We’re excited to share that a half-dozen Xbox first-party titles (plus one movie) have been nominated for awards across multiple categories – voting is now open on The Game Awards official site.
You can play many of the nominees announced today with Xbox Game Pass, including top nominee Clair Obscur: Expedition 33,Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, DOOM: The Dark Ages,South of Midnight, and Hollow Knight: Silksong.
Tune into The Game Awards on December 11 to see if your favorite games from 2025 take home an award.
The Game Awards has officially revealed the full list of nominees for the year, and we’re thrilled to see such a wide range of unique titles being recognized for their contributions to gaming. Even better, many of these nominees can be played today across Xbox consoles, Xbox on PC, ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, Cloud, and with Xbox Game Pass!
This year our first-party studios received nominations for Avowed, DOOM: The Dark Ages, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Ninja Gaiden 4, South of Midnight, and The Outer Worlds 2. Troy Baker’s pitch-perfect performance as Indiana Jones was recognized with a Best Performance nomination, and ‘A Minecraft Movie’, one of the biggest hits at the box office in 2025, was nominated for Best Adaptation.
We’re also equally excited to see that many of our third-party partners have been nominated across a wide range of categories – many of which can be played with Game Pass. Ball x Pit, Blue Prince, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Rematch are all up for awards this year, and playable across devices as Xbox Play Anywhere titles. Additionally, Game Pass subscribers receive incredible benefits for nominees League of Legends, Valorant, and – starting tomorrow – Fortnite.
Congratulations to all this year’s amazing nominees – and don’t forget, these nominations join titles on Xbox nominated across the Golden Joysticks, and even the Grammys!
Remember, you can vote for your favorites right now over at TheGameAwards.com. See below for the full list of nominees that you can play today.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows expansion Claws of Awaji launches September 16.
The expansion follows on from the story of Naoe and Yasuke, and introduces over 10 hours of brand-new content.
Here’s what players need to do to prepare themselves to explore the mysterious region of Awaji.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ expansion, Claws of Awaji, is launching on September 16, bringing over 10 hours of new content to the game, furthering the story of Naoe and Yasuke. Set after the main events of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Claws of Awaji will introduce a mysterious new region, Awaji Island.
Awaji is an isolated island, separate from the main game map, full of different biomes such as beaches, swamps and jungles. The island is filled with deadly ambushes, dangerous traps, and Naoe and Yasuke become the target of a powerful and terrifying faction. Enemies on Awaji Island can ambush you when you least expect it; some are even disguised as citizens, so stay on your toes. The expansion will also bring new, unique bosses…but no spoilers here!
At the expansion’s release, all Shadows players will be able to get a new weapon for Naoe – the Bo staff. This weapon can be elevated through multiple legendary Bo Staves, only available in the expansion, that can be found across the island of Awaji. The Bo is a very agile weapon, designed to execute spectacular combos. It can help Naoe attack different enemies in quick sequence or even throw one enemy into another. Players who dive into the expansion will also uncover brand new armor and gear, each featuring fresh designs and abilities.
To prepare for Claws of Awaji, you must finish Shadows’ main story, as the expansion will pick up right where things leave off after completing each of Naoe and Yasuke’s full personal quests.
If you haven’t finished Shadows’ main story – here’s your warning to look away now, as we’re going to spoil the end of it to tease Claws of Awaji’s story.
Still with us? Good. At the end of Shadows, Naoe hears rumors about a mysterious shinobi who is facing a dangerous faction on the island. As Naoe thinks it’s her mother – Tsuyu – she goes there with Yasuke to find out and soon encounter the nefarious faction for themselves.
Claws of Awaji will also incorporate the upcoming level cap increase for its progression, so we recommend hitting at least level 60 before September 16 so you can dive into the action fully prepared and ready to take advantage of the extra levels.
