UbisoftThe latest game in the Assassin’s Creed series may be making its way to Nintendo Switch 2 soon, and according to some recent rumors, its arrival is already looking a little rocky. Developer Ubisoft hasn’t even confirmed whether Assassin’s Creed Shadows is really heading to Switch 2, but evidence of the port is stacking up, with some details suggesting that it will be running headfirst into the new console’s biggest controversy and one of its most anticipated games.The Switch 2 version of Assassin’s Creed Shadows was all but announced back in July, when Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said during an earnings call that the game would be coming to “other machines” after its launch on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. Then, in early October, it appeared on the French storefront Auchan, complete with an image of the cover.While that might be exciting for anyone waiting to play Assassin’s Creed Shadows on their new console, the image immediately introduces a big complication. According to the listing, the game will ship on a game-key card, a controversial new format from Nintendo that doesn’t actually include the game on a cartridge, instead using it as a “key” to download their purchase from the internet. That’s caused a lot of outrage from players, as they combine the need to keep hold of a physical cartridge to play games with the inconvenience of having to download digital games.That alone may have kept some players from picking up Assassin’s Creed Shadows on Switch 2 unless it’s their only option, and a further rumor makes the port’s launch look even shakier. According to leaker Billbil-kun at French outlet Dealabs, the game will be heading to Switch 2 on December 5, putting it on shelves just in time for the holidays.However, if that ends up being true, Assassin’s Creed Shadows will face some stiff competition, as Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is set to launch just one day earlier. Sales numbers for Metroid games have historically been miniscule compared to the behemoth of Assassin’s Creed, but Metroid Prime 4 is one of the most anticipated Nintendo games in years, one one of the biggest titles we know of on the way for Switch 2. That could make it a packed (but expensive) holiday season for anyone hoping to play both big games on Switch 2 this year.Assassin’s Creed Shadows is rumored to arrive on Switch 2 on a game-key card. | UbisoftPitting Assassin’s Creed Shadows against Metroid Prime 4 seems like an odd choice, but if it’s going to make it out by the end of the year, Ubisoft’s options are pretty limited. And while the release date may sound a little like a blunder, it’s the fact that the game arrives on a game-key card that’s the most disappointing for potential players. However controversial they may be, though, game-key cards may just be something Switch 2 players have to accept if they want to play blockbuster games designed for consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.In September, Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy director Naoki Hamaguchi explained the reason for using game-key cards to JP Games.“The biggest issue for developers, certainly for people like us who make high-end HD games, is the loading speed,” Hamaguchi said, as translated by VGC. “Because you compare that to the solid-state drive and the speed you can get from loading from that, it’s going to be inferior to that. It just has to be, that’s the way the media works, physically.”The Switch 2 port of Assassin’s Creed Shadows may be competing with Metroid Prime 4. | UbisoftSo developers may be embracing game-key cards not for any cost reasons, but because Switch 2 cartridges simply aren’t fast enough to load the massive worlds of blockbuster games well. That certainly makes sense for Assassin's Creed Shadows, which can have its protagonists galloping on horseback at high speed across the Japanese countryside for miles and miles without stopping to load. Game-key cards may be a compromise players have to make peace with if they want to see games of that size on Switch 2 at all.For now, even the existence of Assassin’s Creed Shadows on the Switch 2 is unconfirmed, let alone its release date. But given how much evidence there is now, it seems likely that if you want to play the game on your Switch 2, you’ll get the chance this December — if you’re willing to put Metroid Prime 4 on hold a little longer.