Ubisoft confirms Assassin’s Creed Shadows will not feature a Discovery Tour mode, instead integrating historical details directly into the in-game Historical Codex for all players.
Ubisoft has confirmed that Assassin’s Creed Shadows will not feature a dedicated Discovery Tour mode, one of the franchise’s most beloved educational features. This announcement came during a recent Reddit AMA, where developers responded to fans’ questions about the game. While previous titles like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla offered a “Viking Age” Discovery Tour, Ubisoft has decided to take a different approach with Shadows, focusing on integrating historical content directly into the main game.
According to the developers, all the educational and historical information that would traditionally be part of a separate Discovery Tour is now accessible through the in-game Historical Codex. Players can read about the diverse history of Japan’s Sengoku era—the setting of Assassin’s Creed Shadows—without needing to switch to a separate mode. “On Shadows, we have decided to integrate the Historical Codex directly in the main game so it’s available to everyone,” a developer explained. This approach ensures that historical context is more immediate and accessible compared to previous games like Odyssey or Valhalla, where players had to enter a distinct Discovery Tour mode to explore history in detail.
Discovery Tour, which debuted in 2017 with Assassin’s Creed Origins, has been widely praised for its educational value. The mode allowed players to explore meticulously recreated game worlds while learning about the historical people, events, and places of each era. Both Odyssey and Valhalla later received their own versions of the mode, which even found use in classrooms to supplement history lessons. Despite this popularity, Ubisoft opted for a more integrated solution for Shadows rather than developing a separate Japan-focused Discovery Tour.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows launched earlier this year on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S and has already reached impressive milestones, with 5 million players reported as of July. Considering the development budget exceeded €100 million, the game’s success is a positive indication of Ubisoft’s investment paying off. Beyond the base game, Shadows continues to receive post-launch support. A notable update in July introduced a New Game+ mode, along with exclusive rewards for completion. The update also added a new Animus Rift challenge, available after unlocking Yasuke within the main story.
Ubisoft is also preparing to expand the game’s content with its first story expansion, Claws of Awaji, which will release on September 16. Players who pre-ordered the game can access the expansion for free. However, this additional content is only available once the base game’s story has been completed, ensuring players experience the full narrative progression.
While Assassin’s Creed Shadows may not include a standalone Discovery Mode, its integrated Historical Codex promises to deliver a rich, immersive learning experience for all players. By embedding historical context directly into gameplay, Ubisoft ensures that fans can enjoy both the action-packed narrative and the cultural depth of Japan’s Sengoku period in one seamless experience.
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