Tech Desk 
Jan 11, 2025
With just a month remaining until the release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Ubisoft has unveiled the latest updates to the game’s parkour mechanics, a defining feature of the franchise.
Originally slated for a November 2024 release, the game faced delays and is now set to launch on February 14. Ahead of its highly anticipated debut, Ubisoft has announced significant changes to Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ iconic parkour system.
Parkour has long been one of the series’ most exhilarating aspects, enabling players to navigate obstacles with fluid movements such as jumping, climbing, running, and crawling. In a recent blog post, Ubisoft revealed a key alteration: the crouch and dodge buttons have been reassigned.
Simon Lemay-Comtois, Associate Game Director, explained: “In Shadows, dodge has been merged with the parkour-down mechanics, unlocking a host of new parkour moves. This new control mapping also separates stance-switching—such as standing, crouching, or going prone—from parkour, allowing players to use any stance without accidentally descending from a rooftop.”
Ubisoft has also introduced several new techniques and restrictions for parkour.
Unlike earlier titles in the series, Assassin’s Creed Shadows will not permit players to climb certain surfaces unless there are tangible handholds available. This limitation encourages players to strategise their movements rather than relying on the unrestricted climbing mechanics of previous games.
“We had to approach this thoughtfully, creating engaging parkour highways,” added Lemay-Comtois. “This approach gave us greater control over where our protagonists, Naoe and Yasuke, can go and where they can’t. It also highlights the contrasts between their distinct playstyles.”
