Assassin’s Creed Shadows Free Download Is Not What Fans Were Expecting

A free Assassin’s Creed Shadows download is not what fans were expecting. The new Assassin’s Creed game from Ubisoft has been out on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S for well over a week, and the reception so far has been a fairly warm one. It’s had a few controversies, and it has earned some detractors, but it looks poised to pull through all of this an ultimately end up being a success for Ubisoft, something many were skeptical of it being at various points.

Those currently playing Assassin’s Creed Shadows may be interested in knowing they have a free download for an extra bit of content. Unfortunately, this content is not the greatest. Over on social media platform X, Ubisoft Support recently reminded every Assassin’s Creed fan that the “Thrown to the Dogs” bonus quest is available to those who pre-ordered the game. And right now, this is the only way to access this quest. That said, if you never interact with this content you are apparently not missing out on much.

As one unhappy Assassin’s Creed fan points out, this quest is maybe five minutes long, which is shorter than the bonus quests given out to pre-orderers of past Assassin’s Creed games. This has naturally been a surprise for some fans. Meanwhile, the only thing players get for completing it is a dog that will populate at their hangout.

“Sorry but that quest was lame,” writes one fan of the quest. “You shouldn’t have promoted it as some bonus. It was clearly just cut from the base game to promote pre-orders.”

“The quest is really pointless, the reward for the mission is a scared dog. It’s really pointless, I don’t understand why it’s so prominent for a quest,” adds another fan.

It remains to be seen if this quest will ever be available for those who did not pre-order it. It’s quite possible the pre-order exclusivity will end up expiring, but if this happens it will probably be moved behind some other paywall, such as an expansion purchase or an upgraded “Game of the Year” style edition. For now though, this is just speculation as Ubisoft has provided zero official information on the matter.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is available via PC, PS5, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X. For more coverage on the new open-world RPG from Ubisoft — including all of the latest Assassin’s Creed news, all of the latest Assassin’s Creed rumors and leaks, and all of the latest Assassin’s Creed deals — click here.