Level up in Assassin's Creed Shadows fast, and you’ll unlock powerful abilities, better gear, and stronger allies. Whether you’re clearing out castles, completing contracts, or uncovering lost knowledge, every action you take pushes you closer to mastering the game’s feudal Japan setting.
If you’re looking for the fastest ways to farm XP, here’s how to level up efficiently and get stronger as quickly as possible in AC Shadows.
Methods to level up in Assassin's Creed Shadows
1) Tera (themed room)

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One of the best ways to level up in Assassin's Creed Shadows is to passively maximize XP gains by constructing a Tera (altar) within your Hideout. This themed room provides a permanent +10% XP boost, multiplying all XP sources throughout the game.
Since this affects all activities, building the Tera early on ensures you’ll get more XP from every kill, contract, and quest moving forward, making it a must-have investment.
Also read: How to quickly make Mon in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
2) Contracts
Contracts are another great way to level up in Assassin's Creed Shadows, with each completion granting over 1,000 XP alongside valuable Hideout Resources. Since Contracts refresh with every season, you’ll want to clear all three available ones per cycle to maximize your gains.
They can be picked up at Kakurega safehouses; the more safehouses you unlock, the more Contract opportunities you’ll have throughout the game.
3) Quests
Quests are another good means of leveling up in Shadows. However, as opposed to Contracts, they're region-bound and don't always show up on the map until you find them.
Main story quests will, of course, give you large XP rewards, but side quests take some searching out before they show up. Looking at Objective Boards regularly can also direct you to new XP-laden missions.
Also read: 5 key differences between Assassin's Creed Shadows and Assassin's Creed Odyssey
4) Knowledge point POIs for extra XP
Though they might initially appear trivial, completing activities that grant Knowledge Points is another excellent way to increase your XP gains in AC Shadows. These points can be acquired by:
- Discovering Kofuns
- Praying at Shrines
- Locating lost pages in temples
These activities award 500 to 1,000 XP each, and since they're scattered all over the world, they automatically add up over time. Furthermore, simply exploring to get to these POIs also awards XP, so it's a great way to discover the secrets of the game's world while leveling up at the same time.
5) Castle loots

If you’re looking for a high-risk, high-reward way to level up in Assassin's Creed Shadows, raiding castles is the answer. Each castle is packed with enemies, lootable XP, and a Samurai Daisho boss who drops a Legendary Chest and grants a Mastery Point upon defeat.
Since Mastery Points unlock new abilities, clearing out castles not only levels you up quickly but also strengthens your character’s skill set, making it one of the best long-term XP farming methods.
Also read: Dodging in Assassin's Creed Shadows, explained
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