A Ubisoft Dev Put Their Cat in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

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In my critique for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, I pointed out that the majority of the game’s wildlife seems rather superfluous. Throughout the world, creatures wander unfettered without a clear role or management system, and unfortunately, unlike in earlier versions, you can’t engage in hunting them as a pastime.

In Feudal Japan, there’s no shortage of cute animals like kittens, puppies, baby deer, and other charming creatures running around, and it turns out that at least one of these adorable pets was inspired by a real cat owned by an employee at Ubisoft.

Perks of the Job

As a Game Production Manager, you’ll undoubtedly have the opportunity to memorialize your beloved cat for everyone to appreciate.

That’s what Nik Pantis did while working on Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

In a social media post, Pantis shared that his beloved white cat, Ghost, is featured in Assassin’s Creed Shadows under the name ‘Bakeneko,’ an extraordinary supernatural creature or ghost cat, also known as a yōkai or kaibyō.

He shared an image of Ghost both in the real world and as the Bakeneko in Assassin’s Creed:

Nik

@NikPantis

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My cat, Ghost, is immortalised in @assassinscreed

1:09 pm · 9 Apr 2025

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It’s not the first instance of a legendary feline appearing in an Assassin’s Creed game; in Assassin’s Creed Mirage, set for release in 2023, a unique cat associated with the game was discovered – this particular cat sported an intriguing feature: its face bore a striking resemblance to the Assassin’s Creed emblem.

Unfortunately, the cat died before the game was launched, yet Ubisoft managed to honor its cherished pet by incorporating it into the game.

I’m off to find me a Bakeneko.

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2025-04-10 00:18