For those who haven’t played since launch, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has since implemented a number of robust updates, including New Game+, a level cap increase (80, up from 60), Knowledge Rank 9 and 10, Forge Level 4 and 5, a new Animus Hub project, new achievements a new Critical Role-inspired ally, bonus free missions, and the Nightmare Difficulty mode. Multiple community-suggested features have also been added, including new parkour mechanics, greater HUD customization, Photomode improvements, and more.
The expansion will be available for purchase or playable with a Ubisoft+ subscription. We hope you enjoy your time exploring Awaji Island on Xbox Series X|S, September 16!
With an entire franchise leading into Assassin’s Creed Shadows, features have come and gone over the years. All good things learn from their predecessors, so it’s important to highlight some of what should and shouldn’t be included, so here are 5 features we hope to see in AC Shadows and 5 we don’t.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Features We Want to See
It’s easy to look at any feature in the franchise now and say it’s good or bad in retrospect. Some things made sense for the games and their titles, while others improved their games from the ground up.
1. Stealth-Focused Combat
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I can’t lie, when I play Assassin’s Creed 3, it’s loads of fun to run up to a group of Redcoats and start a fight I know I can win. However, something about that doesn’t feel like Assassin’s Creed at its best. Assassin’s Creed Mirage brought back the combat mechanics from the days of old where stealth is more your ally than the sword at your hip. Hopefully, Yasuke can satisfy the large-scale combat, while letting Naoe remain stealthy.
While losing any fight with more than five enemies gets disheartening, it drives players to play the game using stealth, the way it should be. It makes you think about your environment and use it to your advantage, rather than brute force. When I want to tear through enemies, I’ll hop into AC3 or Black Flag, but I’d rather be sneaky.
2. Those Who Came Before – Isu
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One of the common threads throughout the Assassin’s Creed games is the precursor race often referred to as Those Who Came Before. They’re the basis for why the Templars and Assassins have anything to fight over. Different games have touched on them to varying degrees, but the earlier games dove deeper than the new ones.
Some titles like Assassin’s Creed 3 would have the historical protagonist and Desmond interacting with characters like Juno to give backstory to the Isu. Games like Syndicate and Mirage didn’t take any time to go forward to the present day, so the period characters had all of the interaction with them. While I don’t want Assassin’s Creed Shadows to feature the Isu too heavily, I’ll miss them if they’re gone.
3. Playable Side Games
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One of the smaller Assassin’s Creed features playing games in a bar or saloon is a nice touch that brings the world together. Certain in-game locations have people playing games either for money or pleasure. The franchise has seen games like Checkers, Men’s Morris and Hazard, so Japan opens the door for Shogi, Go or Sugoroku.
These games add to the world-building, as much as having a codex with paragraphs of information. The codex is great, but having interactive games incentivises players to dive deeper into the history. You’re immersing yourself deeper into the world, which connects you more with the characters. Plus it’s a great way to make a little money.
4. Eagle-Based Scouting
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The Assassin’s Creed franchise has introduced plenty of mechanics that make the overall game easier or more connected. One such feature is the eagles used for scouting the environment. AC Origins employed Senu and Origins employed Enkidu as their scouts, and it feels right at home in the franchise. Sure, it’s not using the Assassin’s skills per se, but I can suspend my disbelief if it means flying around the map.
The marksmen that shoot at your bird are a brilliant counter to the ability, not making it feel too overpowered. If you try to use your bird and they get shot at, you’ll have to manage on foot until you eliminate those enemies. Then, you’ll be able to use the feature to its fullest, which adds an extra layer to the gameplay. If you want to use your eagle’s vision, you’ll have to use your Eagle Vision.
5. Efficient Sprint Feature
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As a self-proclaimed completionist, I do my best not to fast-travel very much. I love running around the map to find the collectibles and side missions scattered throughout. That said, my patience thins quickly when a game doesn’t have a sprint button like Assassin’s Creed Origins. Games with oversized maps like some of the AC franchise can’t get away with not letting me run fast enough to explore the map efficiently.
