Assassin's Creed Shadows Allows for Transmogging, Keeping a Weapon's Looks While Changing Its Stats

Assassin's Creed Shadows: Deep Dive into Progression and Customization

Assassin's Creed Shadows (AC Shadows) offers players extensive character progression and customization options, highlighted by its innovative transmogging system. This allows players to maintain desired weapon stats while altering their cosmetic appearance. A recent March 1st, 2025, website post detailed these features, shedding light on Associate Game Director Julien's vision for the game's depth.

Weapon Transmogrification and Customization

The game's transmogging feature, unlocked by constructing a Forge in the Hideout, lets players decouple weapon stats from their visual design. This means players can retain powerful stats while enjoying the aesthetic appeal of a different weapon's look. Access to this feature is conveniently located within the inventory menu.

Julien emphasized the Forge's importance in inventory management, hinting at further details in a future article about the Hideout. Furthermore, the game allows for extensive mixing and matching of weapon components: "The final result could be the blade of one weapon, with the guard of another, and the handle of your newly acquired one."

Reimagined Progression System

Building on Creative Director Charles Benoit's IGN Fan Fest 2025 presentation of combat mechanics, Ubisoft's latest post delves deeper into the game's progression system. The dual protagonist setup—Naoe (shinobi/assassin) and Yasuke (samurai)—necessitated a re-evaluation of player progression. The goal, according to Julien, was to maintain the core philosophy of mastery and martial arts.

Mastery, Abilities, and Knowledge Ranks

Separate mastery trees for Naoe and Yasuke cater to their distinct archetypes. Investing in these trees unlocks bonuses and abilities, enhancing specific weapons or playstyles. However, access to certain abilities and mastery points is gated by the player's Knowledge Rank. This rank increases through non-violent activities like discovering Lost Pages, praying at Shrines, meditation (Naoe), or learning Kata (Yasuke).

Tailoring Your Playstyle

AC Shadows offers extensive playstyle customization. Perks allow players to modify equipment, enhancing stats, inflicting afflictions, or introducing unique gameplay conditions. Despite their initial archetypes, both Naoe and Yasuke offer diverse build possibilities. Examples include a ground-focused, aggressive Naoe build and a stealthy, ranged Yasuke build.

The extensive customization options showcased in recent weeks have generated considerable anticipation for the game's March 20, 2025, release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. For the latest updates, refer to our related articles.