial concludes, you can maintain your progress by subscribing. While it may not rival other services, Ubisoft Premium could be a solid option depending on your gaming preferences. For $17.99 a month, you’ll gain access to day-one Ubisoft releases, discounts on virtual currencies, and a selection of non-Ubisoft titles. The Premium subscription also includes the recent Spyro and Crash Bandicoot trilogies, along with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Alternatively, the Classics tier offers many major Ubisoft games for $7.99 a month, but only for PC and without any DLC.

Ubisoft’s remake is more than just a wave of nostalgia.