How to Change Seasons in Assassin's Creed Shadows

Assassin's Creed Shadows is the first game in the series that allows players to change the time of year. Unlike previous installments, where weather served merely as a backdrop, here each season brings significant changes to the environment's physics, enemy AI behavior, and the abilities of the main characters. In this article, we will explore all the seasonal features that make the game truly captivating.

The game's world follows the laws of nature, smoothly transitioning from one state to another. The time of year and its state can be viewed by opening the menu. It is represented as a circle in the upper right corner with a season symbol.

One season lasts two hours of real time or 120 minutes. The season is divided into two stages: beginning and end. Each stage lasts one hour and is divided into four parts of fifteen minutes each. You can change the stage of the season after completing three-quarters of one stage — this amounts to forty-five minutes. The game features four seasons, each divided into two stages. Thus, there are eight different states of the time of year. A full game year consists of eight hours of real time.

The following seasons are featured in the game:

Each new season resets the wanted level, returns scouts from missions, and refreshes available contracts. Resources in the hideout are replenished, and enemies in previously cleared locations reappear.

Seasonal changes affect the economy — the assortment and prices of goods fluctuate depending on the time of year. Some quests, animal appearances, and random events are available only in specific seasons. For example, trade caravans are more common in spring, while bandit ambushes are more frequent in winter.

The environment's physics responds to seasonal changes. For example, in winter, metal weapons become brittle. Characters display different animations depending on the weather — shivering from the cold or wiping sweat. Enemy AI adapts to conditions — changing patrol routes and equipment. For example, in winter, guards often warm themselves by the fires, leaving other posts unattended.

To manually change the season, at least forty-five minutes must have passed since the start of the cycle. To change the season's stage, open the map and hold the "right d-pad" on consoles or the "H" key on PC for three seconds. An alternative method is fast travel between points: if enough time has passed since the phase began, the game will update the season after loading the location. Additionally, story missions sometimes automatically change the time of year, especially if the plot involves a time jump.

The change is accompanied by a smooth animation: within a minute, the world transforms — textures, weather effects, and the physical properties of surfaces change. However, in enclosed spaces and dungeons, visual changes are not displayed. It's important to remember that you cannot skip a season, for example, from spring directly to autumn. Also, manual changes can be made no more than once per hour of game time. In "Expert" difficulty mode, the restriction is stricter — once every three hours.

It should be noted that speeding up or changing the season at will without using mods is impossible. You can only slightly speed up the passage of time through sleeping in the hideout or meditation.