Assassin’s Creed: Shadows Adds New Game+, Higher Level Cap, and Story Expansion: Claws of Awaji
Ubisoft is keeping the heat on this summer with a packed roadmap for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, headlined by the highly anticipated New Game+, an increased level cap, quality-of-life improvements, and the upcoming Claws of Awaji expansion. Whether you're wrapping up your first playthrough or planning your second, July through September is shaping up to be the most exciting stretch yet for Shadows fans.
New Game+ Arrives July 29: Begin Again, But Stronger
One of the community’s most requested features is finally making its way to Assassin’s Creed Shadows. New Game+ (NG+) will officially launch on July 29, 2025, offering players the chance to replay the main story with all their hard-earned character progress intact.
Once you’ve completed the final story mission and watched the credits roll, NG+ will become available. Here’s how it works:
- Reset Progress: Your story completion, objective board progression, and discovered map locations will reset.
- What Carries Over: Your character level, gear, skill points, Knowledge Rank, and Hideout upgrades all carry forward.
- Choose Your Start: Start from the very beginning of the Tensho War in Iga, or fast-forward to the point when Naoe inherits the Hideout.
- No Tutorials: You won’t have to sit through basic tutorials again.
This setup allows players to relive the emotional highs of the campaign while leveraging their enhanced builds and upgraded tools for new challenges.
Progression Overhaul: Level 80 Cap, Mastery Skills & Hideout Enhancements
Also launching on July 29, Ubisoft is revamping the game’s progression system across the board—even for players not engaging in NG+:
- Level Cap Raised: From 60 to 80, allowing for even more powerful builds.
- New Knowledge & Mastery Skills: Expanded skill trees and deeper customization for advanced players.
- Hideout Building Upgrades: Every Hideout structure gets new tiers, including Heiji’s Forge, with one upgrade available now and another coming later this summer.
Whether you’re a completionist or a late-game grinder, there’s a lot to look forward to in how you evolve your assassin.
Project 3 Joins the Animus Projects: More Lore, More Loot
A brand-new Animus Project—Project 3—also goes live on July 29. It includes:
- New resources
- Fresh data files
- Exclusive Animus-themed rewards
You don’t need to rush—if you’re still working on Project 1 or 2, you can swap between them or take your time.
September Brings Major Quality-of-Life Improvements
Ubisoft isn’t stopping with NG+. A separate update in early September will bring some of the most requested community features. It will be free for all players and act as a bridge leading up to the Claws of Awaji expansion.
Here’s what’s coming:
- Unfogging the Map by Region: Complete viewpoint synchronizations to instantly clear fog in that area.
- Skip Time of Day: Jump to dawn or dusk at will.
- New Gear Rarities: Upgrade to Mythic (from Epic) and Artifact (from Legendary) at the Forge.
- Hideout Improvements: Further enhancements to your base of operations.
- Uncapped Cutscene Framerates (PC only): For smoother cinematic experiences.
- Bonus Features: Longtime fans of the series will recognize a few additional surprises.
- Bug Fixes and Stability Updates: Including fixes across all platforms.
This QoL update reflects Ubisoft's ongoing commitment to evolving the Assassin’s Creed Shadows experience based on player feedback.
Claws of Awaji Expansion Releases September 16
Mark your calendars: the first major story expansion for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Claws of Awaji, is set to launch on September 16, 2025.
Free for players who pre-ordered the game, this expansion unlocks after completing the main campaign. Ubisoft hasn't revealed much yet, but expect new story content, possibly new regions to explore, and the kind of narrative depth that’s become a hallmark of the franchise’s expansions.
More details on the expansion will be shared in the weeks ahead.