Set in 16th-century Japan towards the end of the Sengoku period, the game focuses on the millennia-old struggle between the Assassin Brotherhood, who fight for peace and liberty, and the Templar Order, who desire peace through control, from the perspective of two protagonists: Fujibayashi Naoe, a kunoichi (a female shinobi), and Yasuke, an African[b]samurai inspired by the historical figure of the same name. The two characters have a different gameplay style, allowing quests to be approached in multiple ways.
Shadows was released for macOS, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on March 20, 2025, with a version for iPadOS to be released at a later date. Upon release, the game received generally positive reviews from critics.