How big is the AC Shadows map? The Assassin’s Creed series has taken a few approaches to map size over the years, with Mirage opting for a condensed play space, chock full of places to explore, while Origins and Valhalla chose to go the sprawling route; huge areas of open space dotted with human settlements and hidden treasures. Shadows attempts to take a stab at both, it seems.
The Assassin’s Creed Shadows map size only hints at the scope of the open-world game. There is a lot to explore here, and not all of it is noticeable on the surface, so we have gathered everything we’ve found so 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)
AC Shadows map regions
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 now that the release date is here. Check out our AC Shadows review if you’re still on the fence about whether to jump into one of the most anticipated AC games yet.