Assassin's Creed Shadows Allows for Transmogging, Keeping a Weapon's Looks While Changing Its Stats

Assassin's Creed Shadows: Deep Dive into Progression and Customization

Assassin's Creed Shadows (AC Shadows) offers extensive character progression and customization, highlighted by its innovative transmogging system. This allows players to maintain desired weapon stats while altering their appearance. A March 1, 2025, website post detailed this system and the game's overall progression mechanics. Associate Game Director Julien shared the development team's vision, emphasizing player agency and customization depth.

Weapon Transmogrification and Customization

The game's transmog feature lets players decouple weapon stats from aesthetics. Players can retain powerful stats while visually customizing their weapons. This feature unlocks after constructing a Forge in the Hideout, accessible directly from the inventory menu. Julien explained the Forge's broader role in inventory management, hinting at further details in a future Hideout-focused article. Moreover, players can mix and match weapon components – blade, guard, and handle – for truly unique creations.

Reimagined Progression System

Building on Creative Director Charles Benoit's IGN Fan Fest 2025 presentation of combat mechanics, Ubisoft's new post delves deeper into the progression system. The presence of two protagonists, Naoe and Yasuke, with distinct archetypes (shinobi/assassin and samurai respectively), necessitated a re-evaluation of player progression. The design goal was to align with the philosophy of martial arts mastery.

Mastery, Abilities, and Knowledge Ranks

Separate mastery trees for Naoe and Yasuke cater to their archetypes. Investing in these trees allows players to specialize in specific weapons or playstyles, unlocking additional bonuses. Abilities within the mastery trees provide gameplay enhancements and increased damage output. However, access to certain abilities and mastery points is gated by Knowledge Rank, increased through non-combat activities like exploring temples, praying at shrines, or practicing meditation/kata.

Customizable Playstyles

AC Shadows empowers players to shape their characters' playstyles. Perks modify, enhance, or specialize equipment, offering stat boosts, affliction influences, and diverse gameplay conditions. Despite initial archetypes, players can deviate significantly. Example builds for Naoe (aggressive, mobile combat) and Yasuke (stealthy, ranged) illustrate the customization depth. Perks and abilities can enhance either character's strengths for varied approaches.

With its extensive customization and deep progression system, Assassin's Creed Shadows promises a highly replayable experience. The game launches March 20, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Stay informed about the latest news through our dedicated article.