Owners will be prompted to download the free PlayStation 3 update beginning today, December 8, with the Xbox 360 release available Friday, December 11, according to Ubisoft community coordinator kazzoo.

A breakdown of the various fixes and improvements, such as 5.1 LPCM support, follows, but be warned that the list contains some minor spoilers:

Patch notes

Fixed: Situation specific bugs

• Glyph
  After the player has resolved a glyph (when the unlock code message appears), if the player presses A and B (for 360, X and O on PS3) repeatedly and quickly, the video will appear in full screen, and he will get stuck in "the truth menu".
• Fast Travel
  Some feedback states that Ezio loses the ability to interact with the fast travel stations.
• Free roaming/Parkour
  In extremely rare occasions a bug allows Ezio to walk on air.
• Auditore Cape
  When first equipping or re-equipping the Auditore cape, users in the Villa become notorious even if the cape description says otherwise.
• Altair's armour
  While wearing Altair's armour the game crashes when performing multiple consecutive double assassinations.
• Toscana
  The game occasionally crashes if the player dies in Toscana, the player is stuck in the animus loading screen.
• Water
  Ezio and NPCs may get stuck beneath map if pushed in water.
• Animus Loading Screen
  There were reports of the game crashing while the player is in the Animus loading screen

Fixed: Mission specific issues

• Sequence 05 Mission 01
  The game froze after completing the mission and following certain steps.
• Sequence 06 Mission 02
  An extremely rare issue could make the game freeze while Ezio is fighting the guards.
• Sequence 07 Mission 02
  Sometimes the civilians knocked down by Rosa could "float".
• Sequence 07 Mission 07
  When the user is in an open conflict, under specific situations the game crashed.
• Sequence 08 "Venezia"
  If a player desynchronises during the flying machine sequence, the player sometimes spawned near Leo's workshop and not on the tower.
• Secret Location: "Vizitatione"
  The user remains stuck after locking onto the agile guard with the gun.
• Sequence 11 Mission 05
  The user cannot continue gameplay after quitting and loading the game. They are stuck in the hideout.
• Sequence 14 Mission 02
  The user falls through the texture if he is hit with rocks by the guards while climbing

Sound enhancement:

• 5.1 LPCM support