Assassin’s Creed Mirage Notoriety System: How to Reduce Notoriety & Avoid Detection

Assassins are, by nature, unlawful beings. In Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Basim’s crimes are doubled down because he’s also a pickpocketing thief. Even if back in the 9th century, security wasn’t nearly as tight as it could be nowadays, it’s only a matter of time before somebody catches wind of what you’ve been up to.

As you engage in unlawful actions, your notoriety meter will steadily rise, and before you know it, you’ll have a gang of mercenaries on your back. Here’s how the notoriety system works in AC Mirage, as well as how to reduce it and avoid detection altogether.

Related: Assassin’s Creed Mirage Complete Guide: Collectibles, Quests, Mysteries & Trailer

How the Detection System Works in Assassin’s Creed Mirage

The guard’s detection system goes from white to yellow to red. White and yellow means you’re still safe and can resort to hiding or immediately killing them to avoid danger. If they’ve gone yellow, guards will approach the area where you were almost spotted to investigate, so be prepared to take them out or stealthily find a new cover.

When red, they’ve entirely noticed you, and it’s time to run. Hiding when you’ve already been in their sight won’t work. They will literally pull you out of your haystack. 

A failed pickpocket attempt also results in an instant red meter of detection, and you’ll become a wanted criminal just like that.

Once the meter goes to red, you’ve got to lose the guards. Here are a couple of ideas to hide from guards in Assassin’s Creed Mirage:

• Look for wooden scaffoldings to tear these down to take out and slow down your pursuer.
• Use hiding spots like gazebos, cabinets, haystacks, and flowerbeds stalking zones to evade or get the jump on your enemies.
• Walking into a group of at least three civilians will let you blend in with them and help you avoid the gaze of guards. 
• Look for a nearby bench to avoid looking suspicious. You can blend in with regular townfolk, and guards should walk right by you.

You won’t be able to fast-travel or synchronize to viewpoints while guards look for you (red level of detection). Still, you can do both once they’ve lost track of you (white or yellow detection level).

Assassin’s Creed Mirage: Notoriety Levels Explained

Your notoriety level in Assassin’s Creed Mirage has three progressively more perilous tiers displayed in the screen’s bottom right corner.

• Level 1: At this stage, guards and civilians become more vigilant. When you walk close to some NPCs, they’ll stay; they recognize your face or even shout your name. They can even report you to the authorities.
• Level 2: Things get tougher as archers frequently appear on rooftops to aid the guards. These archers will rain deflectable arrows down upon you. This might be a good moment to try to reduce the notoriety level.
• Level 3: When your notoriety hits this level, you must contend with mercenaries and bounty hunters. These skilled fighters can heal themselves and are hard to beat in battle. 

How to Reduce Notoriety Levels

Unless you want the Shadow and the Flame achievement, there’s no reason to walk around Baghdad with high notoriety. Here’s how you can reduce those levels:

• Bribery: Have some Power Tokens to spare? Seek out the Town Crier and grease his palms. When you do this, your notoriety meter will plummet to zero.
• Wanted Posters: Watch out for Wanted Posters on your minimap. These are trouble magnets, attracting the attention of NPCs who promptly summon the guards to deal with you. You can rip these posters down, instantly reducing your notoriety by one level. That means you must rip out three posters if your current notoriety level is three.
• Mercenaries: If you’ve reached the notorious Level Three and dangerous mercenaries are hot on your tail, there’s another option. Engage and defeat these formidable to reset your notoriety meter to zero.

Related: Assassin’s Creed Mirage: All Enigma Locations

It’s easy to gain notoriety fast, but it’s not that hard to lose. The cheapest way to get out of trouble is through the Wanted Posters. Just climb the rooftops of Baghdad and look for the Wanted Poster icon in the minimap. Once you do, climb down and tear that undesired portrait of Basim’s face down. After all, that must be the 9th century equivalent of deleting all your social media accounts.