Returning to Feudal Japan for a second or third run in Assassin's Creed Shadows is no longer just about re-experiencing the story of Naoe and Yasuke. With the New Game Plus (NG+) system fully integrated and several title updates under its belt, the endgame loop has evolved into a deep progression hunt that rewards meticulous planning and resource management. Whether the goal is to hit the expanded level cap or to collect the elusive gold-plated legendary katanas, understanding the mechanics of NG+ is essential for anyone looking to master the shadows.

How to Unlock and Start New Game Plus

Accessing New Game Plus requires the completion of the main story arc on any difficulty setting. This means finishing all individual journeys for the three primary figures: Naoe, Yasuke, and Junjiro. Once the credits have rolled, a notification appears confirming that the save file is eligible for a new journey.

To initiate the process, players must navigate to the Memories menu within the Animus. It is highly recommended to create a manual backup of the completed save before starting, although the game does create a separate manual save for the NG+ run to prevent accidental overwriting of hundred-hour progress. Upon starting, the game offers a choice: replay the entire experience including the Iga and Tensho War prologues, or skip directly to the point where the Hideout is unlocked. For those who have already mastered the basics, skipping the tutorial-heavy opening saves significant time without sacrificing any progression rewards.

What Carries Over and What Resets

The fundamental appeal of New Game Plus in Assassin's Creed Shadows is the power fantasy of starting the game with a late-game arsenal. However, the system is balanced to ensure that exploration still feels meaningful.

The Retention List (What You Keep):

  • Character Level and Skills: All earned XP and skill points stay intact. If the first run ended at level 60, the new journey begins at level 60.
  • Gear and Weaponry: All armor sets, katanas, teppos, and shinobi tools remain in the inventory. This includes all upgrades previously applied at the forge.
  • Hideout Progression: This is a major quality-of-life feature. All buildings, upgrades, and collected resources are preserved. Heiji will be available at the forge immediately upon reaching the hideout.
  • Allies and Knowledge Rank: All recruited allies stay in the network, and the accumulated Knowledge Rank is maintained, allowing for immediate access to high-level passives.
  • Currency and Materials: Mon, Gold chunks, and crafting resources carry over completely.

The Reset List (What You Must Redo):

  • Story and Objectives: All main missions, side quests, and objective board progress are wiped clean.
  • World Map and Viewpoints: This is often the most polarizing aspect of the NG+ system. The map fog returns, and all viewpoints must be re-synchronized to enable fast travel.
  • Activity Progress: Tasks such as Kuji-kiri, Kofun, and Kata must be completed again. While this may seem tedious, these activities now serve as a primary source for reaching the new level cap.
  • Romance Options: All relationship progress is reset, giving players the opportunity to explore different narrative outcomes or fix previously botched social interactions.

The Power Leap: Level 80 and Knowledge Rank 10

The introduction of New Game Plus coincided with a significant increase in the power ceiling. The level cap has moved from 60 to 80, but this isn't just a numerical increase. Foes in the NG+ world exhibit enhanced tactics and awareness, making stealth more challenging and open combat more punishing.

To keep pace with these threats, the Knowledge Rank system now extends to Rank 10. This expansion unlocks new tiers for mastery skills and knowledge passives. Players can now invest in additional ranks for existing nodes, such as "Hidden Hand" for faster tool cooldowns or "Nightcrawler" for increased lethality during nocturnal operations. To facilitate these upgrades, the Forge can now be pushed to Level 4. This is the only way to bring gear up to the level 80 standard, requiring a substantial amount of Gold and resources found primarily in high-level chests during the second playthrough.

Legendary Rewards: The Gold Katanas

The most tangible reason to complete a New Game Plus run is the acquisition of the legendary gold-plated weaponry. These aren't just cosmetic reskins; they introduce a "pay-to-win" mechanic that utilizes the player's accumulated Mon in exchange for devastating combat effects.

Dragon’s Gold (Naoe’s Katana)

Naoe receives this legendary blade upon finishing a NG+ playthrough. Its primary perk is a tool-refilling mechanic. In exchange for 150 Mon per use, Naoe’s kunai and shuriken are automatically refunded upon consumption. Visually, this is accompanied by an explosion of coins in front of her. It effectively allows for infinite tool usage as long as the player’s treasury is well-maintained, which is a game-changer for shinobi-style play.

Whisper of Gold (Yasuke’s Long Katana)

Yasuke’s reward is a massive, gold-plated long katana designed for raw power. Its unique engraving grants a 50% increase to ability damage at the cost of 150 Mon per activation. For players who rely on Yasuke’s heavy-hitting teppo strikes or devastating melee combos, this weapon provides the highest DPS potential in the game. Much like Naoe’s blade, activating these abilities causes Mon to fly out from Yasuke, signifying the cost of such power.

Scaling and the NG+ 8 Challenge

Assassin's Creed Shadows allows for up to eight iterations of New Game Plus on a single save file. Each subsequent cycle increases enemy health, damage, and detection speed. By the time a player reaches the fourth or fifth cycle, even basic ronin enemies possess four health segments and can easily parry standard attacks.

In these higher cycles, the economy shifts. Legendary chests that previously contained gear will now drop Gold chunks, which are essential for maintaining the level 80 gear sets across multiple builds. Furthermore, high-value targets on the objective board now reward Gold chunks upon assassination, making the hunt for high-ranking officials the most efficient way to farm endgame materials.

Tactical Recommendations for NG+ Runs

Transitioning into the 1.0.7+ version of the endgame requires a shift in strategy. Since enemies scale aggressively, focusing on the "Knowledge Path" becomes more important than raw level grinding. Reaching Knowledge Rank 10 should be the priority, as the passives provided there—such as armor avoidance and posture damage boosts—offer a more significant advantage than the incremental stat gains from levels 70 to 80.

For those playing on Nightmare difficulty, the "Immersive Mode" toggle in the NG+ setup menu can be adjusted to remove HUD elements, though this is only recommended for those who have memorized enemy patterns. The ability to skip time to dawn or dusk (added in the summer updates) should be used frequently to ensure Naoe is always operating under the cover of darkness, where her NG+ passives are most effective.

Ultimately, New Game Plus in Shadows is designed for the completionist who wants to turn their hideout into a true fortress and their protagonists into legends of the Sengoku period. The grind to level 80 is long, but with the gold katanas in hand, the journey through the provinces of Japan feels more rewarding than ever.