Hattori Hanzō sets his sights on Mochizuki Chiyome in Assassin’s Creed: Memories (2015), Ubisoft
In the latest update to the ill-fated title’s ongoing development, a batch of Ubisoft devs have confirmed that not only were various retcons needed to make Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘ story fit in with established franchise lore, but also that a new ‘Canon Mode’ will allow players to experience said narrative completely free in-game choice mechanics.

Yasuke (TBA) reveals himself in Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2024), Ubisoft
These insights into Shadows‘ story were provided to players courtesy of its game director Charles Benoit, creative director Jonathan Dumont, associate narrative director Brooke Davies, and art director Thierry Dansereau during an ‘Ask Me Anything‘ session hosted by the trio on the /r/AssassinsCreed Reddit community on November 10th.

Amid a flurry of gameplay- and release-related questions, the devs were asked by one curious fan as to whether or not “the Japanese lore from the Transmedia & Side Games (Assassin’s Creed: Memories; Assassin’s Creed Blade of Shao Jun) [had been] respected and correctly paired with Shadows’ world and narrative or are there some retconned elements?”

In turn, after answering a smattering of other inquires made by the user, Dumont explained, “As for the transmedia, we’ve had to retool some of the Assassin’s Creed: Memories lore.”
Ubisoft dev Jonathan Dumont offers insight into ‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ via /r/assassinscreed on Reddit

Developed in collaboration between Ubisoft, Japanese internet media company GREE, Inc., and mobile developer PlayNext, Memories was an iOS-exclusive SRPG which threw players into a number of real-world historical eras, some previously visited, like the Third Crusade (as seen in the first Assassin’s Creed) and Renaissance Italy (Assassin’s Creed II) and others completely new, such as Sengoku Japan and the height of the Mongol Empire, and tasked them with running, leaping, and slicing their way to an anti-Templar future through the use of an intricate, card-based battle system.

Sadly for fans, the mobile title was not long for this world, as roughly seven months after releasing the game on August 21st, 2014, Ubisoft would ultimately end service for Memories on March 13th, 2015.
Hattori Hanzō prepares to meet Oda Nobunaga in Assassin’s Creed: Memories (2015), Ubisoft
Notably, both the Mongol Empire and Sengoku-related missions introduce two new respective Assassins to the series canon, with Qulan Gal and Nergüi representing the former and the pair of Hattori Hanzō and Yamauchi Taka standing watch over the latter.

To this end, it is currently unknown which aspect of either Hanzō or Taka’s lore has been changed, though given what we know about Shadows‘ plot, it likely involves both of their respective interactions with the historical figure Oda Nobunaga.

Yamauchi Taka has a chat with Shirojiro Kiyonobu in Assassin’s Creed: Memories (2015), Ubisoft
In addition to this ‘retcon confirmation’, the dev team also provided multiple details concerning Shadows‘ narrative itself.

According to Davies, unlike such franchise entries as Odyssey and Valhalla, Naoe and Yasuke’s adventure will “culminates in a single, canon ending,” though “there are many unique paths leading to this point, and in particular that will determine who is (and isn’t) at your side along the way.”
Ubisoft dev Brooke Davies offers insight into ‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ via /r/assassinscreed on Reddit
Regarding this aspect of ‘player choice’, Dumont revealed that though the base game will present multiple instances where players are asked to make decisions that will subsequently have an impact on their experience, with such choices primarily popping up “when recruiting allies and romanc[ing] some of the character[s]”, the absolute division across the fan-base regarding the franchise’s “branching dialogues” had led the dev team to introduce Canon Mode.

A separate gameplay mode from the standard campaign, this mode “allows you to play the game with choices already made for you, to give you a choice free experience”.
Ubisoft dev Jonathan Dumont offers insight into ‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ via /r/assassinscreed on Reddit
Ultimately, exactly what Shadows‘ story will entail, with its necessitation of retcons and ability to be so easily ‘streamlined’, is currently unknown.

However, all will become clear when the game, after numerous delays and controversies, eventually leaps onto shelves on February 14th.