Iki Island is the story expansion for Ghost of Tsushima, released on August 20, 2021 as part of the Director's Cut and never sold as a standalone add-on. Jin sails to the lawless island of Iki to stop a Mongol force called the Eagle Tribe, and the trip forces him to relive his father's death there years earlier. You can start it as soon as Act 2 begins, and HowLongToBeat players report about 5 hours for the story and 13 hours to finish everything.
We checked this against the PlayStation Blog's Director's Cut announcement, the official PlayStation store page, HowLongToBeat, and the Ghost of Tsushima Fandom wiki's tale, location and trophy pages in November 2026.
How to Get Iki Island
Iki Island only comes inside the Director's Cut, so the question is really which version of the game you own. Sony launched the Director's Cut at $69.99 on PS5 and $59.99 on PS4, bundling the original game, every piece of extra content sold up to that point, and the new Iki story.
- You own the original 2020 PS4 game: the PlayStation Blog listed a $19.99 upgrade to the PS4 Director's Cut, or a $29.99 upgrade straight to the PS5 Director's Cut.
- You own the PS4 Director's Cut and moved to PS5: the PS5 upgrade was listed at $9.99.
- You play on PC: the Steam and Epic release is the Director's Cut, so Iki Island is already included.
- You subscribe to PlayStation Plus: as of November 2026, the official PlayStation page lists the Director's Cut in the PlayStation Plus Extra game catalog.
PS4 owners can also transfer their save to PS5 and carry on from the same point, which matters here because Iki is designed for a Jin who already has a few acts behind him. For a full rundown of what else the edition adds, see our Director's Cut breakdown.
When and How to Start It
The PlayStation Blog states that, for new players, Iki content unlocks in Act 2 after you reach the Toyotama region. The Fandom wiki lists the start tale as "Journey into the Past," with "A New Horizon," the opening tale of Act 2, as its prerequisite.
- Finish Act 1 and begin Act 2 so the Toyotama region opens up.
- Find the tale "Journey into the Past" at Drowned Man's Shore, a small settlement in southern Toyotama where villagers have been driven out of their minds.
- Investigate the settlement. A group of Mongols led by a shaman attacks, and the fight introduces the shaman's chant, which strengthens nearby soldiers.
- Talk to the boat captain on the shore when you are ready to sail. The game warns you that you are about to begin a long series of tales.
That warning is worth taking seriously. The wiki describes this tale as a partial point of no return: once you sail, you stay on Iki until you complete "The Blessing of Death" at the end of the expansion's main story, and only then can you fast travel back to Tsushima. Upgrade your armor and weapons, spend your supplies, and finish anything time-sensitive on the main island before you board the boat.
Should you start it in Act 2 or after the credits? The wiki notes that Iki's placement in the timeline is deliberately vague, and some dialogue fits either before or after the finale. Waiting until after the main story means you arrive with more techniques and stronger gear, which makes the new enemy types far less punishing. If you want to know what that finale involves first, our guide to the ending keeps the major spoilers behind a clear warning.
The Story Setup, Without Big Spoilers
Iki sits off the coast of Tsushima, and Jin has a history with it. His father, Kazumasa Sakai, led a samurai invasion of the island years before the Mongols arrived, and Kazumasa died there. Jin goes back because a shaman at Drowned Man's Shore tells him that "the Eagle" will lead her tribe from Iki to Tsushima.
![Ghost of Tsushima YouTube thumbnail: GHOST OF TSUSHIMA Iki Island PS5 Gameplay Walkthrough Part 1 FULL GAME [4K 60FPS] - No Commentary](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JdvJy70NcLo/hqdefault.jpg)
The Eagle is Ankhsar Khatun, a shaman and commander who leads the Eagle Tribe, a Mongol faction separate from Khotun Khan's army. Her weapon is a "sacred medicine" that causes agonizing hallucinations, and she uses it to break the will of Iki's people. The Eagle Tribe has taken Fort Sakai, the stronghold once held by Jin's father, as its base.
Iki is also different in tone from Tsushima. It is a raider island rather than a samurai fief, and many of its people remember the Sakai name with hatred rather than respect. Much of the story is about Jin facing that reputation. The main questline runs through nine Tales of Iki, from "Journey into the Past" to "Epilogue: Last Words," alongside seven minor tales and two Mythic Tales.
