In the immersive world of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, keys play a pivotal role in unlocking various rewards and enhancing your gaming experience. These keys come in different forms, each serving distinct purposes, from accessing premium items in the Exchange Store to uncovering hidden treasures within castles. Understanding how to acquire these keys is essential for any player aiming to maximize their journey through feudal Japan.​

1. Exchange Store Keys: Unlocking Premium Content

The Exchange Store offers players the opportunity to obtain premium items without spending real money. Instead, it utilizes a unique in-game currency known as “Keys.” These keys can be earned through dedicated gameplay, allowing players to access exclusive gear and cosmetics.​

How to Obtain Exchange Store Keys:

• Completing Projects: Engage in various projects available within the game. As you progress and level up these projects, you’re rewarded with keys. This method encourages players to delve deeper into the game’s content, ensuring a rich and rewarding experience.​
  
• Exploring the Open World: The vast landscapes of Assassin’s Creed Shadows are dotted with hidden keys. By thoroughly exploring different regions, players can stumble upon these valuable items, adding an element of adventure to the key-hunting process.​
  

It’s important to note that while exploring can yield keys, focusing on projects tends to be a more efficient method, as individual key nodes in the open world may offer smaller quantities.​

2. Castle Keys: Accessing Storerooms and Hidden Treasures

Within the fortified walls of various castles lie storerooms brimming with resources and loot. Accessing these storerooms requires specific castle keys, which are strategically placed throughout the game.​

How to Find Castle Keys:

• Exploring Castles: As you infiltrate castles, keep an eye out for the yellow key icon on your map. This indicator points to the location of a castle key. Navigating through enemy defenses to obtain these keys adds a layer of challenge and excitement.​
  
• Unlocking Storerooms: Once you’ve acquired a castle key, search for large metal doors within the castle premises. These doors guard storerooms filled with valuable resources. Using the key to unlock these areas not only provides immediate loot but also resources that can be smuggled back to your hideout for future use.​
  

3. Quest-Specific Keys: Enhancing Narrative and Rewards

Certain quests within Assassin’s Creed Shadows incorporate keys as essential items to progress the storyline or unlock special rewards. One notable example is the “Thrown to the Dogs” quest.​

Acquiring Ichiro’s Key in “Thrown to the Dogs”:

• Initiating the Quest: Begin by locating a stray dog near the Tennoji Temple. This encounter sets off a chain of events leading to the discovery of hidden inheritance.​
  
• Following the Dog: The dog will guide you to an estate where you’ll meet Takako, the sister of the deceased owner, Ichiro. She mentions a hidden inheritance but is unaware of the key’s location.
  
• Finding the Key: Use your observation skills to identify areas marked with blue indicators around the estate. One such area is beneath a building accessible through a crawlspace. Enter this space to retrieve Ichiro’s key.​
  
• Unlocking the Inheritance: Return to the dog’s original location to find a dug-up box. Use Ichiro’s key to open it, revealing a letter, valuable minerals, and the opportunity to adopt the dog, Tsuki-maru, as a companion.​
  

4. Animus Hub Keys: Enhancing Your Arsenal

The Animus Hub serves as an online store where players can exchange keys for equipment and other valuable items. These keys are represented as small white cubes scattered throughout the game world. Collecting them allows players to access exclusive content without resorting to microtransactions.​

How to Collect Animus Hub Keys:

• Exploration: While traversing different regions, keep an eye out for these white cubes. They often require players to venture off the beaten path, encouraging thorough exploration.​
  
• Completing Anomalies: Starting from Act 2, anomalies become available. Completing these challenges rewards players with keys. However, they refresh over several days, making them a periodic source of keys.​
  

5. Strategic Tips for Efficient Key Collection

• Prioritize Projects: Engaging in and leveling up projects provides a steady stream of keys, making it a reliable method for accumulation.
  
• Regular Exploration: Dedicate time to explore new areas thoroughly. Not only does this yield keys, but it also uncovers other collectibles and hidden secrets.​
  
• Monitor In-Game Events: Participate in time-limited events or challenges, as they often offer keys as rewards, providing additional avenues for collection.​