Ghost of Yotei could spell the end of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows

During Sony’s State of Play livestream on September 24, the highly anticipated Ghost of Yotei was announced to palpable fanfare. However, it may have assassinated another game before it’s even released.

There’s nothing wrong with games sharing a setting. Sekiro, Ghost of Tsushima, and Rise of the Ronin all take place in a time when samurai wandered Japan. Fortunately, each has its own merits to help set them apart.

However, after Ghost of Yotei was revealed, one thing was clear: it could spell disaster for Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

A deadly dream come true

Ubisoft

I love Assassin’s Creed, it’s one of my favorite franchises, and since diving into Odyssey I’ve been desperate for a Feudal Japan setting, just like most AC fans. When Shadows was announced during the Ubisoft Forward back in 2022, all those dreams came true.

However, like many, I remained skeptical. After all, it must remain true to the stealthy gameplay Assassin’s Creed is known for, while also doing justice to one of the world’s most picturesque settings.

Thankfully, from previews, trailers, and gameplay breakdowns, my skepticism has somewhat subsided. The weather designs and mechanics look innovative, the world gritty yet calming, and the characters seem to provide all the necessary aspects of stealth and brute strength fans are looking for. And that’s without mentioning the Sim’s-style base building, perfect for a cozy Sims lover like me.

However, Shadows now faces a fearsome battle with Ghost of Yotei – a new sequel from the makers of Ghost of Tsushima.

Only space for one Samurai game

As much as Assassin’s Creed holds a place in my heart, there’s no denying that Ghost of Yotei has crashed the party.

After all, Ghost of Tsushima set the standards for the feudal Japan setting and retains its position as one of the best action-adventure games. This high praise has developed into insurmountable hype for its long-awaited sequel. This anticipation is such that Shadows is already on the way to being an afterthought.

Ultimately, fans are faced with two (hopefully) amazing games, set in the same region and just 25 years apart. Sure, different tales will be spun, but you can’t ignore how similar these two titles are going to play, not just because they’re in the same time period.

Yotei is a little further away from central Japan, and is on a separate island (Hokkaido), but if the time period is so close together, then what’s separating Shadows from Ghost of Yotei? Both have a female protagonist, both place the player into the shoes of a samurai, both deal with stealth and face-to-face combat, and both are set in the same country at the same time.

It’s hard to compare actual gameplay, aside from what we’ve seen in Ghost of Tsushima and previous AC games. We really can’t compare Mirage, Valhalla, and Origins to the sleek combat of Tsushima.

A delay could be self-destruction

Ubisoft

Now Shadows has been delayed – to February 2025. Not only are there some uncannily similar games releasing, but you also now have them both coming out a few months from each other.

Ghost of Yotei is also set to release in 2025, and based on the trailer, we can surmise it’s pretty far along in its development. We also know Assassin’s Creed Shadows is nearing the end of its production, despite its new release date of February 14, 2025.

There’s a real possibility that they will be released within a few months of each other, as fierce competitors, to which comparison is guaranteed.

All this could leave one in the shadow of the other, and it’s hard to envision a scenario where the one that comes out on top is Assassin’s Creed: Shadows.