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The ultimate Assassin's Creed Shadows guide hub

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Our AC Shadows guides have everything you need to know about being a 16th Century murderer

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

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.

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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.

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!

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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Joel Franey
Joel Franey
Guides Editor, GamesRadar+

Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and Very Tired Man with a BA from Brunel University, a Masters from Sussex University and a decade working in games journalism, often focused on guides coverage but also in reviews, features and news. His love of games is strongest when it comes to groundbreaking narratives like Disco Elysium, UnderTale and Baldur's Gate 3, as well as innovative or refined gameplay experiences like XCOM, Sifu, Arkham Asylum or Slay the Spire. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at Eurogamer, Gfinity, USgamer, SFX Magazine, RPS, Dicebreaker, VG247, and more.

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