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Assassin’s Creed Shadows features a vast, immersive Feudal Japan map with an overhauled approach to exploration.
The Assassin’s Creed Shadows map transports us to Feudal Japan, based on the region of modern-day Kyoto and Osaka. The map is divided into multiple regions, with some of them being larger than entire maps of previous AC games. As an open-world RPG series, Assassin’s Creed has actively focused on world-building and exploration, leading to greater map sizes over time. AC Odyssey and Origins have boasted the largest maps to date, spanning over 80 square kilometers.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ map is reported to span 84 square kilometers (32 square miles), which is roughly the same size as that of AC Origins. While not as large as AC Odyssey’s staggering 256 square kilometers (99 mi²), Shadows’ map is densely packed, considering that the city of Kyoto alone is half the size of the entire AC Unity Paris map.
How Big Is Assassin’s Creed Shadows Map Compared to Other Open-Worlds in the Series
Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ map is reportedly the third-biggest map in the series by landmass, ranking behind Odyssey’s Ancient Greece and Valhalla’s Viking-era England but ahead of Origins’ Ptolemaic Egypt and Mirage’s Middle-Age Baghdad.
Here is a list of all AC Map sizes (by landmass):
| Game Name | Map Size |
|---|---|
| 1. Odyssey | 130 km2 (50 mi2) |
| 2. Valhalla | 94 km2 (36 mi2) |
| 3. Shadows | 84 km2 (32.5 mi2) |
| 4. Origins | 80 km2 (31 mi2) |
| 5. Mirage | 13 km2 (5 mi2) |
| 6. Syndicate | 3.7 km2 (1.4 mi2) |
| 7. Unity | 2.4 km2 (1 mi2) |
| 8. Frontier | 1.4 km2 (0.5 mi2) |
| 9. Brotherhood | 1.4 km2 (0.5 mi2) |
| 10. Revelations | 0.94 km2 (0.35 mi2) |
| 11. AC3 | 0.9 km2 (0.35 mi2) |
| 12. AC2 | 0.6 km2 (0.23 mi2) |
| 13. AC1 | 0.1 km2 (0.05 mi2) |
Black Flag is 235 km2 (90 mi2) of largely ocean, and its landmass is not confirmed.
All Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Map Regions Explained
Shadows’ map is split into nine provinces or regions based on the geography of modern-day Kyoto and Osaka. Each of these has villages and a city or two within it, in addition to varying natural landscapes. The regions are:
- Wakasa
- Omi
- Iga
- Yamato
- Kii
- Settsu
- Harima
- Tamba
- Yamashiro
Furthermore, the map will also experience seasonal and weather changes between spring, summer, winter, and rain. These seasonal changes will significantly impact gameplay, affecting visibility, movement, and even enemy behavior. For example, when it rains, fewer enemy sentries and patrols will be active as the soldiers take shelter. The seasons will also influence the type of wildlife encountered during one’s adventure.
Major Overhaul of Map Exploration
Not only is Shadows’ map size a highlight, but its dynamic map system has also been overhauled to favor organic exploration. Quest markers and points of interest are no longer pre-discovered when entering a region or climbing a viewpoint.
In previous installments, players often criticized maps for being cluttered with side quest icons and points of interest, which could make questing feel like ticking off a checklist.
AC Shadows addresses this by keeping points of interest hidden initially, allowing for a more organic and immersive exploration experience. You can still climb the Viewpoints to discover nearby locations visually. All mission points can be discovered by recruiting and using scouts from the Hideout later in the game. With its expansive map, dynamic seasons, and a more immersive approach to exploration, Assassin’s Creed Shadows aims to refine the series’ open-world experience and give players more freedom to explore at their own pace.
Looking For More About Assassin’s Creed Shadows?
We provide the latest news and create guides for Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Meanwhile, you can check out the following related AC Shadows articles:
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- How To Get Assassin’s Creed Shadows Slash of Sprecher for Free
- Who Are the Assassin’s Creed Shadows Protagonists? Everything We Know About Yasuke and Naoe
- Can You Play Assassin’s Creed Shadows on Steam Deck
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows Release Time Countdown for All Regions
