Ubisoft has just rolled out the latest update for Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, bringing the game to version 1.1.8. This patch focuses heavily on refining the combat experience, fixing a huge number of perk-related bugs, and ensuring that those diving into New Game+ don’t run into any nasty technical hurdles.
Assassin’s Creed: Shadows Update 1.1.8
The headline for this update is undoubtedly the massive pass on Weapons and Perks. If you felt like your Kusarigama was hitting a bit too hard, you weren’t imagining things; Ubisoft found that both the Kusarigama and Naginata were erroneously granting double critical damage… albeit that’s sometimes a good thing IMO. On the flip side, several perks that simply weren’t functioning, such as the damage reduction per enemy or affliction buildup with tools, have been restored to working order. Stability has also seen a boost, specifically for players transitioning into New Game+ who might have encountered crashes related to the Claws of Awaji DLC.
Key Fixes and Improvements
The 1.1.8 patch is quite extensive, but here are the primary takeaways for your next session in feudal Japan:
- Stability: Resolved crashes when starting New Game+ and fixed various general stability issues.
- Gameplay: XP earned from contracts is no longer penalised during season changes.
- World: Fixed issues with NPC spawning in the hideout and eagle viewpoint synchronisation.
- Combat Balancing: Corrected damage calculations for various Katana, Teppo, and Naginata perks.
- Quest Fixes: Addressed progression blockers in missions, including “The Lesson”, “War Horse”, and “A Puzzlement”.
- Xbox Specific: Fixed a crash occurring when resetting Skill and Knowledge points in the Skill Tree.
Tell Me More
One of the more interesting technical fixes involves the “A Puzzlement” quest. Some players had reported missing items and skills after the mission, but Ubisoft has confirmed that anyone affected will have their gear automatically restored upon loading the game. The UI has also received some much-needed polish. Several perk descriptions were either vague or mathematically incorrect. For example, the Dark Encryption Kanabo now correctly displays its +75% damage bonus, and the Noh Masterstroke Costume now properly specifies its affliction buildup percentage.
It is good to see Ubisoft being so proactive with the “maths” side of Shadows. In a game with so many RPG elements, having perks that either don’t work or provide 50% damage instead of 5% (looking at you, Moonlight Crescent Robes) can really break the intended balance. While the fix for double critical damage might feel like a “nerf” to some, it should lead to a much more consistent combat experience across different playstyles.
Where to Buy
Assassin’s Creed: Shadows is available now on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. You can pick it up via the Ubisoft Store, Epic Games Store, and of course, Steam.
Full Patch Notes For Update 1.1.8
Stability
- Fixed stability issues.
- Fixed crashing issues when starting New Game+ on a platform where Claws of Awaji isn’t owned, using a save file that had already progressed through the Awaji storyline.
Gameplay
- XP earned from contracts will no longer be reduced when the season changes.
World
- Seasons will no longer transition when swapping characters.
- Fixed an issue preventing NPCs from appearing in the hideout.
- Collision with the eagle at viewpoints will no longer prevent interaction to synchronize.
Weapons & Perks
- Fixed an issue where the Kusarigama and Naginata were granted double critical damage.
- Perks that would throw smoke bombs will now reflect that while in Expert or Nightmare difficulties.
- Addressed an issue where perk affliction buildup would visually impact items that were not equipped.
- Perks will consistently work on afflicted enemies.
- Fixed ‘Trigger Affliction On Deflect’ Engraving not working as stated.
- Poison Damage perks will no longer increase Fire Affliction damage.
- Fixed an issue where the “+50% Critical Chance while undamaged in combat” perk incorrectly only gave +5% for the Moonlight Crescent Robes.
- Corrected an issue where the “+5% damage reduction per enemy in combat” perk was not functional.
- Corrected an issue where the “+6% affliction buildup with tools” perk was not functional.
- The Assassin Mastery perk now gives the correct amount of adrenaline on assassinations.
- Addressed an issue where the “+10% damage per 10% health missing” perk granted extra damage while health was full.
- The “Hawkeye” perk for the Tenzutsu Burst Teppo will no longer increase all damage by 50% and instead only the Teppo’s.
- Fixed an issue where the following perks increased damage in unintended ways and would not affect armor damage:
- Misfire perk: “+15% Damage, but 15% chance to Misfire” for the Bad News Teppo.
- Damage Against a Single Enemy: “+35% damage when facing a single enemy” for the Eye of the Dragon Katana and Claw of the Dragon Long Katana.
- Stack Damage After Block: “Stack +10% damage on next hit with each block” for the Sage’s Reach Naginata.
- Damage While Surrounded: “+35% damage when surrounded by 2 or more enemies” for the Kaen Kusarigama.
- Damage on Timed Hit: “+15% damage on next hit when pressing Light or Heavy Attack Button on hit” for the Flying Leaf Katana.
- Celestial Hunger: “+100% Damage but removes all rations” for the Moon Eater Blade Katana.
- Mystic Reach: “Far Reach increases Posture Damage by 15% and stacks up to 3 times” for the Fox Tail.
- Damage for Unused Ability Slots: “+10% damage per unused Ability slot” for the Amaterasu’s Blessing.
- Damage for Empty Armor Pieces: “+50% damage per empty Armor Piece” for the Minogame’s Protection.
- Damage for Non-Legendary Gear: “+15% damage per non-Legendary or non-Artifact Gear equipped” for the Oni’s Fury.
- Damage for Alerted Provinces: “+10% damage per alerted province” for the Fujin’s Tempest.
UI
- Fixed an issue where Yasuke’s Teppo Mastery Armor Damage increase was incorrect.
- Fixed an issue where text was missing at the Forge for the Fire and Frost perks.
- The “Spread 25% affliction buildup on afflicted enemy kill” perk now specifies the buildup amount for the Noh Masterstroke Costume.
- The Artist’s Tear Tanto perk now correctly mentions the bonus is lost upon being hit.
- The Time-Honored Crescent Naginata perk now mentions the first strike is a Postured attack.
- Corrected the description of the Dark Encryption Kanabo’s perk to “+75% damage”.
- Fixed an issue where the “15% chance to gain a Valuable on kill” perk was wrongly categorized at the Forge.
- Corrected the description of the Damage on Horseback perk for the Falling Leaf Teppo.
- Corrected the description of the Ranged Damage Out of Combat perk for the Master Archer Outfit.
PLATFORM SPECIFIC
Xbox
- Fixed a crashing issue when using or resetting Skill and Knowledge Points in the Skill Tree.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
Quests
- “The Lesson“: Corrected an issue where the reward was not granted after completing the mission.
- “The Lesson“: Fixed an issue preventing interaction with Junjiro.
- “Revenge“: The player can leave Hiruga Bay without desynchronization occurring.
- “The Lost Envoys“: The player can now interact with the envoy without issues.
- “A Different Kind of Samurai“: Fixed an issue preventing the player from performing Kata.
- “Temple Stories“: Joken Hokkyo will no longer die during the mission.
- “The Puppet Show”: They player can now collect the Imperial Regalia box without issues.
- “Hunting The Hunters“: Quest Objective will update as you progress.
- “Stray Dogs“: Fixed an issue preventing the mission from being completed.
- “War Horse“: Rin will no longer remain standing still, preventing the quest from being completed.
- “A Puzzlement”: Fixed an issue where some items and skills were missing. Players afflicted by these removals will automatically gain them back when loading the game.
