Home News Fast XP and Leveling in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Fast XP and Leveling in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Author : Isaac Apr 07,2025

In *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*, mastering the art of leveling up your Samurai and Shinobi is crucial for enhancing your gameplay. To accelerate your XP gains, you'll need to engage in a variety of activities and prioritize those that offer the most substantial rewards. Here's a comprehensive guide on how to maximize your XP earnings in the game.

What Awards XP in Assassin’s Creed Shadows? Answered

In *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*, XP can be earned through numerous actions and activities. From eliminating enemies and assassinating targets to completing quests and engaging in side content, every action contributes to your XP pool. However, the XP rewards vary significantly, so it's essential to focus on the most lucrative activities. You can preview the XP rewards for quests and activities by hovering over them in the map or objectives tab. The most efficient ways to earn XP quickly are by tackling castles and executing optional assassinations.

How to Get Fast XP from Castles in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Sakamato Castle awards 3,000 XP in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Sakamato Castle awards 3,000 XP in *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*.
Throughout Japan in *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*, you'll encounter numerous castles, each heavily guarded by basic and elite enemies, including Samurai Daisho. Completing a castle by killing the required number of Daisho allows you to access a chest filled with high-tier loot. Castles are a goldmine for XP, offering thousands of XP just for completion, not to mention the additional XP from defeating each enemy, especially elites and Daisho, who can yield around 250 XP each. Synchronizing at high points within castles also grants XP and serves as fast travel points, enhancing your mobility across the map.

To maximize your XP gains from castles, consider these strategies:

  • Choose your protagonist wisely. Naoe's Eagle’s Vision ability helps in quickly locating and stealthily assassinating Daisho, which is more efficient than direct combat. Enhance Naoe's assassination damage through mastery and engravings to ensure instant kills.
  • At lower to medium levels, Yasuke is better suited for clearing castles quickly. Intentionally get detected, engage in open combat, and let an enemy trigger the alarm bell to draw more enemies to you, allowing for rapid XP accumulation.

With these tactics, you can potentially earn up to and beyond 4,000 XP in just a few minutes.

Assassinating Targets Nets Large XP Bonuses in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Naoe perches to assassinate an enemy from above, Image via Ubisoft

Naoe perches to assassinate an enemy from above, Image via Ubisoft
In addition to the main quest assassinations, *Assassin’s Creed Shadows* features numerous optional assassination targets. These can be discovered by interacting with specific NPCs and using scouts to track targets. Utilizing fast travel points like Kakurega can get you close to your targets quickly. After a short ride on your mount, you can swiftly eliminate the target.

Each assassination not only completes a quest but also awards a significant XP bonus, typically ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 XP. The act of killing the target itself provides additional XP, similar to defeating elite enemies. Completing an entire group of assassinations and returning to the quest giver will net you a substantial XP bonus, often around 5,000 XP.