Assassin’s Creed Shadows: 19 GB of New Content Arrives June 25 — Here's What’s New
A new companion from another world, punishing challenges, and long-awaited features: update 1.0.6 of Assassin’s Creed Shadows is shaping up to be one of the game’s most ambitious and content-rich patches since launch.
Following a highly talked-about spring release, Assassin’s Creed Shadows keeps evolving through finely-tuned updates. This week, Ubisoft is rolling out a massive patch that introduces fresh challenges, a thrilling crossover, and fan-requested improvements—plenty to rekindle player enthusiasm and tempt newcomers back to feudal Japan.
Image credit: Ubisoft
An Unexpected Collaboration with Critical Role
The highlight of version 1.0.6? A new free quest titled “A Critical Encounter”, born from a vibrant partnership with Critical Role. Players will meet Rufino, a newly recruitable ally involved in unraveling a deadly conspiracy. Voiced by Robbie Daymond, this character—created during a special one-shot between Ubisoft and Critical Role—joins the game’s universe with a strong narrative identity.
- Quest unlocks after completing “The Way of the Blacksmith” and recruiting Yasuke
- Exclusive rewards: custom trophy/achievement and a Critical Role decorative banner
- Weapon pack coming soon to the store featuring a Tanto and Katana for Naoe, and a Kanabo and Teppo for Yasuke
This initiative echoes the recent horror crossover between Assassin’s Creed and Dead by Daylight, confirming Ubisoft’s intent to embrace bold, diverse influences within the Shadows universe.
A Nightmare Mode for the Brave
The standout addition in this update is the new “Nightmare” difficulty mode, delivering a brutally realistic take on the Assassin’s Creed experience. Combat, stealth, and resource management have all been rebalanced to push players to their limits.
- Imperfect parries no longer protect you; every mistake has consequences
- Enemies react faster and more aggressively, even from cover
- Resources are scarce: rations, adrenaline, and ninja tools become precious
This mode clearly targets seasoned players, in the spirit of hardcore settings found in other modern games. The question is whether the reworked AI can live up to expectations.
Technical Enhancements and Quality-of-Life Features
Beyond new content, Ubisoft is introducing several long-requested quality-of-life improvements. Highlights include:
- Headgear visible during dialogues: helmet, hood, or band—you choose
- VFX toggles: turn on/off visual cues like alerts and loot indicators
- Horseback camera options: three perspectives now available for a cinematic riding experience
These tweaks show that the Ubisoft team is staying responsive to its community, as it already demonstrated with patch 1.0.4.
Expanded Alert System and Low-End PC Options
Another major change: the alert system now spans the entire province. Attacking civilians or guards too frequently will trigger Guardian pursuit across the open world, making free-roaming significantly riskier.
And for players on lower-end setups, good news: a new Ultra Low mode has been added on PC. It ensures a smoother experience even on aging hardware.
A Massive Patch… and Tons of Fixes
On top of everything else, patch 1.0.6 brings an impressive list of bug fixes targeting quests, navigation, visuals, and audio. Some gems in the official notes show the devs’ sense of humor:
- Gennojo wouldn’t show up after being recruited: “He was washing his hair.”
- Katsuhime went missing in a field: “She just needed some peace and quiet.”
- The Void Godai… literally vanished.
Heads up: this patch is as huge as it is ambitious. Here’s the download size by platform:
- PS5: 6.27 GB
- Xbox Series: 19 GB
- Mac: 9 GB
- PC: 17 GB
- Steam: 8.5 GB
To view the full list of fixes, check out the official patch notes.
Title Update 1.0.6 is coming tomorrow, June 25th @ 12 PM UTC!
— Assassin's Creed (@assassinscreed) June 24, 2025
⚔️ New Free Critical Role Ally & Questline
😈 New Nightmare Difficulty
🦅 Headgear toggle and more!
Read the full patch notes here 👉 https://t.co/blHTytx57D#AssassinsCreedShadows pic.twitter.com/GdlU3i1sCc
What’s Next?
Update 1.0.6 is just the beginning. Ubisoft is already teasing the next big milestones: the highly anticipated New Game+ mode, the story-driven DLC Claws of Awaji, and more exciting collaborations. Enough to keep veteran assassins on edge.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows continues to expand its universe with depth and creativity. Update 1.0.6 isn’t just a technical fix—it’s a bold statement of intent. And it’s a compelling reason to draw your blade once more.
