Popverse's top stories

• What to Watch September 2025: Wednesday season 2 wraps up on Netflix, Gen V returns to Prime Video, Only Murders in the Building is sluething about Hulu again, and so much more
• Simon Kinberg on writing X-Men movies, producing Glenn Powell's The Running Man remake, and co-creating Star Wars Rebels [Popversations]
• DC Studios president James Gunn originally wanted an actor other than John Cena for Peacemaker (but Cena won him over so much, he changed the character’s fate)

Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been out for over a week now, which has been enough time for the online discourse to shift from the injustice of a Black man existing in Japan to new and exciting ways to break the game. Turns out, there is one weapon in the game that is so powerful that it turns Naoe into an unstoppable killing machine that would put fellow protagonist Yasuke to shame. While Ubisoft could well end up patching it soon, for now, this is the most powerful weapon in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

When you’re still in the starting region of Izumi Settsu, you can head north of your hideout to find Tozuku’s Lair, which is near the Katano Foothills viewpoint once you’ve unlocked it. Clear out the camp and you’ll find a chest with a legendary tanto called Igan Sunset, which has a legendary perk on it. That perk is what is going to turn Naoe from a stealth specialist into an unstoppable brawler.

The perk on Igan Sunset slows down time when you use the Escape Strike tanto ability, which can be unlocked on the skill tree once you have three mastery points to spend. Once you’ve unlocked it, the Igan Sunset suddenly becomes the most powerful weapon in Assassin’s Creed Shadows by making it nearly impossible for anyone to hit Naoe in combat. You can just activate your Escape Strike perk to slow down time and unleash a flurry of attacks on your unsuspecting foes.

The best bit is that you can upgrade your forge in your hideout to transfer Igan Sunset’s perk to other, more powerful tantos, which will make Naoe even more formidable. The combination is probably far more powerful than Ubisoft intended, so don’t be surprised if it gets a nerf in an upcoming patch. For now, Igan Sunset is the most broken weapon in Assassin’s Creed Shadows and it isn’t even close.

The gaming industry has come a long way since Pong blew all our minds in the 70s. We've got everything you need to know about the next big thing in games. Of course, Grand Theft Auto VI is going to be the big game of 2026, but there are plenty of other games coming out between now and then. Here is our starter guide for every gamer:

• All upcoming games in 2025 and beyond
• Gamify My Life, our weekly gaming column designed
• Popverse Picks: The best Assassin's Creed protagonists
• How to play every GTA game in order
• Why the GTA 6 budget isn't as crazy as you think
• The Magic: The Gathering x Spider-Man crossover set wouldn't exist without the Spider-Verse

And be sure to check Popverse regularly for the latest gaming news.