Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ final update drops tomorrow, and it brings a whole smattering of new content for fans. First up is a new story quest, Black Tides, the finale of Naoe and Yasuke’s journey, where they fight two elite Templars.
And if the name wasn’t a dead enough giveaway, there will be a few “narrative connections” with Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced. Kassandra from Odyssey may also figure in some way because why not?
Afterwards, you can dive into the new end-game activity: Domains. As associate game director Simon Lemay-Comtois tells the PlayStation Blog, this “is a new Animus-bending activity that remixes some parts of Shadows and puts them into a very different, more fantastical context. It’s basically the final exam for Shadows players who love the RPG elements of the game.”
There are five maps with unique modifiers on each playthrough. Sounds simple on the surface – kill the Daishos to access the boss arena- but higher difficulties mean more negative modifiers. Animus Exploits can counteract some of those, and any equipment unlocked in the base game is usable.
“The Animus Exploits can’t be used anywhere else, but equipment that you already have will be accessible in Domains and rewards you get will be accessible in the main game,” explains Lemay-Comtois. “Although you might find your existing builds need some tweaking, especially as you get to the higher difficulties.”
For those who best the Domains, they’ll receive exclusive weapons and equipment, but only through challenges – no purchasing them from anywhere. Interestingly, the activity has a bit of narrative attached, as the maps were created by a hacker known as MOD. “If you dig around, ask some questions, and find a few little clues, you will get more context and lore about her and what the future might hold.”
Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘ Title Update 1.1.11 arrives on June 16th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. If you’re curious about the state of the game until now, check out our feature.