Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Nintendo Switch 2: Everything Pointing to a Port

30 July 2025
Nintendo Switch 2
6 min.
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Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Nintendo Switch 2: Everything Pointing to a Port

Summary:

Ubisoft has set the rumour mill spinning after CEO Yves Guillemot told investors that “new versions” of Assassin’s Creed Shadows will arrive on “other machines.” Pair that with a fleeting PEGI rating for a Switch 2 edition and you have a recipe for speculation. We explore why Switch 2 is suddenly in the spotlight, how Assassin’s Creed Shadows has performed so far, and what this could mean for Ubisoft’s wider Nintendo strategy—including the possible arrival of Assassin’s Creed Mirage. Along the way we look at Star Wars Outlaws’ confirmed Switch 2 release, the technical leap expected from Nintendo’s next hardware, and the bigger picture for third-party support. By the end you’ll know exactly where the smoke is—and whether there’s fire behind it.

Ubisoft’s Renewed Focus on Nintendo’s Next Console

Every console cycle, Nintendo pulls at least one rabbit out of its hat—and publishers scramble to decide whether the specs and install base justify the effort. This time, Ubisoft looks eager to jump in early. During July 2025’s earnings call, CEO Yves Guillemot confirmed that Switch 2 will receive at least one unannounced game before March 2026, hinting strongly that Assassin’s Creed Shadows could be the title in question. Ubisoft’s relationship with Nintendo has been up-and-down since the Wii U days, but recent releases like Mario + Rabbids proved the French publisher still sees value in the Kyoto giant’s platforms. The bigger question now: is Switch 2 finally powerful enough to host Ubisoft’s newest open-world adventures without cloud streaming?

Assassin’s Creed Shadows: A Quick Recap of Its Success

Released in March 2025, Assassin’s Creed Shadows took fans to Sengoku-era Japan and quickly topped five million players in its first month. Ubisoft touted the launch as a “defining moment” that outperformed Odyssey’s debut by a comfortable margin. Commercial success matters, of course, but technical performance is what determines portability. Shadows runs on the AnvilNext 2.0 engine at 60 fps on PS5 and Series X; scaling that experience down without sacrificing the lush bamboo forests and bustling castle towns is the challenge. Yet Switch 2’s rumoured DLSS-equivalent upscaling could bridge much of the gap—making a tailored port feasible without the painful compromises seen on the current Switch.

Inside the July 2025 Investor Call

If boardrooms had bleachers, fans would have been sitting in them, popcorn in hand. Investors asked point-blank whether Assassin’s Creed Shadows would march onto Nintendo’s next system. Guillemot sidestepped the mention of Switch 2 by name but assured listeners that “new versions” would land on “other machines.” CFO Frédérick Duguet doubled down, stating an unannounced Switch 2 title is planned before March 2026. Those two statements together light up the Bat-Signal for anyone keeping tabs on Ubisoft’s release slate: with Star Wars Outlaws already confirmed, Shadows is the most logical fit.

PEGI’s Surprise Switch 2 Listing

Days before the call, eagle-eyed enthusiasts spotted a PEGI rating that briefly listed Assassin’s Creed Shadows for Switch 2 before the entry vanished. PEGI data is seldom an accident; ratings are submitted by publishers under strict NDAs. While the listing disappeared quickly, screenshots spread across social media faster than a shinobi on rooftops. The sudden appearance—and equally sudden removal—feels less like a typo and more like a premature reveal, reinforcing the investor-call hints.

Can Switch 2 Really Handle Shadows?

Nintendo’s current console often leans on cloud versions for sprawling AAA worlds, but hardware insiders claim Switch 2 will pack an Nvidia Ampere-based SoC, ray-tracing support, and machine-learning upscaling. If those specs hold, Ubisoft could target 900–1080p at 30 fps without offloading rendering to distant servers. That’s a significant quality-of-life jump for handheld fans who endured sub-30 fps Assassin’s Creed III Remastered on the original Switch.

Engine Scalability and Cartridge Constraints

AnvilNext 2.0 scales surprisingly well; Odyssey already ran on last-gen consoles, and Shadows ships with texture-streaming tech designed for SSDs. Switch 2’s rumoured NVMe-grade storage would mitigate pop-in, while larger 64 GB game cards remove the need for giant day-one downloads.

