Assassin's Creed Shadows Brings Back Double Assassinations

Assassin's Creed players who've lamented the removal of double assassinations in recent entries will be pleased to hear the Japan-set Assassin's Creed Shadows is bringing the nasty technique back.

A Ubisoft blog post confirmed stealthy assassin Naoe, who is one of two playable protagonists in Assassin's Creed Shadows joined by the savage samurai Yasuke, can use the much-loved double assassination to take down two enemies at once.

"Depending on her weapons, she can assassinate enemies in unique ways, and perform double assassinations with her Hidden Blade and tanto," the post said.

Double assassinations were once a mainstay of Assassin's Creed but haven't appeared in the franchise since 2015's Assassin's Creed Syndicate, meaning it's skipped four mainline entries. This lines up with the series' switch to larger role-playing games in Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla, but not even smaller, more traditional entry Assassin's Creed Mirage had it.

Some fans have long tried to justify why this is the case, and as spotted by GamesRadar, one said it's because the technique was created by original assassin Altaïr Ibn-LaʼAhad and therefore only exists in the games set after his.

This lines up, as the last four games have all been set before the original Assassin's Creed, but other fans have pointed out the assassins are master killers able to land on a target from 100 foot above or do a front flip while stabbing someone in the neck, so the concept of killing two people at once shouldn't be beyond them.

IGN had a wealth of exclusive content on Assassin's Creed Shadows upon its reveal in May 2024, and you can read about all the gameplay changes, story beats, and open-world assassinating coming with Shadows in our extensive interview with the development team.

If that's not enough, check our analysis and explanation of where and when Shadows is set and 40 key details we've learned about the game. You can also watch our full breakdown of the cinematic trailer to discover all its hidden details, Easter eggs, and more.

Shadows launches November 12, 2024 for those buying the more expensive Gold, Ultimate, Deluxe Editions, or Collector's Editions, while the $69.99 Standard Edition is available on November 15, 2024. There's a lot riding on Assassin's Creed Shadows for developer and publisher Ubisoft, after the recently released Star Wars Outlaws reportedly failed to meet sales expectations.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.