The ultimate Assassin's Creed Shadows guide hub

Assassin's Creed Shadows cinematic screenshot — (Image credit: Ubisoft)

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Getting Started
Gameplay Basics and Tutorials
Equipment, upgrades and character powers
Quests guides and walkthroughs
Activities, side quests and collectibles
Review
Release date
Platforms
Editions

Our Assassin's Creed Shadows guide hub has everything you need to know about Naoe and Yasuke's adventures. We've got everything from tips and tricks and mission choices to help with exploration, puzzles, secrets and the best weapons to hunt down. While not quite as big as a behemoth like Valhalla or Odyssey, AC Shadows is still a big game with perhaps more freedom offered to players than any other game in the franchise before it. With so much to discover and uncover, we’ve collated every guide you'll need in our hub below, as well as every other tidbit that players might want to know about the latest chapter in the Assassin/Templar war.

Getting Started in Assassin's Creed Shadows

Naoe looks over at a dense, lush, green forest in Assassin's Creed Shadows from a viewpoint — (Image credit: Ubisoft)

If you're looking for a selection of guides to help you get to grips with your first few hours in Assassin's Creed Shadows, or just to know what's ahead of you before you even start, these guides below will help acclimate you to the perils and possibilities ahead.

Before you begin: You'll probably want to know what lies ahead on this grand journey, so why not check out our helpful guidelines on how long is Assassin's Creed Shadows, or discover what's waiting in the game's future with our Assassin’s Creed Shadows roadmap?
Set up and gameplay options: There are several choices you make before you even start playing, based on what kind of experience you want. Assassin's Creed Shadows Canon Mode streamlines the story by taking away certain options, while the Assassin's Creed Shadows Immersive Mode option is all about changing the language used to feel more accurate to the time.
Gameplay modes: If you're curious to know more about AC Shadows' options, you can discover to what degree Assassin's Creed Shadows multiplayer is included in the final package, as well as if there's a Assassin's Creed Shadows New Game Plus.

Gameplay Basics and Tutorials in Assassin's Creed Shadows

Assassin's Creed Shadows Naoe in outfit — (Image credit: Ubisoft)

Once you have your Katana ready to go, there are many mechanics and systems at play in AC Shadows that are worth understanding if you want to make the most out of them, not just survive - but thrive.

Navigating the world: First of all, our selection of basic Assassin's Creed Shadows tips will help players better understand how they should operate on a moment-to-moment basis. Or for a sense of the scale of exploration ahead of you, our Assassin's Creed Shadows map has the full layout of the world of Feudal Japan you'll be free to navigate! And if you're curious about the effects of the weather on that world, we've explained the new Assassin's Creed Shadows seasons system and what it changes.
Interacting with NPCs: From questgivers to merchants, there are a lot of characters to find and meet. To understand the influence of your words, we've explained the slightly confusing Assassin's Creed Shadows dialogue symbols, or if you want to go in as a captain of industry, here's all the best Assassin's Creed Shadows money farming methods!
Your base and scouts: Naoe and Yasuke have their own lair you can upgrade and customise, the best options for which are laid out in our guide on the Assassin's Creed Shadows Hideout. However, all of those will require you to farm hideout resources in Assassin's Creed Shadows, which we can explain how to do. And finally, one of the main functions of your base is as a place to house and direct the new Assassin's Creed Shadows scouts, which our guide covers here.

Equipment, upgrades and character powers in Assassin's Creed Shadows

Assassin's Creed Shadows best weapons — (Image credit: Ubisoft)

Now you understand how to play AC Shadows, you need to learn how to master it, and how to make the most of those you're playing as.

Naoe and Yasuke: Our two protagonists play very differently, with their own strengths or weaknesses, as listed in this page on the Assassin's Creed Shadows Naoe and Yasuke differences. Or if you're wondering when you can play as Yasuke, here's how to switch characters in Assassin's Creed Shadows.
Levelling up skills and abilities: This game has two intertwined systems for leveling up - first you build up your Assassin's Creed Shadows Knowledge Points, then you earn the Assassin's Creed Shadows Mastery Points, both of which have different functions in-game. Our guides will explain them both to you, as well as how you can earn them quickly and improve fast. And of course, what's the best way to spend them? We've listed all the best Assassin's Creed Shadows skills to tell you where you should be putting all that effort.
Equipment and Gear: Obviously we've got pages on the best Assassin's Creed Shadows weapons and best Assassin's Creed Shadows armor, but we've also got a page explaining how to upgrade weapons and armor in Assassin's Creed Shadow so it can match your current level, as not doing that would mean it'll stop being helpful after a while. There's also the Assassin's Creed Shadows engravings, which will allow you to customize all the gear you have available!
Allies and teammates: Not every battlefield soldier is an enemy, as there are six different Assassin's Creed Shadows Allies you can unlock throughout the entire game to help you on your journey! Each has a different skillset, and we've got a walkthrough on how to find them all. Some of them are also Assassin's Creed Shadows romance options, if you want to follow your heart.

