Manila, 2025 – Filipino game developers take to the spotlight with the release of Ubisoft’s latest flagship title, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, showcasing Filipino talent in AAA game development.
This marks the studio's 12th co-developed flagship game in 8 years, following acclaimed titles Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
Ubisoft Philippines has come a long way since its beginning in a small classroom in Laguna. Now, the studio is a key partner of the Assassin's Creed brand, contributing to significant areas of the game.
Co-developed with lead studio Ubisoft Quebec, the game is a collective effort among Ubisoft studios in the Philippines, Barcelona, Belgrade, Bordeaux, Bucharest, Chengdu, Kyiv, Milan, Montpellier, Montreal, Odesa, Pune, Shanghai, Singapore, Sofia, Toronto, and Japan. The game brings the best of local Filipino talent, together with world class professionals, in this highly anticipated setting. Assassin’s Creed Shadows immerses players in feudal Japan, vividly brought to life through the perspectives of protagonists Yasuke and Naoe.
With a multidisciplinary team in Characters, Weapons, Architecture, Technical Art, and QA, Ubisoft Philippines played a critical role in the success of the globally renowned franchise.
MULTIDISCIPLINARY MASTERY
From weapons, to architecture, and characters, Ubisoft Philippines blends knowledge from different fields to produce a cohesive and captivating depiction of the late Sengoku period.
The studio has become highly proficient in crafting weapons. A notable example of this is Naoe’s kusarigama, a traditional Japanese weapon featured in the trailer that the player acquires early in the game.
Senior Hard Surface Artist Dale Gacusan was given the responsibility of creating the final in-game weapon. To achieve that, he delved into sources detailing how the weapon was forged, its functions, the materials involved in its creation, and real-world properties.
Gacusan appreciated the creative freedom he had in the process, as Ubisoft Philippines was entrusted with the full development of key iconic weapons—from concept to 3D modeling to final integration.
AC Shadow’s Hidden Blade, the most iconic weapon in the franchise, was also conceptualized in the Philippines. Filipino concept artists created a breakdown of the Hidden Blade model to see how the internal mechanisms worked and combined that with the materials and technology during the era. They formed a seamless blend between believability and realism.
This multidisciplinary method is exemplified by the Architecture team's remarkable ability to encapsulate the essence of Japan's warring states period. Under the leadership of Associate Lead Artist Nissi Gatan, the team ventured beyond the boundaries of game development, diving into a wealth of diverse historical and cultural references.
Initially, the prospect of designing such a highly anticipated setting was daunting, however it quickly became an exhilarating challenge. The team built the destroyed buildings from the ground up. By developing an extensive visual library, they laid the foundation for urban planning, environment blocking, 3D modeling, and integration. The result is an immersive experience where players can truly feel the atmosphere of desolation during that storied time in history. The care and precision in their approach ensure that every detail draws players deeper into this rich historical setting.
Gatan shared his fascination with the ingenuity of Japanese architecture, highlighting how common people displayed remarkable resourcefulness. “Timber was reserved for the upper class, but everyday people made clever use of materials like mud, clay, and hay, known as Tsuchikabe,” he explained. He also noted the intricate craftsmanship of wood joinery, a technique the team wove into the design of the buildings.
One of the standout achievements for Gatan’s team was recreating war-torn buildings, including a structure prominently featured in the game’s trailer. Every shattered wall and collapsed roof were crafted with the intention of telling a story. “How did the building end up like this? Was it destroyed by a cannon? Consumed by fire? Affected by a natural disaster? Even the fallen tiles mattered,” Gatan shared. He went on to explain how tiles from that time, baked and tempered to perfection, would not simply shatter. The team’s diligent attention to detail ensured that the destruction felt real.
Ensuring smooth gameplay experience was the mandate for Development Testers Noah Batacan and James Quitoriano. They shared that it was challenging how the two protagonists, Naoe and Yasuke, have different heights and move sets, as each interacted distinctly with the environment. They tested the structures to ensure that they were accessible to both the protagonists in unique and realistic ways.
Quitoriano explained, “It was interesting for both the art and tech team since the destroyed buildings would appear more complicated than the intact ones, especially with all the debris and broken parts hanging off. It also meant that parkour would be greatly affected by how the architecture assets are constructed as their surfaces would be more organic and uneven. The principle behind asset construction is usually to keep it clean and simple to accommodate the fluid parkour gameplay—it was a delicate balance to keep it compatible with the code while maintaining authenticity.”
This multidisciplinary approach adopted by Ubisoft Philippines ensured the quality of navigation and player interaction, regardless of whether they choose Yasuke or Naoe.
PUSHING THE ENVELOPE
In addition to weapons and architecture, the studio demonstrated its exceptional capabilities within the franchise through the creativity and drive exhibited by the Character team. Lead Character Artist Kenneth Hitosis shared that their collective passion for the setting greatly enhanced their work.
“We came in with the mindset that we wanted to make the best art that we can each and every day,” Hitosis said.
He recalls the journey that it took to be entrusted with something as substantial as a main character’s armor. They started out with small kabuto pieces, then moved on to armor sets for enemies, until finally crafting one of the most powerful armors in the game, Yasuke’s Samurai Daimyo Armor of Legend.
He continued to emphasize that the team balanced the fantastical with the authentic. They did deep research on what was accurate to the period, working closely with other studios, and exercising autonomy with design decisions in crafting armors. The studio also collaborated with lead studio Quebec on some of the Portuguese NPCs. Hitosis emphasized that working on a game as an artist means working with diverse aspects of the industry.
