How does the Assassin’s Creed Shadows Wanted system work? As with most Assassin’s Creed protagonists, Naoe and Yasuke won’t be able to operate exactly as they please when going after high-value targets. Trespassing on castle grounds carries severe consequences if you’re caught, adding a tinge of tension to the proceedings.
As AC games past have iterated on notoriety systems, Assassin’s Creed Shadows introduces a Wanted system. While you’ve traditionally been able to tear down a few posters and sneak away without much fanfare in many of the RPG series’ installments, Shadows won’t let you off the hook that easily. Below, we detail all you need to know about the system, and how to remove the Wanted status if you do take a few too many liberties while on the hunt.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Wanted system explained
Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Wanted system kicks in if you’re caught red-handed in one of its various castles. Should the person who catches you make it to an alarm bell and ring it, not only will the castle be alerted to your shenanigans, but so too will the whole province until the end of the current season.
While Wanted, “an elite group of badass samurai” known as ‘Guardians’ will spawn into the castle, ready to strike you down. Even if you manage to escape the castle, these white-maned, masked foes will be on the lookout for you along the province’s roads. It would be wise to avoid direct contact with Guardians, as they’re supposedly some of the toughest opponents you’ll encounter in-game—they wouldn’t be a deterrent to criminals if they weren’t terrifying, after all.
As an aside, as with previous Assassin’s Creed games, killing civilians will instantly desynchronize you. However, you can kill or knock out hostile servants, just don’t be surprised if they whip out a Tanto to fight back with. These servants can also alert samurai, so don’t underestimate them.
How to remove the Wanted status in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
There are four different ways to remove the Wanted status in Assassin’s Creed Shadows:
- Wait for the season to end.
- Exploring other provinces.
- Switch protagonists.
- Use scouts to remove the alert.
These methods were confirmed by game director Charles Benoit in a December 2024 Reddit AMA. The most straightforward method to lower your wanted level is to simply play the waiting game. As soon as the current season ends, your Wanted status will disappear. However, you’ll have to gauge how tough surviving the Guardian onslaught is, as well as how long is actually left before the season ticks over.
If the heat’s too much, there are two ways you can beat a tactical retreat. If you’re really attached to Naoe or Yasuke, then you can travel to a different province where you aren’t Wanted. Conversely, if you’re enjoying both playstyles, then swap to the non-Wanted character and continue your journey. Finally, you can have your network of scouts reset provincial alerts – one of many, many things they’re useful for.
And that’s everything you need to know about the Assassin’s Creed Shadows Wanted system. While waiting for the Assassin’s Creed Shadows release date to arrive, be sure to prepare for it properly by checking out the Assassin’s Creed Shadows system requirements. We also have a guide on whether AC Shadows Game Pass will ever be a thing, and how long we’re expecting AC Shadows to take to clear.