Battery Life versus Visual Fidelity

Portable play introduces a delicate balance between clock speeds and battery drain. Ubisoft’s engineers may lean on dynamic resolution and capped frame rates when undocked, reserving full graphical bells and whistles for docked mode. The studio used similar tricks on The Division Resurgence for mobile, proving it can squeeze big worlds into small devices.

Ubisoft and Nintendo: A Decade-Long Partnership

From Red Steel on Wii to the much-loved ZombiU, Ubisoft often embraces Nintendo hardware early—even when others hesitate. The original Switch saw Assassin’s Creed III Remastered, The Rebel Collection, and the Ezio Collection. While Ubisoft skipped Valhalla and Odyssey on Switch, partly due to CPU limitations, the company kept the door open with cloud ports in Asia. With Switch 2 promising better specs, Ubisoft’s incentive to return multiplies. After all, Mario + Rabbids sold millions despite being a genre mash-up no one predicted. Imagine what a full-fat Assassin’s Creed could do.

What About Assassin’s Creed Mirage?

A trusted Ubisoft insider whispered that the Baghdad-based Mirage is also being prepped for Switch 2. Mirage uses a tighter, more compact world than Shadows, making it an ideal “bite-sized” proof of concept. If Ubisoft rolls out Mirage first—perhaps as a launch-window title—Shadows could follow once the install base grows. This staggered strategy mirrors the PS3 era, where Revelations released first while development on the larger-scale Assassin’s Creed III continued behind the scenes.

Star Wars Outlaws Sets the Precedent

Ubisoft has already confirmed that Star Wars Outlaws will reach Switch 2 on 4 September 2025. Outlaws runs on the Snowdrop engine, and early demos show stable 30 fps performance on PS5. If Snowdrop can scale, AnvilNext 2.0 should too. Ubisoft isn’t risking its first open-world Star Wars game on under-powered hardware—so by committing to Outlaws, the publisher tacitly endorses Switch 2’s capabilities. That sets the stage for Assassin’s Creed Shadows to swoop in with samurai flair.

How Third-Party Support Shapes a Launch Library

Remember the 3DS launch? Steel Diver and Pilotwings hardly lit the world on fire until Capcom dropped Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate. Third-party blockbusters give new systems credibility, signalling that big studios aren’t just paying lip service. If Shadows lands within Switch 2’s first year, it serves as a proof-point that the console isn’t confined to indies and Nintendo-made adventures. For Ubisoft, being first in line secures shelf space and brand mind-share, particularly in Japan where Nintendo dominates.

Why This Matters for Players and the Industry

For players, a portable version of Shadows means slicing through feudal Japan on commutes, lunch breaks, or couch co-op sessions with Joy-Cons. For Nintendo, it demonstrates to shareholders that Switch 2 can lure franchises previously deemed too heavy. And for the industry, it breaks the binary view of “powerhouse” versus “handheld,” proving once more that smart engineering can blur those lines. Ubisoft’s cautious wording—paired with hard evidence like PEGI listings—suggests the question is no longer “if” but “when.” When that announcement drops, don’t be surprised if pre-orders open within minutes, samurai steel gleaming on the eShop front page.

Conclusion

Ubisoft hasn’t uttered the magic words “Assassin’s Creed Shadows is coming to Switch 2,” but the trail of clues—from investor hints to ratings board slips—paints a vivid picture. With Star Wars Outlaws paving the way and Mirage waiting in the wings, Shadows feels destined to join Nintendo’s next-gen lineup. For fans eager to explore Japan’s Warring States on the go, the wait might soon be over.

FAQs
  • Is Assassin’s Creed Shadows officially confirmed for Switch 2?
    • Not yet. Ubisoft has only said “new versions” are coming to “other machines,” but multiple signs point to Switch 2.
  • When could the port release?
    • Ubisoft’s fiscal window closes March 2026, so any Switch 2 version would likely arrive before then.
  • Will the Switch 2 edition include DLC?
    • If it mirrors other platforms, expect the Claws of Awaji expansion and future updates at launch.
  • What about Assassin’s Creed Mirage?
    • Rumours suggest Mirage is also in development for Switch 2, possibly arriving sooner due to its smaller scale.
  • Does this mean fewer cloud versions?
    • Switch 2’s improved hardware could reduce the need for cloud streaming, letting more games run natively.
Sources
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