“Game development is highly collaborative work; it’s really a melting pot of people. Your art doesn’t just need to look cool, it also needs to be compatible with the engine, with the animations, with the narrative. When working on a game, you’re not just an artist, you’re primarily a developer,” Hitosis elaborated.
This meticulous detail would not have been possible without the technical artists pioneering the use of the new Anvil engine. Led by Technical Artist Charlene Altamirano, the team ensured that everything the studio made was integrated seamlessly into the game despite the tech being so nascent.
“We had to learn as we built. It’s exciting to know that we’re doing something that’s never been done before. The new Anvil engine features tech such as raytraced global illumination, dynamic weather, upgraded physics built exclusively for current-gen hardware.”
They also played a key role in optimization by leveraging advanced Micropolygon technology. This innovative approach allows for the incorporation of intricate details while maintaining the game’s performance.
"Think of Micropolygons as adaptable intelligent assets that know how to render themselves best based on their visibility and proximity to the player. In our previous work with Mirage and Valhalla, we had to build multiple assets with low, medium, and high polygon count. We would swap them out as the player gets closer. For example, a structure that is visible from 2 kilometers away doesn't need to have the same level of detail as a structure that's one meter away, and in the past, the same structure would be swapped out with higher-fidelity models as a player moved throughout the world. We don’t have to do that anymore with Micropolygon technology,” Altamirano explains.
“It is a game changer for new-gen rendering. Not only does this eliminate the need for developers to create multiple assets to be swapped out based on proximity, but it allows them to budget GPU bandwidth more efficiently, allowing for increased polygon counts and better graphical fidelity up close with at least 3x more details than previous generations."
Another significant innovation of Technical Art involved addressing the intricate challenge of rigging the kusarigama. Comprised of a chain (kusari), a sickle (kama), and an iron weight (bundo) at the end, the weapon posed unique difficulties due to its complexity. Altamirano rose to this challenge and developed the pipeline to ensure that the weapon moves naturally when sheathed. In collaboration with Ubisoft Quebec, the kusarigama is elegant and deadly in Naoe's hands.
Beyond the iconic weapon, proprietary techniques were employed to simulate the fluid dynamic of ropes, fabrics, and tassels, ensuring seamless interactions between the weapons, their wielders, and the environment. These advancements vividly brought the artistry of combat to life with stunning ingenuity.
FULFILLING A DREAM
For developers who are also long-time fans of the franchise, the release of Assassin's Creed Shadows was more than a professional milestone—it was the fulfillment of a childhood dream.
For Batacan, he had always envisioned an Assassins’ Creed installment set in Japan, a setting fans had eagerly anticipated for years. He acknowledged the immense expectations and pressure surrounding such a beloved concept but shared that the experience of helping bring it to life was beyond rewarding. "An Assassin’s Creed set in Japan, at long last," he remarked, expressing how blessed he felt to contribute to a project that he had once only dreamed about as a fan.
For Gatan, the game brought his team together to new heights. He took calculated risks and entrusted everyone with the opportunity to gain experience and learn. This trust fostered the team to rise to the occasion. “Everyone gave their best. Everyone wanted to see how they could contribute to the team. We came into it thinking, ‘If no one’s going to do it, I’m going to do it.’ Everyone stepped up.”
For Gacusan and Hitosis, earning the trust and confidence of the lead studio was immensely fulfilling. Gacusan proudly recalls how the Philippine studio's unwavering consistency in achieving the required quality for weapons has made them integral within the brand.
Hitosis reflects on the journey from an aspiring artist to being given the opportunity to create the armor for Yasuke. From crowds, enemies, and now for the main character, Hitosis takes pride in leading the Character team for one of Ubisoft’s largest franchises.
“The biggest thing that Assassin’s Creed Shadows really gave us was the perspective that we can really do it. It solidified the confidence that we could drive things. We can give our own direction, and we can bring significant impact to the projects we are on,” Hitosis said. For Altamirano, Assassin’s Creed Shadows gave her more than growth in skill, it was also growth in terms of leadership and mentorship. She began her journey with Ubisoft Philippines as an intern in 2017. Drawing from her experience with previous titles like ACIII Remastered, AC Valhalla, and AC Mirage, seeing the tools developed by a Junior Technical Artist she mentored featured in the trailer felt like a full circle moment.
After years of development, the release of the trailer was a milestone for the entire development team. From the vividly rendered temples to Naoe’s kusarigama, to the intricately designed armor of the game’s enemies, all of these evoked a sense of pride and accomplishment for the studio.
“Seeing the trailer during UbiForward felt so rewarding. I felt so proud to see our work in the trailer for the first time—it gave a tingling sensation of happiness. In Filipino, we call that kilig,” Quitoriano added.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the second most successful launch of the franchise to date ahead of Assassin’s Creed® Odyssey and second only to Assassin’s Creed® Valhalla. With a score of 91/100 across first-party stores, it reflects the game’s excellent quality and provides an experience that resonates with the community.
CREATE THE UNKNOWN
With 12 AAA titles under its belt since its establishment in 2016, Ubisoft Philippines is committed to advancing the local game development industry and inspiring the next generation of Filipino game developers.
Ubisoft Philippines welcomes aspiring professionals to their studio in BGC, Taguig. Discover opportunities at philippines.ubisoft.com.