How to get pets for your Hideout in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Discover how to transform your Assassin’s Creed Shadows Hideout into a vibrant animal sanctuary with this comprehensive pet collection guide. The game introduces an innovative companion system that allows players to befriend and house various creatures throughout feudal Japan.

The pet mechanics represent a significant evolution for the franchise, offering both aesthetic enjoyment and practical benefits. When you interact with animals, you trigger heartwarming cinematic sequences that showcase the bond between character and creature. These moments provide brief respites from the intense stealth and combat gameplay.

Many players initially overlook the full potential of this system, focusing only on the immediate interaction rather than the long-term collection aspect. Understanding how to systematically build your animal Codex and populate your Hideout requires specific knowledge that we’ll detail throughout this guide.

Your journey to becoming an animal collector begins with completing the ‘From Sparks to Flame’ main story quest. This pivotal mission introduces you to the Hideout mechanics and unlocks the Codex system that tracks all discovered animals.

The Codex serves as your comprehensive animal database, automatically recording every unique creature you encounter. Once an animal appears in your Codex, it becomes available for placement in your Hideout, where it will reside permanently as your companion. This system encourages exploration and repeated interactions with the game’s wildlife.

Pro tip: Don’t rush through the ‘From Sparks to Flame’ quest. Take time to explore the Hideout area thoroughly, as early animal encounters can give you a head start on building your collection. The Codex organizes animals by type and rarity, making it easy to track your progress toward completion.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows offers multiple pathways to encounter and collect animals, each requiring different approaches and strategies for optimal results.

• Domestic Animal Interactions: Dogs and cats represent the most accessible pet options. When approaching these animals, you’ll receive a prompt to interact with them. Each distinct breed and color variation counts as a separate Codex entry. For example, encountering a black Akita, golden Akita, and black Akita puppy will register as three unique entries, encouraging thorough exploration of different regions.
• Sumi-e Wildlife Challenges: As Naoe explores the world, you’ll occasionally receive prompts to stealthily approach wildlife and create Sumi-e paintings. These optional objectives require careful positioning and timing but reward you with rare animal additions to your Codex. Successfully completing these artistic challenges unlocks species that cannot be obtained through other methods.
• Merchant Purchases: Certain specialized traders offer exclusive pets for purchase using in-game currency. Additionally, the premium store contains unique animal companions. Strategic currency management is essential for acquiring these merchant-exclusive pets without compromising your resource allocation for other gameplay elements.
• Quest Rewards: Specific story and side quests provide unique animal companions as rewards. The ‘Thrown to the Dogs’ quest introduces Tsuki-maru, a distinctive dog companion with a compelling backstory. Completing these missions often yields animals with special characteristics not found through random encounters.

Mastering pet collection requires understanding the underlying mechanics and avoiding common pitfalls that can slow your progress.

Rare Animal Locations: Specific regions harbor unique animal species. Mountainous areas often contain rare birds of prey, while coastal regions feature distinctive marine-life inspired creatures. Urban settlements typically host varied domestic breeds. Systematic exploration of each biome ensures comprehensive collection.

Optimization Techniques: Prioritize completing Sumi-e challenges during daylight hours when animal activity peaks. Save your game before attempting difficult wildlife paintings to avoid repetition. When purchasing from merchants, compare prices across different regions—some offer better value for specific animal types.

Common Mistakes to Avoid: Many players overlook the importance of revisiting previously explored areas after story progression, missing new animal spawns. Others fail to check their Codex regularly, unaware of which species they still need to collect. Don’t ignore the seemingly mundane animal interactions—even common creatures contribute to completion percentages and Hideout diversity.

For players seeking to master other aspects of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, our Class Guide provides essential strategies for character development that complement your pet collection efforts.

No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » How to get pets for your Hideout in Assassin’s Creed Shadows Complete guide to finding, collecting, and housing pets in Assassin's Creed Shadows with expert strategies