AC Shadows: How to change the season?

The open world in Assassin's Creed Shadows undergoes dynamic changes influenced by the cycle of the seasons. As a player, you have an influence on what season is currently in the game, but some changes will happen during the story. On this page, you will learn what the current season affects and how you can change it.

• How to change the season?
• What do the seasons affect?

How to change the season?

You will gain access to manually change the season after making enough progress, by completing the first few missions. Upon opening the world map, in the top right corner you will see an icon representing the current season:

1. Snowflake - winter;
2. Cherry blossom - spring;
3. Sun - summer;
4. Leaves - autumn.

Press the button displayed under the compass rose. If the appropriate conditions are met, the season will change. You will see a short animation presenting the landscape during a new season. After that, you will be able to return to exploring Japan.

Sometimes, however, the button to change the season will be grayed out, meaning that the option is unavailable. This happens in a situation when too little time has passed since the last change of seasons. Before you can force another season, you will need to wait a bit. The passing months will be gradually indicated by the filling bar around the wind rose.

A new season can also come spontaneously. If enough in-game time passes, the season will change itself while using fast travel or returning to the hideout.

A sudden change of season can also be forced by a story mission.

What do the seasons affect?

The change of seasons affects several aspects of the game:

1. Items sold by merchants change.
2. The behavior of opponents is different;
3. Some collectibles such as materials for base expansion reset;
4. The pool of scouts available in a given season is restored.

It is also worth paying attention to the changing landscape, which can significantly affect the gameplay. For example: in winter, you can easily run on frozen lakes, but the snow covering the grass and limited vegetation make sneaking difficult.

Some of the missions are also tied to a specific season.

See also:

1. Game guide
2. All quests
3. Fast travel
4. Hideout

Assassin's Creed: Shadows

March 20, 2025

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