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In Assassin’s Creed Shadows, level, Mastery, and Knowledge solve different progression problems: level and gear build character power, Mastery points unlock abilities, and Knowledge rank opens higher tiers in the skill trees. To get stronger, improve your level and equipment; to unlock a particular skill tier, raise Knowledge; to tailor a character to a challenge, spend Mastery points and adjust gear perks.
What do level, Mastery, and Knowledge do?
Ubisoft’s February 28, 2025 progression deep dive and March 18, 2025 player guide distinguish three systems:
- Character level: Earn XP through play. Leveling improves base stats and determines the level of gear you can equip.
- Mastery points: Spend these in the Mastery menu to unlock active and passive abilities.
- Knowledge rank: Raise Knowledge to unlock higher tiers of the Mastery trees. Ubisoft’s initial reveal described six ranks; later roadmap material announced added ranks, so six should not be treated as a confirmed current total.
This distinction helps identify what to work on. If a character needs more overall power, level and equipment are the relevant levers. If an ability tier is unavailable, check its Knowledge requirement rather than simply accumulating more Mastery points.
How do you earn Mastery points and Knowledge?
Earn Mastery points
Mastery points come from leveling, defeating targets and unique enemies such as Samurai Daisho, completing activities, and progressing through quests. Spend them on the abilities that fit the character and approach you want to play. Ubisoft’s reveal says Mastery allocations can be reset, allowing you to change your choices.
#1 Best Overall
- Only at Amazon Limited Edition Content includes the base game and Sekiryu Character Pack
- 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.
Raise Knowledge rank
Knowledge comes from marked activities around the world, including finding Lost Pages at temples and praying at shrines. Naoe can earn it through Kuji-kiri meditation; Yasuke can earn it through Kata. These activities are distinct from the combat and quest routes that award Mastery points.
Some advanced abilities also require specific actions, so a point total alone may not be enough to unlock every skill.
Rank #2
- ENTER FEUDAL JAPAN - 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.
- MASTER COMPLEMENTARY PLAYSTYLES - Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles. As Naoe, use stealth to avoid detection and agility to confound your enemies. As Yasuke, strike your foes with lethal precision and power. Unlock new skills, gear, and progression independently for each character.
- MAKE INFORMATION YOUR WEAPON - Travel 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
- BUILD A PLACE TO CALL HOME - 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 buildings layout, decorations, and accessories.
Do Naoe and Yasuke progress separately?
No. Ubisoft says Naoe and Yasuke share level, XP, Mastery points, and Knowledge, so advancement with one also benefits the other. Their skill trees are specialized around their weapons and archetypes: Naoe’s supports shinobi and assassin play, while Yasuke’s supports samurai combat. The shared progression keeps both characters advancing, but their distinct trees mean the same ability choices do not apply to both.
How does gear affect character power and builds?
Equipment is another part of progression, not just appearance. Ubisoft’s February 2025 deep dive describes weapons, headgear, armor, and trinkets or amulets as items with levels, quality, stats, and perks. Gear comes from loot as well as some predetermined rewards; quality affects its stats and available perk options. The article’s original quality list was Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, and Legendary, but later roadmap announcements extended rarities. Check the live game for its current rarity range rather than relying on that launch-era list.
Rank #3
![Assassin's Creed Shadows [PlayStation 5]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51cgBmgsqGL._SL160_.jpg)
- 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
Upgrade and customize equipment
The Hideout’s Forge lets players upgrade gear and engrave perks. It also supports transmog, which changes an item’s appearance without making cosmetic style the same thing as a build choice. Ubisoft described Legendary perks as capable of changing mechanics, rather than merely adding a stat increase.
Hideout buildings also provide saved loadouts through the Gallery. That makes it practical to prepare different equipment setups rather than treating one arrangement as suitable for every encounter. Horse and saddle customization in the progression reveal was cosmetic.
Rank #4
- BECOME A FEARSOME PIRATE- Strike fear in your foes as you board and sink enemy vessels as Edward Kenway, captain of the Jackdaw. Whether blending into crowds or leading daring assaults, switch between silent takedowns and fierce brawls as you effortlessly wield swords, pistols, and the Hidden Blade. With a cast of historical pirate legends at your side, defy empires amidst the age-old conflict opposing Assassins and Templars.
- A CLASSIC REBUILT FOR AN ENHANCED EXPERIENCE- Combat has been rebuilt for more dynamic encounters, emphasizing parries and takedowns, while stealth and parkour have been improved for smoother escapes and assassinations. Continuously upgrade the Jackdaw to face powerful enemy ships with enhanced naval mechanics featuring new alternate fire modes. Quality-of-life additions also address previous pain points, ensuring your experience is improved.
- THE CARIBBEAN LIKE NEVER BEFORE- Whether you’re sailing the open seas or journeying across untamed lands, discover a seamless open world built with the latest Anvil engine. Take in sweeping vistas as you brave stormy waters, dive into underwater shipwrecks, or push through dense tropical jungles. Enhanced by features such as Dolby Atmos and ray tracing, every scene feels more immersive, bringing the world’s beauty to life.
- EXPANDING EDWARD’S ADVENTURE- Building on top of the original story, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced introduces exclusive new content. Familiar faces will return, with new storylines dedicated to fan-favorite characters such as Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet. Unexpected allies will also cross your path, as three officers join you on your journey as part of the main narrative. More surprises await, such as new sea shanties, pets, a photo mode, and more.
What changed after the original progression reveal?
The February 2025 deep dive described the initial progression design, not every system available later. In a 2025 summer roadmap, Ubisoft announced New Game+, a level-cap increase from 60 to 80, additional Knowledge and Mastery ranks, further Hideout and Forge upgrades, and rarity extensions from Epic to Mythic and Legendary to Artifact. These are dated roadmap announcements, not a full live-game patch record; confirm current caps, ranks, and item rarities in the game itself.
The roadmap said New Game+ would unlock after the final story mission and credits. It also said the story and objective-board progression and discovered locations would reset, while level, acquired gear, skill points, Knowledge rank, and Hideout progression would carry over. Treat those as the announced mode rules; the roadmap alone does not verify whether later changes altered them.
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Ubisoft’s June 16, 2026 final-update article describes Domains as five challenge maps with objectives, changing gameplay modifiers, unlockable gear, and secret rewards. It says access starts at level 30 or above. Because objectives and modifiers can change how a map plays, Ubisoft’s guidance is to adapt equipment and builds rather than rely on one universal setup. As Associate Game Director Simon put it, “You can’t just rely on your trusted build in Domains since things will change each time you play a map.”
That update also describes Black Tides as the final free story content, at about two hours long. It requires completion of the main story and the earlier post-launch quests “A Critical Encounter” and “A Puzzlement.” These details come from Ubisoft’s article published on June 16, 2026; it does not establish whether a later patch changed or added to the game.
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