Skip to main content

Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut: How to unlock Iki Island

ghost of tsushima ten things to do first on iki island jin
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ghost of Tsushima fans are eager to get to Iki Island, the all-new story expansion in Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut. Sucker Punch delivered on its promise to improve upon a game that most fans agreed was already perfect. With brand new features, updated graphics, and a new area to explore, Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut has new and returning players asking one question: How do I get to Iki Island?

Difficulty

Moderate

Duration

2 hours

What You Need

  • Sakai Clan Armor

  • Complete Act I

When does Iki Island unlock?

If you’re starting from scratch, Iki Island unlocks at the beginning of Act II, once you’ve unlocked the Toyotama region of Tsushima. By then, you’ve unlocked the grappling hook and, ideally, all four combat stances. Once you’ve made it to Act II:

Step 1: Select the Journal tab from the Pause menu.

Step 2: You’ll be notified that Tales of Iki is now available.

Step 3: Select Tales of Iki and then track the tale Journey Into the Past.

Step 4: Follow the guiding wind to begin the journey to Iki Island.

ghost of tsushima ten things to do first on iki island jin
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Transferring PS4 saved data

If you’ve transferred your PlayStation 4 saved data to Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut, you’ll be notified that Iki Island is available by a pop-up on your screen as soon as you load your save file. Of course, you’ll have had to make it to the beginning of Act II on that save. You’ll still get the same notification as if starting from scratch.

Jin follows the guiding wind to Drowned Man’s Shore, where villagers appear to have lost their minds. He’ll be introduced to Shamans, a new type of enemy, and will have to fend off the approaching Mongols as he tries to figure out what’s going on.

Iki itself is an island off the southeast coast of Tsushima. Players cannot get there unless they complete this introductory mission and hop on a boat across the sea. This boat trip brings Jin on a character-building quest, returning to a place where the Sakai name is no longer welcome. The residents of Iki don’t care much for the Ghost of Tsushima, and Jin learns early on that the Khan was only the beginning.

How difficult is Iki Island

Iki Island is not easy. Players who’ve just reached Act II will have difficulty surviving on Iki Island and will be stuck there until they progress far enough in the Iki story. While they only have to make it through a few missions in Tales of Iki to fast-travel back to Tsushima, under-equipped players may not enjoy it to its full potential. Furthermore, treating Iki Island as an epilogue makes for a better experience.

Returning players can jump right into Iki Island with everything they’ve learned and earned through the base game. Those eager to see what’s in store can load their PS4 saved game, but it’s imperative they do not enter New Game+.

Other Iki Island unlocks

There are several new mechanics that Iki Island adds to the game. One is the horse charge maneuver, which lets your horse stampede through roaming groups of Mongols. The horse charge is a great way to build up your Ghost Stance (if you’ve already unlocked it) and makes defeating those traveling bands of enemies much easier.

You’ll also unlock horse armor, which makes your mount as deadly as your katana. Taking both these mechanics back to Tsushima on your quest to slay Khotun Khan will make Jin’s life easier.

Mike Colucci
Michael Colucci is a lifelong video game fan based out of the greater Boston area. He's the one insistent on searching every…
Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut: All Iki Island Archery Challenge locations
Jin Sakai shooting an arrow in Ghost of Tsushima.

Jin Sakai is back and better than ever, thanks to the upgraded release of Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut. Aside from taking advantage of the PlayStation 5's hardware to improve visuals and performance, Sucker Punch went the extra mile by adding in an entirely new region with this expansion. Set on the titular Iki Island, Jin will have a new quest to complete that hits very close to home for this conflicted samurai-turned-ghost. Just like the main game, though, the main quest is just one part of what you can do on this brand new island.

Iki is home to all sorts of side content, including side quests, collectibles, and brand new challenges, like the Archery Challenges. These are sort of the companion to the bamboo challenges from the main game, only instead of testing your skills with the blade, you're given unique tests for your aim and speed with a bow. Completing the first will reward you with a brand new charm, and doing the subsequent challenges will further improve that charm's effects. Iki is a big place, so we'll guide you to each Archery Challenge location here.

Read more
Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut: How to beat Archery Challenges
Jin draws back a bow in Ghost of Tsushima.

Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut comes with a sake cart full of new content. Players will venture to Iki Island, where they'll dive deeper into the backstory of clan Sakai. They'll also gain access to several new abilities, mechanics, and challenges that will grow their legend further than the Ghost could have imagined. Archery Challenges are a new edition that has players testing their skills. Spread across Iki Island, these challenges are far more than aiming and shooting. Here's how to beat Archery Challenges in Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut.

Ghost of Tsushima's multiplayer Legends mode getting stand-alone release
Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut: 10 things to do first on Iki Island
The best games to play after finishing Ghost of Tsushima

Read more
Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut: 10 things to do first on Iki Island
Jin and Kenji discuss future plans at sunset in Ghost of Tsushima.

Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut has so many new features packed into Iki Island that it's hard to take them all in on the first playthrough. With a complete overhaul to the fan-favorite title of 2020, old players can enjoy the game's new editions as much as first-timers enjoy the full show. So, what should you focus on when you finally reach the expansion? Here are 10 things you should do first on Iki Island. Warning: minor spoilers ahead!

Ghost of Tsushima's multiplayer Legends mode getting stand-alone release
Ghost of Tsushima's Iki Island imagines a more manageable open-world game
Everything we know about Battlefield 2042

Read more