Assassin’s Creed Shadows map size, regions, and points of interest

What is the AC Shadows map size? After AC Mirage took things back to basics with a condensed version of 9th-century Baghdad, you might be curious if there’ll be a return to the sprawling open worlds we explored in Odyssey and Valhalla for 16th-century Japan. Well, wonder no more, as we take you through Ubisoft’s plans for the AC Shadows map ahead of launch.

The Assassin’s Creed Shadows map size can also give us a rough idea of the scope of the open-world game. While we sit tight for the AC Shadows release date, we’ll take you through all the points of interest revealed thus far, from viewpoints to torii gates. We’ve also included the stealth game’s major regions stretching across central Japan, and how the map stacks up against other entries in the series.

How big is the AC Shadows map?

The Assassin’s Creed Shadows map is around the same size as AC Origins, so we expect it to span approximately 80km².

“On a scale level, maybe we can compare it a little bit more to the size of Assassin’s Creed Origins,” creative director Jonathan Dumont tells IGN. We also know that Ubisoft is aiming for a more realistic scale to capture the colossal scale of Japan’s mountains and castles.

According to a video from YouTuber DG VFX which used information from a now deleted Ubisoft forum post, we’re able to compare the AC Shadows map to the rest of the maps in the Assassin’s Creed series.

Here’s how the AC Shadows map size compares to the other games in the series:

• AC1 – Damascus: 0.13km2
• AC2 – Florence: 0.30km2
• AC2 – Venice: 0.37km2
• AC3 – New York: 0.93km2
• AC Revelations – Constantinople: 0.94km2
• AC Brotherhood – Rome: 1.41km2
• AC3 – Frontier: 1.41km2
• AC Unity – Paris: 2.40km2
• AC Syndicate – London: 3.70km2
• AC Rogue – North Atlantic Sea: 70km2
• AC Origins – Egypt: 80km2
• AC Valhalla – England: 94km2 (landmass only) 120km2 (sea included)
• AC Black Flag – Caribbean: 235km2
• AC Odyssey – Greece: 130km2 (landmass only) 256km2 (sea included)

According to the world map that appears in the AC Shadows collector’s edition promotional materials, the in-game map is split into nine provinces.

Here are the AC Shadows map regions:

• Wakasa
• Omi
• Iga
• Yamato
• Kii
• Settsu
• Harima
• Tamba
• Yamashiro

A recent AC Shadows world trailer demonstrates the dynamic weather effects and seasonal changes that reflect the passage of time in feudal Japan, along with some locales we can expect to visit in the urban settlements and remote countryside. While its castles will be analogous to dungeons, their level design will be fully integrated into the AC Shadows map.

Finally, torii gates are a major environmental signpost during general exploration, often leading to “secrets, loot, targets – everything that fuels your progression” according to game director Charles Benoit in an earlier Ubisoft Forward. Of course, this is just one point of interest among many on the AC Shadows map, and we’ll expand as more is revealed.

Now that you know what to expect from the AC Shadows map size, settle in for more of the action-adventure game to discover ahead of release. Our AC Shadows Summer Game Fest preview offers a glimpse of the dual protagonist systems in practice, and our predictions for the AC Shadows system requirements will ensure your rig is ready for Japan. We’ve also got an overview of all the new Assassin’s Creed games Ubisoft has lined up.