Ubisoft has announced an unexpected collaboration between Assassin’s Creed Shadows and the popular anime Attack on Titan, creating one of the most unusual crossovers to appear during the holiday season. The limited-time event runs from 25 November to 22 December and comes with new free story content for Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
A new quest inspired by Attack on Titan
According to Ubisoft, the event introduces a mysterious storyline that brings the game’s protagonists, Naoe and Yasuke, into contact with elements drawn directly from Attack on Titan. In a news release, the company stated: “A strange encounter draws Naoe and Yasuke into a new quest, where whispers of forbidden rituals and monstrous transformations echo through the shadows.”
The adventure begins when the pair meet a “strangely garbed woman named Ada”, who asks them to enter the Crystal Cave to rescue her friend from a secretive cult. The Crystal Cave is a key location from Attack on Titan, reimagined in the world of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The new questline centres on unsettling experiments and a monstrous foe, making it instantly recognisable to anyone familiar with the anime’s themes. The mission becomes available once players have unlocked Yasuke and can be initiated in the area northeast of Yamashiro, the game’s second major region.
Ubisoft’s trailer highlights well-known Attack on Titan scenes, including the Underground Chapel, which serves as the setting for the Crystal Cave. In the anime, this location is where the Reiss royal family passed down the Founding Titan ability until the pivotal events involving Grisha Yaegar. The trailer concludes with a dramatic transformation, showing a captive turning into a Titan and towering menacingly over Naoe and Yasuke.
New rewards and themed cosmetic items
Players who complete the special mission will earn an exclusive katana, along with several additional items hidden in chests throughout the Crystal Cave area. Ubisoft will also release themed cosmetic packs inspired by Attack on Titan. These include a Titan-styled outfit for Yasuke, a Mikasa-inspired outfit for Naoe, various weapons, and a mount based on the Survey Corps.
The crossover blends the anime’s iconic themes with the historical setting of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, adding a surprising layer of fantasy to the game’s otherwise grounded narrative. The inclusion of well-known Attack on Titan references, environments, and transformations is likely to appeal to fans of both franchises.
Additional story content for Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Alongside the crossover, Ubisoft has released the game’s third free story update, titled “A Puzzlement.” This new quest takes a lighter tone and pairs Naoe and Yasuke in an unusual role reversal. Naoe performs an exaggerated, theatrical variation of Yasuke’s famous war kick, while Yasuke learns to carry out non-lethal stealth takedowns. The quest also introduces a fresh environmental puzzle designed to offer answers to lingering questions from the main storyline of Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
This is not the first time Assassin’s Creed has engaged in crossover projects with well-known anime properties. In 2020, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla ran a promotional story linked to Makoto Yukimura’s Vinland Saga. Valhalla also featured an unofficial nod to One-Punch Man through a quest widely recognised by fans as a reference to the series.
Ubisoft’s latest collaboration blends distinct storytelling styles. It brings a dramatic new twist to the world of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, offering players an opportunity to explore a crossover few would have predicted.
