Assassin’s Creed Shadows throws you into a sprawling open world full of samurai duels, stealthy assassinations, and roadside strangers who could use a hand. If you’re helping a distressed villager or chasing off some thugs on horseback, these random encounters include some good rewards. That’s when you will face a dilemma and a choice to make between: World Rumor or Scout Intel.
It leaves most of the players scratching their heads about which one to choose as the game doesn’t offer a detailed breakdown of what is the purpose of these two options. So, this AC Shadows guide explains what these choices do, and when you should pick one over the other.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows: World Rumor and Scout Intel Explained
Every now and then while exploring Japan’s beautifully dangerous world, you’ll encounter NPCs in need. Once you lend a helping hand – maybe by cutting down a few bandits or giving sage life advice, you’ll be rewarded with a choice: World Rumor or Scout Intel.
World Rumor drops a new point of interest (POI) onto your map. It could be a shrine, a hidden questline, a parkour challenge, or something else that helps you explore more of Shadows’ dense and mysterious world. It’s a helpful nudge toward new adventures without having to physically come across them first. These POIs appear as unique black-and-white icons, so they’re pretty easy to spot later.
Scout Intel refills one of your scout slots, meaning you get an extra scout back to help pinpoint quest objectives or haul valuable loot from enemy strongholds. It doesn’t increase your total scout pool, but it does keep your scouting operations rolling when you’re running low. If you’re unfamiliar with the scouting mechanic, it’s important to navigate Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ open world. Main and side quests often give you annoyingly vague clues like “target located somewhere near the rice fields in northern Kyoto.” So, you get help from your scouts to find out the exact spot. They even help smuggle resources from enemy forts, which is pretty handy to level up your hideout without emptying your wallet.
So, both of these rewards help you stay one step ahead of the game in very different ways. One is like being handed a map with an “X marks the spot,” and the other is more like summoning an extra companion to help scope out the land. But which one you should choose at which point?
Should You Choose Scout Intel or World Rumor in AC Shadows?
Early on, I leaned heavily into World Rumor because I love unlocking every corner of the map. The world is fogged over at first, and running around blindly hoping to stumble upon a hidden shrine is not efficient. World Rumor was my shortcut to locate the spots that I’d probably miss otherwise. Plus, it scratches that completionist itch without the need to grind out every inch of terrain manually.
But once I got deeper into the game and my map looked like a messy art project with icons everywhere, Scout Intel came out very handy. When you start juggling quests, resource runs, and hideout upgrades all at once, scouts are crucial. They help manage your gameplay and cut down on those moments where you’re circling the wrong rice paddy for half an hour wondering, “Where the heck is this guy hiding?” Further, scouts don’t recharge fast. Unless you want to wait for the seasons to change (which takes a couple of real-time hours) or invest your cash paying for scout refreshes, getting an extra one via Scout Intel starts looking very tempting.
Here’s how you can usually decide between these options:
- To explore new regions or have an adventure, go for World Rumor.
- When low on scouts mid-quest and needs precision, choose Scout Intel.
These random encounters are very frequent, so even if you pick the “wrong” one, it’s not the end of the world. Moreover, the game has your back sometimes. If your scout slots are full, you’ll automatically get a World Rumor. And if you’ve revealed every landmark or POI, the game picks Scout Intel instead for you.
In short: World Rumor helps you uncover the unknown. Scout Intel keeps you moving efficiently through missions. Both are great tools in your shinobi toolkit.
