Assassin’s Creed Shadows: The Animus Hub Explained

One control center at your disposal.

Ubisoft’s strategy to change the old working mechanics for the popular Assassin’s Creed series is finally going to happen soon with the introduction of something new called Animus Hub, which will arrive alongside Assassin’s Creed: Shadows at the expected release on March 20. If you’ve been following the franchise for years, you know the Animus has always been a central part of the lore. It’s how we jump into historical memories and connect the modern-day stories with the Assassin-Templar conflict. But now Ubisoft has turned the Animus into one central hub that ties all the games together, tells new stories, and throws in a lot of great rewards.

What Exactly is the Animus Hub?

Ubisoft AC Animus Hub
Image: Ubisoft

The Animus Hub isn’t only a launcher, even though it might sound like one, it is a space for everything Assassin’s Creed. Ubisoft describes it as being “fully integrated” into Shadows and future games such as the upcoming Codename Hexe and Codename Invictus. So it’s not a separate app you need to install but, it is baked right into the experience. The idea of Ubisoft is to embed the Animus itself as a core part of the gameplay, giving it more weight and making it a continuous thread between the beloved historical adventures and the sci-fi twist that holds it all together.

When Shadows release on March 20, 2025, the Hub will essentially be your home base. You can launch games, access new missions, and follow an overarching modern-day story that’s connected to the story of the Animus itself. Ubisoft has taken inspiration from platforms like Call of Duty’s Warzone hub, but they’re giving it a unique Assassin’s Creed spin.

At launch, you’ll be able to switch between AC: Shadows and previous games from what Ubisoft calls the “Period Two” era. That includes Assassins Creed: Origins, Odyssey, Valhalla, and Mirage. If you own these games and have them installed, you’ll be able to boot them up straight from the Animus Hub. The Animus Hub even supports cross-platform progression for Shadows, which means you could start on your Xbox and finish on your PC.

Animus Hub Sections

The Animus Hub has been divided into four main sections with each having a different functionality and purpose, so let’s dig into what they do.

Assassin's Creed Animus Hub Sections
Image: Ubisoft

Memories

The Memories section serves as your Animus library where you’ll find all the Assassin’s Creed games you downloaded from Period 2 titles starting from AC: Origins of 2017. You’ll also get a quick overview of each game’s setting and story before entering the game.

One thing to note: talking to TechRadar’s representative, the developers have cleared the air that Animus Hub won’t retroactively track your progress in older games like Origins or Odyssey. However, it will keep track of your Shadows’ progress across platforms, thanks to cross-platform progression. That means if you start playing Shadows on your PS5 but decide to continue on PC, the Animus Hub has your back.

It’s unclear how this will work for physical copies of older games. For example, if you own Odyssey on disc, you’ll need to insert it to launch it from the Hub. But for digital copies, it should be no problem.

Projects

The Projects section is where Ubisoft plans to drop new in-game missions called Anomalies. Completing these will earn you rewards like weapons, gear, and even keys—the Animus Hub’s in-game currency. The best thing is that everything in the Projects section is free. Ubisoft emphasized this repeatedly. You won’t need to spend real-world money to get keys or unlock content. Instead, you’ll earn everything just by playing the game. These Anomalies also tie into the modern-day story. They’re a clever way to blend gameplay with narrative, and completing them unlocks more storylines in the form of Data Files.

Exchange

The Exchange is where you’ll spend the keys you’ve earned. It’s a shop where you can grab rewards like gear, customization items, and more. Items in the Exchange will rotate daily and weekly, so there’s always something new to check out. Again, no microtransactions here. Ubisoft has made it clear that all rewards in the Exchange can only be earned through gameplay. That’s a refreshing change in a time when many games rely on in-game purchases.

Vault

If you love the modern storylines in Assassin’s Creed, the Vault is going to be your jam. This is where Ubisoft stores all such fancy content—text, images, videos, and more. As you unlock Data Files through the Projects section, they’ll show up in the Vault for you to explore.

Ubisoft is leaning toward the Animus Hub as a storytelling tool. They’ve even introduced the Dark Animus, a hacked version of Abstergo’s new Animus Ego product. It’s a good way to explore the darker side of the Assassin-Templar conflict while keeping the Animus front and center.

A New Chapter for Modern-Day Storytelling

Assassin's Creed Animus Hub Switch Games Section Image
Image: Ubisoft

One of the biggest criticisms of recent Assassin’s Creed games is how disconnected the modern-day storylines have felt. Ubisoft seems to be addressing that head-on with the Animus Hub. By making this plot a core part of the Hub, they’re giving it room to breathe without interrupting the historical adventures we all love.

Abstergo has released a public version of the Animus called Animus Ego. It’s claimed as a device that can help people unlock their genetic memories and become “the best version of themselves.” But (of course) there’s a sinister twist. The version of the Animus you’re using in Shadows is hacked, giving you access to memories Abstergo didn’t want you to see. This new direction for the modern-day story has me excited. It shows Ubisoft is finally doubling down on what made the franchise unique in the first place—the connection between past and present.

Ubisoft’s already said that the Animus Hub will continue to improve or change in the future. New features, content, and rewards will roll out with every new title launch, starting with Shadows and continuing into future titles like Codename Hexe and Invictus. What seems to me is that Ubisoft wants the Animus Hub to be more than just a feature—it’s a foundation for the future of the franchise. And honestly, I’m here for it. The idea of having a centralized hub that connects all the games, tells new stories, and rewards you for playing is a smart move.