As the sun rises over feudal Japan in 2026, the shadows grow deeper and more intricate. Ubisoft continues to support its latest hit, Assassin's Creed Shadows, with a substantial new update. Since its launch, the game has carved out a significant place in the franchise's history, trailing only the mighty Assassin's Creed Valhalla in launch day sales. With an impressive average critic score and praise heaped upon its stunning visuals, dynamic combat, and expansive world, the journey for Naoe and Yasuke is far from over. The development team has been diligently listening to the community, and now, Update 1.0.5 is ready to deploy, promising not just fixes, but exciting new adventures and collaborations. What does this latest patch bring to the table for aspiring shinobi and samurai?

A Deadly Collaboration and a Pre-Order Quest for All

The headline feature of Update 1.0.5 is undoubtedly its first major collaboration event. Can you imagine the terror of Dead by Daylight bleeding into the Sengoku period? The update brings a chilling new free quest to the game. As villagers mysteriously vanish in Harima, Naoe's investigation leads her to confront an otherworldly threat. This event becomes accessible from the Hideout once Yasuke is unlocked as a playable character. Completing it rewards players with a unique trinket and banner.

But the collaboration doesn't stop there. For those looking to fully embrace the horror, a special Dead by Daylight-inspired pack will be available, featuring themed outfits and weapons. And in a delightfully macabre touch, players can even ride Maurice, The Clown's loyal steed from the horror title. Isn't that a sight to imagine—a shinobi silently riding a horse from another realm through the moonlit Japanese countryside?

Furthermore, Ubisoft is making the previously exclusive pre-order bonus quest, "Thrown to the Dogs," available to all players. This early-game quest, found at the Tennoji Temple outside Osaka after completing "From Spark to Flame," tasks players with helping a loyal canine seek vengeance. The reward? Tsuki-maru, a new pet for your Hideout. It seems no good deed, even for a dog, goes unrewarded in the shadows.

Mastering Movement: The Parkour Overhaul

One of the core pillars of any Assassin's Creed game is fluid movement, and the team has taken community feedback to heart. Update 1.0.5 introduces a significant parkour enhancement package designed to give players more vertical control and smoother transitions.

Key Parkour Improvements:

• New Vertical Jump: A brand-new interaction allows both protagonists to jump and grab ledges, awnings, or overhangs directly, reducing reliance on vertical wall-runs. Simply press jump when approaching a low overhang.

• Sprint Consistency: Sprinting will no longer disengage when using Parkour Up or Parkour Down, as long as directional input is maintained.

• Enhanced Ejects: Side and back ejects now have increased distance and height, favoring foot landings. Naoe even gets new animations for height-gaining side ejects, helping her maintain elevation during complex maneuvers.

These changes aim to make traversing the beautiful yet dangerous landscapes of feudal Japan feel more intuitive and empowering. After all, what's a shinobi without impeccable agility?

Capturing Perfection: The Biggest Photo Mode Update Yet

For the artists and historians chronicling their journey, Photo Mode receives what Ubisoft calls its biggest update in franchise history. The goal? To give players unparalleled control in framing the perfect shot of this meticulously crafted world.

New Photo Mode Features Include:

With these tools, players are encouraged to share their masterpieces online using #ACPhotoMode for a chance to be featured on official social channels. Will your vision of feudal Japan stand out?

Squashing Bugs and Balancing the Economy

No major update is complete without a long list of fixes, and 1.0.5 addresses many persistent issues that have plagued players. The most notorious fix? The persistent "New Item" notification in the inventory has finally been silenced. A small change, but one that brings peace to countless completionists.

Other Notable Fixes:

• Quest Progress: Numerous quest-blocking bugs have been resolved, including issues with "The Diary of Lady Rokkaku," "Vision of Realms," and "A Peculiar Guest."

• Character Behavior: Problems like Yagoro getting trapped, Yaya not joining "The League," and romance sequences breaking have been addressed.

• Visual Glitches: From a giant NPC appearing in towns to armor display issues and mounts not fitting in stables, many visual oddities are now gone.

• Performance: The Balanced Performance Mode, which went missing on Xbox Series X after the last update, has been restored (requires a compatible high-refresh-rate monitor).

Perhaps more impactful than bug fixes are the economy adjustments. The team noticed that the Samurai Daisho and Ronin were paying out excessive amounts of Mon (in-game currency), making other activities pointless. This has been corrected. Furthermore, the entire Mon economy has been partially rebalanced to encourage exploration:

• 📈 Increased cost and lowered seasonal quantity of Crafting Materials and Hideout Resources at merchants.

• 📈 Increased Mon rewards from completing contracts.

The message is clear: Ubisoft wants players to engage with the rich world, its activities, and its contracts, rather than simply buying their way to power. Isn't a journey earned more satisfying than one purchased?

A Winning Hand and Future Shadows

Adding a dash of unpredictable fun, the update introduces new trinkets inspired by the card game Balatro. Naoe receives a new trinket, and Yasuke gets an amulet called "Winning Hand." Their legendary perk? A chance to trigger a random affliction effect on combo enders. How will this change your combat strategy?

As of 2026, Assassin's Creed Shadows continues to evolve, supported by updates like 1.0.5 that blend new content, community-requested features, and essential polishing. While Ubisoft has delayed some major franchise titles to the 2026-2027 period for further refinement, the commitment to supporting Shadows post-launch remains strong. This update proves that the world of Naoe and Yasuke is still full of secrets to uncover, horrors to face, and breathtaking vistas to capture. The shadows of feudal Japan have never been more alive—or more dangerous.

Data referenced from ESRB highlights how content descriptors and rating summaries can help players contextualize intense crossover events like the new Dead by Daylight quest in Assassin’s Creed Shadows Update 1.0.5, especially when horror themes, violence, and combat effects intersect with an open-world action RPG structure and ongoing live-update additions.