Jonathan Dumont, the Creative Director of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, has confirmed the estimated playtime for the game and commented on the possibility of New Game Plus. Shadows launches later this month on March 20, and will take players to feudal Japan - one of the most-requested settings for an Assassin's Creed game.
In an interview with Genki (via VGC), Dumont noted that players can expect to spend around 30-40 hours completing the main campaign of Assassin's Creed Shadows. For those aiming to fully complete the game, including all side content, the total playtime could reach up to 80 hours or more.
Dumont also mentioned that New Game Plus and other modes are a possibility for Assassin’s Creed Shadows. However, this will depend on player after the game launches. While unconfirmed, it looks likely considering all Ubisoft has done to return to the "roots" of Assassin's Creed.
How Assassin's Creed Shadows' Length Compares To Previous AC Games
Shadows May Be Long, But It Is Not The Franchise’s Longest
It seems Ubisoft is returning to the more expansive RPG format with Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The previous entry in the series, Assassin’s Creed Mirage (2023), offered a more streamlined experience, taking around 16 hours to complete the main story and about double that for a completionist run. Ubisoft often varies the scope of its Assassin’s Creed titles—while some entries can feel overwhelming due to the sheer amount of content, others offer a much shorter, more condensed experience.
Assassin's Creed Title |
How Long To Beat |
How Long To Beat (Completionist) |
|---|---|---|
Assassin's Creed: Mirage (2023) |
16 Hours |
30 Hours |
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (2020) |
61 Hours |
148 Hours |
Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (2018) |
45 1/2 Hours |
144 Hours |
Assassin's Creed: Origins (2017) |
30 Hours |
85 Hours |
Assassin's Creed: Syndicate (2015) |
18 1/2 Hours |
55 Hours |
According to the above data from How Long to Beat, Assassin’s Creed Shadows fits in between the previous five titles in of playtime. While this year’s release is roughly double the size of Mirage and Syndicate, it still falls short when compared to others in the series. For example, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla takes an impressive 61 hours to complete the main story, with a staggering 148 hours for completionists—double the time players will spend in Shadows.
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Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey takes a few extra hours to beat and fully complete compared to Shadows, while Origins (2017) is on par timewise. These figures represent average playtimes, and individual playthroughs may vary depending on personal playstyle.
AC Shadows' Length Is Actually Good News
Getting The Most Bang Out Of Your Buck
The 30-hour runtime of Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a positive aspect - at least for me - especially with Ubisoft returning to the open-world RPG format. This duration offers a solid amount of gameplay for players who enjoy an immersive experience. For RPGs and open-world games, 30 hours is enough time to allow for deep character development, exploration, and branching story paths. At the same time, it doesn’t overwhelm players with an excessive number of tasks that could lead to burnout.
For completionists, the 80-hour playtime allows players who want more out of their experience to spend even longer in the game. This is especially reasonable given the current cost of games. Additionally, this time doesn’t include the 10-hour DLC already announced for Assassin’s Creed Shadows post-launch.
Source: Genki, VGC, How Long To Beat
Assassin's Creed Shadows
- Released
- March 20, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Quebec
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
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