Quests guides and walkthroughs for Assassin's Creed Shadows

Assassin's Creed Shadows Kosode merchant red or black silk choice — (Image credit: Ubisoft)

We'll be careful with details here to avoid spoilers, but below we've picked up all the most hotly-demanded guides and walkthroughs to help you through the story of AC Shadows, laid out in roughly linear order for you.

Activities, side quests and collectibles in Assassin's Creed Shadows

Assassin's Creed Shadows Makino Kurumazuka Kofun — (Image credit: Ubisoft)

There's plenty of additional things to find in AC Shadows, not essential, but definitely helpful to allow you to progress. We've got all the most commonly requested ones below, as well as what side activity they're tied to!

Temples and Lost Pages: There are three major temples that we've found give players a lot of grief: the Assassin's Creed Shadows Makinoodera Temple, the Assassin's Creed Shadows Gansenji Temple, and the Assassin's Creed Shadows Tennoji Temple. Completing each one by finding the collectibles within it will grant you a knowledge point!
The blocked Kofun: Players who find the Assassin's Creed Shadows Makino Kurumazuka Kofun aren't just struggling to complete it, but to get inside at all! We'll lay out how it's done, and the legendary bow you'll get for doing so…
Riddles: Random NPCs throughout the game will give you riddles and puzzles with rewards for the quick-witted. If you want the cheat codes, here's the Assassin's Creed Shadows riddle answers laid out for you!
Projects and Battle Passes: Shadows' equivalent of a battle pass (yes, even in single player) is the Assassin's Creed Shadows Projects system, which allows you to earn unique gear. If you're interested, our guide explains how it works and how to complete it ASAP!

Assassin's Creed Shadows review

Assassin's Creed Shadows seasons: Naoe walking in a garden during Spring with a Sakura tree in the background. — (Image credit: Ubisoft)

We gave the game an impressive four-star rating in our Assassin's Creed Shadows review. In fact, we dubbed it as one of Ubisoft's best titles yet, with author Andrew Brown writing on the game: "This is a titan in the same leagues as series staples Assassin's Creed 2 and Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag – and Ubisoft's best RPG to date."

Assassin's Creed Shadows release date

Naoe and Yasuke walk in the sunset in a screenshot from Assassin's Creed Shadows — (Image credit: Ubisoft)

Assassin's Creed Shadows was released on March 20, 2025. Originally, the game was set to come out on November 15, 2024, before its initial February 14 push, and then a second delay pushed it firmly into March territory. However, this is not the end of its development, with more updates and content additions planned for the future.

Assassin's Creed Shadows platforms

Yasuke swinging a sword at an enemy and splattering blood during the trailer for Assassin's Creed Shadows. — (Image credit: Ubisoft)

Assassin's Creed Shadows is available to play on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. Unfortunately, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch players will be out of luck. Speaking of Xbox, if you're curious about the commonly-asked question: "Is Assassin's Creed Shadows on Game Pass", we explain when it might make the jump, as well as what subscription services you can find it on.

Assassin's Creed Shadows Editions

Assassin's Creed Shadows Pre-order image showing the game and some of its pre-order bonuses — (Image credit: Future)

You can now purchase the Assassin's Creed Shadows Deluxe and Standard Edition for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X.

The Deluxe Edition costs $89.99/ £74.99 and includes "The Sekiryu Dual Pack," "The Sekiryu Hideout Pack," and five mastery points.

The Standard Edition costs $69.99/£59.99. This only includes the base game, so pick wisely before making your final choice.

For more new releases, check out our guide on all the upcoming PS5 games and upcoming Xbox Series X games. Or catch up on the timeline with our guide on how to play all the Assassin's Creed games in order.

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