As you play Assassin’s Creed Shadows, you’ll eventually come across something called Shadows Projects. These Projects are special, rotating side missions that you can pick up and explore, using them to unlock exclusive rewards with the help of Keys through the in-game Animus Hub. It all sounds a bit confusing, so I’m here to explain how to complete Shadows Projects in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
The contracts themselves aren’t all that complicated, but the entire ecosystem is completely new, so I’m here to clear things up.
Read on to learn about Shadows Projects in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
What Are Shadows Projects?
Shadows Projects are anomalous side missions that you’ll pick up through the in-game Animus Hub in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. They might require you to eliminate a digital anomaly or collect ‘echoes’ across the map. They’re low-effort, high-reward missions that help you unlock Keys, which you can then use to work through storylines and unlock some exclusive rewards.
They’re worth the energy you expend to take care of them, as some of the rewards are fantastic – and they’re not all simply cosmetic.
In the first few hours of your game, you’ll come across an anomaly that appears in the form of a portal – you can’t miss it. If you leap into that portal, you’ll come face-to-face with a mysterious entity that threads a little intrigue into your story. After that, you’ll notice that the Objectives screen in the main menu now has an Animus section – it’s right at the top of the board.
The challenges in the Shadows Projects menu will rotate regularly, changing every so often and replacing themselves once you’ve completed a set. To accept them, you simply need to go into the Animus menu on the Objectives screen, track them, and complete them in the open world.
Once you’ve earned enough Keys by completing Shadows Projects, you can unlock exclusive rewards in the Shadows Exchange, but I’ve covered that mechanic in another guide.
It’s relatively simple to learn how to complete Shadows Projects in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, though. If you’re playing on the Non-Guided Mode, you’ll need to use Scouts or search high and low for your targets, but if you’re playing on the Guided Mode, it’ll be a walk in the park, and some challenges might take mere seconds to complete.
For more Assassin’s Creed Shadows guides, check out my guide to when you play as Yasuke in Shadows
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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