Assassin’s Creed Shadows free download available from today

It is hard to believe that it has been three months since Assassin’s Creed Shadows was first released and now it seems as though the latest Ubisoft title has a free download on the way for players.

As the 14th major instalment in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, Assassin’s Creed Shadows was met with generally positive reviews back in March as the Ubisoft series headed to feudal Japan.

Following the story of shinobi Naoe and samurai Yasuke, the two joined forces to take down the Templar Order who were causing havoc around 16th-century Japan.

Featuring all the beloved features of an Assassin’s Creed title as well as new additions such as base building and decorating, our very own Ewan Moore gave Assassin’s Creed Shadows 9/10 in his review.

“Assassin’s Creed Shadows isn’t just one of the best games of the year so far, it’s the new yardstick by which all future Assassin’s Creed games should be measured,” his review read.

“This is an epic, sweeping adventure bolstered by jaw-dropping visuals and a masterful blend of stealth, action, and exploration. You don’t want to miss this one.”

Now Title Update 1.0.6 for Assassin’s Creed Shadows is set to be released today and brings with it 17GB worth of changes and improvements.

Not only that but Patch 1.0.6 comes alongside a free story pack titled ‘Critical Encounter’ and to gain access to it, players must complete ‘Way of the Blacksmith’ and unlock Yasuke as a playable character.

That is when the Critical Encounter quest will appear in your Hideout.

The update will also introduce a new Nightmare Difficulty mode for those who like pain as defensive options will be a lot harder to pull off. This comes on top of faster, stronger and smarter AI who will do everything in their power to take Naoe and Yasuke down.

Overall, Update 1.0.6 is a must-have for Assassin’s Creed Shadows players and better yet, it will be completely free to install.

You can read the full patch notes below:

General

• Fixed an issue where the Onryo Mask remained visible despite selecting the option to hide gear.
• Fixed an issue where players were unable to earn Mastery Points.
• Fixed an issue where Mastery Points were not returned after resetting the Mastery Tree.
• Fixed an issue where players could not switch characters anymore even without gameplay context restrictions.
• Fixed an issue where allies could be trained to veteran rank without upgrading the dojo to level 3.
• Fixed an issue where Gennojo did not immediately appear in the hideout after recruitment. He was busy washing his hair!
• Fixed an issue where sometimes a player remains stuck in a Red Zone, without being able to fast travel anywhere, by allowing them to fast travel to the hideout.
• Fixed an issue where the Oni Drawing remains stuck on screen after completing the “Vision of the Realms” quest.
• Fixed various localisation issues.

Quests

• Fixed an issue where players could not progress in the “A Chance Encounter” quest when following Fuyu.
• Fixed an issue where players could not complete the quest after defeating all Kabukimono.
• Fixed an issue where Lady Oichi’s letter became unavailable after the Fuji-maru cutscene.
• Fixed an issue where players were unable to talk to Katsuhime in the crop field when she was sitting on the ground. She just wanted some peace and quiet!
• Fixed an issue where tracking the “Temple Stories” quest only showed a progress bar with no text.
• Fixed an issue where Genzaburo’s Teppo Master was missing from the Kaya Shrine.
• Fixed an issue where Yagyu Munetoshi revealed a later plot point too early in the “Nobutsuna’s Students” quest.
• Fixed an issue where players could not assassinate the Godai of Void because the NPC was missing. He took his name too seriously.
• Fixed an issue where players could not complete the “Diary of Lady Rokkaku” quest after dodge rolling and dropping Katsuhime.
• Fixed an issue where players could not complete the “Diary of Lady Rokkaku” quest when there was no immediate option to carry Katsuhime.
• Fixed an issue where players glitched through an anomaly in the “Heads Will Roll” quest, making Animus activities unavailable.
• Fixed an issue where players could not progress in the “Lost Honor” quest because the game failed to switch to Naoe.
• Fixed an issue where players could not progress through the Tournament after dying.

Visuals & Graphics

• Fixed some minor visual issues.
• Fixed misplaced visual elements with the Dark Woods Kusarigama.
• Fixed an issue where all NPC horses appeared as identical.
• Fixed a clipping issue with Naoe’s Sekiryu outfit.
• Fixed an issue with the “Bloodshade Katana” being visible out of the sheath when transmogged.
• Fixed a movement physics issue with the Dead by Daylight Oni’s armor.

Audio

• Fixed an issue where footstep audio occasionally ceased when opening the map while moving.

So make sure your game is up to date!