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Assassin’s Creed Shadows: How Long to Beat and How to Unlock New Game+

GameSpot estimates 40–50 hours for the main story and up to 100 for completion. New Game+ is available after finishing the story and all three character journeys.
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Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes roughly 40–50 hours to finish if you focus on the main story, according to GameSpot’s March 2025 estimate. Allow about 50–70 hours if you take on some optional activities, or at least 75 hours—and potentially 100—for a completionist run. New Game+ is no longer only a possibility: Ubisoft added it in July 2025.

How long does Assassin’s Creed Shadows take to beat?

GameSpot’s March 21, 2025 estimates vary with how much side content and exploration you choose. They are editorial estimates, not official Ubisoft times or a measured average across players.

Playstyle Estimated time What it includes
Main story About 40–50 hours Focus on the critical path.
Main story plus some optional activities About 50–70 hours Some side quests and activities, such as character flashbacks, collecting pets for the Hideout, viewpoints, or encampments.
100% completion At least 75 hours; potentially 100 A thorough run with exploration and sightseeing detours. The upper end is not a fixed completion time.

GameSpot’s March 2025 estimate also notes that regions are level-gated. Optional quests, mini-bosses, and Hideout upgrades can help prepare for harder sections, so a player’s route and willingness to explore affect the final total.

Does Assassin’s Creed Shadows have New Game+?

Yes. Ubisoft added New Game+ (NG+) in Title Update 1.0.7, released in July 2025. To unlock it, finish the main story and all journeys for Naoe, Yasuke, and Junjiro. Then start NG+ from the Memory Menu in the Animus, as described in Ubisoft’s update notes.

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Assassin’s Creed Shadows - Limited Edition (Amazon Exclusive), PlayStation 5
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  • Explore the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments.
  • Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles.
  • Make information your weapon as you explore the world, and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions.
  • Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s layout, decorations, and accessories.

Ubisoft’s earlier roadmap update described two ways to begin: replay from the start, or move past the prologue to the point when Naoe inherits the Hideout. Basic tutorials do not repeat.

What resets and what carries over in New Game+?

NG+ resets story and objective-board progression, along with discovered locations. Your character level, acquired gear, skill points, Knowledge rank, and Hideout progression carry over. Ubisoft’s later release notes also confirm that skills, gear, Allies, and Hideout progression persist.

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Assassin's Creed Shadows [PlayStation 5]
  • Experience an epic, historical action adventure in feudal Japan and become a deadly Shinobi assassin and a powerful legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open game world in chaotic times
  • Sneak as a Naoe to not be discovered, use your agility to confuse your opponents and stretch down your opponents with deadly precision and power as a Yasuke
  • Use information as weapons and build your own spy network to have eyes and ears everywhere and find your targets easier and recruit new allies on the go with unique skills to help you with your missions
  • Create a fully customizable hideaway for your growing Shinobi league, where you train recruits, craft new equipment and interact with important characters; set the room layout, decoration and accessories yourself

You can play up to eight NG+ journeys. Ubisoft says later runs bring stronger foes and greater challenges; completing an NG+ playthrough also awards two gold weapons.

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What changed for later playthroughs?

The July 2025 update raised the level cap from 60 to 80 for all players, not only those who start NG+. Ubisoft also added Knowledge Ranks 9 and 10, expanded mastery and knowledge skill ranks, and level-80 gear upgrades.

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The playtime figures above come from GameSpot’s March 2025 article and describe the base-game playstyles it discusses. They are not a recalculated total for every later addition. Ubisoft called its June 2026 update the game’s final update; it adds a story arc and Domains. In a June 16, 2026 Xbox Wire interview, Associate Game Director Simon Lemay-Comtois described Domains as a challenging activity focused on testing gear and builds. The available estimates do not establish how long it takes to complete the game with all post-launch content.

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Only at Amazon Limited Edition Content includes the base game and Sekiryu Character Pack; Internet required to install the game
$61.99
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