Ubisoft’sAssassin’s Creed Shadowshasn’t even reached its first anniversary, but it’s already set to receive a highly requested feature. On July 29,Assassin’s Creed Shadowswill introduce New Game Plus, allowing players to replay the story while keeping their progression. The update will be free for all players and is a clear example of Ubisoft’s evolving post-launch approach.
Meanwhile,Cyberpunk 2077still lacks an official New Game Plus, despite having been released in 2020 and receiving a major expansion.CD Projekt Red has improvedCyberpunk 2077, but many players are still waiting for a way to revisit Night City with their endgame builds intact.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Adds New Game Plus
Ubisoft’s upcoming update adds substantial replay value toAssassin’s Creed Shadows. Players will retain their equipment, skills, and levels while facing tougher challenges and reworked enemy placements. While full patch notes have not been released, Ubisoft confirmed that New Game Plus will also include new cosmetics to reward those who revisit the story.
This early addition is notable because it marks a shift in Ubisoft’s timing.PreviousAssassin’s Creedgamesoften waited a year or more before introducing post-game content of this scale. In the case ofAssassin’s Creed Valhalla, Ubisoft actually chose not to include New Game Plus at all, stating that the game’s structure limited its ability to implement it in a rewarding way.
Shadowsfeatures two protagonists, Naoe and Yasuke, and encourages different playstyles. Replaying the game in New Game Plus offers the perfect opportunity to explore their unique paths, especially for players who focused on just one character over another during their first run.
Cyberpunk 2077 Still Doesn’t Have New Game Plus
Despite being out for over four years,Cyberpunk 2077has never received an official New Game Plus mode. CD Projekt Red overhauled nearly every aspect of the game, from skill trees to enemy AI, but the ability to replay the story with an endgame V has remained absent.
New Game Plus has been one of the most requested features forCyberpunk 2077, and the game’s branching narratives and build variety would make it a perfect fit. MultipleCyberpunk 2077life paths, choices with long-term consequences, and divergent endings already provide a natural incentive to replay. The problem is that doing so means starting from scratch every time.
Several unofficial mods on PC offer a New Game Plus workaround, but these are not supported by CD Projekt Red and often break with new patches.
Despite the release of Phantom Liberty and multiple updates,Cyberpunk 2077still does not include New Game Plus. CD Projekt Red has cited technical and design limitations, including early-game balance issues and structural challenges, as reasons for its absence.
However, the recentCyberpunk 20772.3 update added self-driving vehicles, Photo Mode upgrades, and new quests, showing that support for the game has not ended entirely. With external studio Virtuos now assisting with updates, there is a slim but lingering hope that New Game Plus could still happen someday, though it remains unlikely.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Is Pulling Ahead
WhileCyberpunk 2077focused on rebuilding its core,Shadowslaunched on a more stable foundation, allowing the team to focus on player-requested features within its first year. New Game Plus also ties into the broader structure ofShadows, which is designed around region-based progression and narrative flexibility. The ability to replay with all skills and gear intact encourages deeper exploration of alternate outcomes and character builds.
By contrast,Cyberpunk 2077’s silence on the feature arguably creates a disconnect between the game’s depth and its long-term replayability for some players. Some fans want to dive back into the story with maxed-out cyberware or specific ending routes, but the lack of New Game Plus continues to be a roadblock.
Both games offer strong single-player experiences, butCyberpunk 2077arguably holds more replay valuethanks to its branching narratives, life paths, and build variety. However, ifAssassin’s Creed Shadowscontinues adding features like New Game Plus at this pace, it could push itself into an even higher tier of post-launch RPG support.
