Popverse's top stories

• Critical Role star Sam Riegel didn't know FCG's fate before the moment happened - but he did know it was "a good way to go"
• Avengers and Doctor Who star Karen Gillan is on her way to New York Comic Con 2025 - and Popverse Superfans will have an early chance to connect
• Look out One Piece - the biggest manga of 2026 might be Captain Underpants (and I don't think that's a bad thing) [Future Fest]

And everything happening this week for Future Fest!

In a way, it has always felt inevitable that Assassin’s Creed would one day find itself in Japan. After all, it is the home of some of the most famous assassins in history – the ninja. But fans will note that it isn’t just the stealthy ninja that they’ll be playing as in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. They’ll also get a turn at playing the more action-oriented samurai character. Why two protagonists? It was so Ubisoft could open the series up to more players by making different playstyles viable in the game.

It wasn’t a story decision to have dual protagonists in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Instead, it was to allow the developers to give players a different option than they have had in the series before. Creative director Jonathon Dumont explained that they had always wanted to have a ninja archetype in the game but they also wanted to include a samurai character. “But marrying the two on top of each other sort of diluted both fantasies,” he explained. “So we tried to make it their own. We really wanted to have the ninja fantasy – you climb everywhere, you have gadgets, you throw kunai, and you stay in the dark, you’re really spry, you have a grappling hook. But once you get in combat you can get overwhelmed.”

That is where Yasuke, the samurai character, comes in. “Samura kicks the front door in, is a super-warrior,” Dumont says, mentioning that the samurai character’s style is “the opposite” of the ninja. It marks new territory for the Assassin’s Creed series. It isn’t the first time they’ve had dual protagonists, but it is the first time they have played so intentionally differently. Not only could this open the game up to people who want to approach things from a more direct route – kicking the door in, as Dumont puts it – but it also could open the game up to multiple playthroughs to experiment with the different characters’ unique styles.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is out on March 20, 2025.

The gaming industry has come a long way since Pong blew all our minds in the 70s. We've got everything you need to know about the next big thing in games. Of course, Grand Theft Auto VI is going to be the big game of 2026, but there are plenty of other games coming out between now and then. Here is our starter guide for every gamer:

• All upcoming games in 2025 and beyond
• Gamify My Life, our weekly gaming column designed
• Popverse Picks: The best Assassin's Creed protagonists
• How to play every GTA game in order
• Why the GTA 6 budget isn't as crazy as you think
• The Magic: The Gathering x Spider-Man crossover set wouldn't exist without the Spider-Verse

And be sure to check Popverse regularly for the latest gaming news.