I say “efficient” sprint mechanic as a direct callout to AC Mirage. It’s a great time to explore Baghdad, but the sprint feature didn’t make me feel like I was running much faster. Most of the other Assassins (who weren’t hulking warriors) had the advantage of being fast and deadly. Basim felt a bit slow after playing the whole game, but he’s a very different character.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Features We Don’t Want
There’s no inherent issue with Ubisoft giving Assassin’s Creed Shadows features that can keep things fresh. However, sometimes features are added to the franchise that it could do without, or that are only appropriate for the title they’re originally featured in.
1. Grappling Hook
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One of the most game-changing mechanics introduced to Assassin’s Creed would have to be the grappling hook from AC Syndicate. Don’t get me wrong, there was something satisfying about being able to grapple up the face of most buildings. However, it does go against what makes Assassin’s Creed feel the way it does. Fearlessly scaling buildings by hand makes the Assassins feel capable and threatening. Having a grappling hook do all the work feels like taking a shortcut.
The grappling hook being a feature in AC Syndicate does fit that time nicely, but it’d feel out of place as a feature in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The Industrial Revolution was a boom in technological advancement, so it only makes sense that the Assassins might get some new kit. However, having a grappling hook in feudal Japan might pull players out of the story, so it’d be best to omit one this time.
2. Glider/Flying Machine
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Speaking of faster methods of transportation, Ezio‘s glider in Assassin’s Creed 2 is another thing that should be left out of AC Shadows. Depending on the size of the map, my opinion on this might shift because sometimes you need to cover large distances quickly. Traversal shouldn’t feel like a cop out, and luckily the glider wasn’t a main feature, so it didn’t become distracting.
Rise of the Ronin was a recent game set in Japan with the protagonist using a glider, so it’s safe to say that AC Shadows won’t want to mimic it. Depending on the map size, it might be worthwhile to have some method for speedy travel, but I’m a fan of the classic horse. As long as you can make the horse sprint, I’ll be happy.
3. Naval Combat
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Naval combat was introduced to the Assassin’s Creed franchise in Black Flag. It consists of captaining a ship and its crew to board and destroy enemy ships while traveling on the seas. While the mechanic is interesting and done uniquely, it can tend to slow some of the gameplay. There’s a learning curve, with patience being key to success.
There is plenty to appreciate about the naval combat in the AC games that have it. Listening to your crew singing sea shanties was a great touch in Black Flag, and boarding a ship is always satisfying. It just feels like using large-scale transportation like ships isn’t as discreet as the Assassins aim to be. Assassin’s Creed Shadows could feature some boats, but I can’t see Naoe captaining a vessel to the cheers of her crew.
4. Modern-Day Cutaways
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This one is a struggle even for me to choose, but I’ve got to go with my gut. I understand the parts of the game that cut back to Desmond or an Abstergo employee are the way to tie everything together. When I first started playing AC games, I became more compelled by the historical settings than the meta-story. Even though I like the precursor details, after Desmond’s story I haven’t been impressed by anything in the modern day.
That’s not to say I wouldn’t enjoy a new modern storyline if it were done well. I only feel that Ubisoft should focus its resources more on the part of the game that people are buying it for. Blag Flag’s Abstergo cutaways were my least favorite part of the game, but not playing them at all felt like skipping out on the full experience. As much as I loved Nolan North’s performance, I found myself racing to get back in the animus whenever I could.
5. Freerun Up/Down
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Assassin’s Creed Unity revamped the freerunning mechanics for the franchise to allow for more precise traversal. This continued into Syndicate, although later games abandoned it to pursue a different style. The introduction was much needed in the franchise to smooth out some of the traversal mechanics, and it succeeded.
That said, at this point in the franchise, the mechanic is dated. While it did solve some of the former issues regarding traversing the map, it’s since been modernized in a way that makes sense for the franchise. The newer games have implemented a smoother, implicitly directional system allowing for a more natural experience. Freerunning up or down is a feature Assassin’s Creed Shadows won’t be needing.
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