As Assassin’s Creed approaches its 20th anniversary, the series has seen many gameplay features introduced and then phased out over time. Parkour improvements vanished after Unity, and the RPG elements were toned down in Mirage. However, one feature that has been notably absent for a decade is the beloved double assassination. Fans can now look forward to its return in the much-anticipated Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Ubisoft’s latest blog post reveals that Shadows will feature Naoe, a character that embodies the core of the Assassin archetype. Naoe will not only revive many of the franchise’s classic mechanics but also bring in new stealth-focused gameplay. Players will be able to dive underwater, crawl to stay hidden, and most excitingly, execute double assassinations with a hidden blade and tantō. A single button press will allow Naoe to eliminate two enemies at once, bringing back a mechanic that hasn’t been seen since Assassin’s Creed Syndicate.

Double assassinations are not new to the series. This feature was first introduced in Assassin’s Creed II when Leonardo da Vinci crafted two hidden blades for Ezio Auditore. Ezio made good use of them throughout his life, and the tradition was continued by other characters such as Connor, Edward Kenway, Arno, and the Frye twins, Jacob and Evie. However, this feature was last seen in Syndicate in 2015, after which it seemed to have been left behind. Now, it is making a much-anticipated return in Shadows.

While games like Odyssey, Valhalla, and Mirage have experimented with variations of multiple assassinations, involving teleportation or selecting multiple targets, they lacked the raw appeal of the classic double assassination. With Shadows, Ubisoft intends to bring back that original excitement through the character Naoe, reminding players why this feature was so beloved.

Why Was the Double Assassination Removed from Assassin’s Creed?

The return of double assassinations in Assassin’s Creed Shadows has sparked fan discussions about why Ubisoft decided to remove it in the first place, much like the removal of the Unity-style parkour. While Ubisoft has not provided an official explanation, a theory circulating on Reddit suggests that the removal could be tied to the game’s internal timeline.

According to this theory, because Altair, the first protagonist, is credited with creating the double assassination technique (as indicated in the game’s lore, though Ezio was the first to use it), it would not make sense for games set before Altair’s time to feature this ability. Additionally, characters like Bayek, Eivor, and Kassandra/Alexios are not considered “true” Assassins in the series’ canon, with only Bayek assuming that title by the end of his story.

Source: 3djuegos