New Enemies, Gear and Techniques
The Eagle Tribe fights differently from the Mongols you know. The wiki describes purple-uniformed soldiers that only appear on Iki, including warriors who switch between sword and shield, dual sabers and a halberd, brutes with double-bladed spears that resist Jin's stances, and shamans whose chants make their allies more aggressive. The practical lesson is to kill shamans first, ideally with a bow, before a chant turns a routine fight into a rout.
The expansion adds three things to your kit that are worth chasing:
- Horse Charge: learned during the tale "A Lost Friend," it lets you ride forward in an all-out charge that throws and damages groups of enemies. It costs 1 Resolve to activate and drains Resolve while active, and it has its own small upgrade tree.
- Sakai Horse Armor: the reward from the Mythic Tale "The Legacy of Kazumasa Sakai," recovered from shipwrecks in Zasho Bay. The wiki notes the tale will not start while you wear the Sakai Clan Armor, so switch outfits before you reach the campsite.
- Sarugami Armor: the reward from the Mythic Tale "The Legend of Black Hand Riku." It disables the normal parry but turns Perfect Parries into a chain of counterattacks and widens the Perfect Parry and Perfect Dodge windows. Our best armor guide explains where it ranks against the main game's sets.
Activities Worth Doing on Iki
Iki is small, but it is dense with optional content, and most of it pays out something useful.
- Animal Sanctuaries: nine in total, split between cats, deer and monkeys. Completing them unlocks three charms: Nekoma's Hunt from the cats, Sugaru's Sight from the deer (fire up to three arrows at once), and Mashira's Protection from the monkeys. Finishing all nine earns the trophy Chiyoko's Song.
- Archery Challenges: bow courses (the Guiding Wind can lead you to them) that award ranged charms such as the Charm of Concentration, with the trophy Pride of Ishikawa for getting bronze or better on all of them.
- Hidden Cove Tournament: a series of bokken duels, with its own trophy, A Few Splinters.
- Sakai Banners: collect them and visit Tsubaki for new horse armor dyes. Six banners unlock the first new dye and thirty unlock the last.
- Mongol territories: liberating all six on Iki earns the Mask of the Eagle.
Iki also has its own haiku, hot springs, bamboo strikes, a Shinto shrine and four wind shrines, and completing all of them earns the trophy Well-Rounded Warrior. The expansion's trophies sit in their own list and do not count toward the base game's Platinum. Several of Iki's charms are strong enough to keep using back on Tsushima; our best charms guide covers how they compare.
How Long Iki Island Takes
HowLongToBeat's numbers for the expansion, as of November 2026, are modest:
- Main story: about 5 hours.
- Main story plus sides: about 9.5 hours.
- Completionist: about 13 hours.
- All play styles combined: about 10 hours.
That makes Iki roughly a fifth of the base game's main story by itself. In practical terms, the nine main tales fit into a weekend, and the sanctuaries, archery courses and duels add another long evening or two on top. Because you cannot leave until the main story is done, plan to clear the optional content as you go rather than saving it for a return trip; the island is compact, and many activities sit right along the routes between story missions. If you arrive early in Act 2 with base-level gear, budget extra time for the Eagle Tribe's tougher fights, because you will be meeting shamans and stance-resistant brutes with fewer techniques and weaker armor than a post-credits Jin would bring. HowLongToBeat's figures are averages across every kind of player, so your own time will depend heavily on how ready your Jin is when the boat lands. Our Ghost of Tsushima length guide puts both together and shows how long the Director's Cut takes in total.
Arriving on Iki Fully Prepared
Because the boat ride locks you on Iki until the story's end, the resource grind on Tsushima is the main thing that slows people down before they sail. If you would rather start with that handled, the store's post-tutorial modded save begins right after the tutorial with max rank, all stances unlocked, and max cloths, goods, metals and wood, so upgrades never wait on supplies or silk. It also carries a separate Legends section with high-level gear and cosmetics.
The save is for PS4 and PS5 only and is applied to your own profile; you must already own the game. Other services are listed on the Ghost of Tsushima page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you buy Iki Island separately?
No. It comes only with the Director's Cut, either bought outright or as an upgrade from the original game.
When can you go to Iki Island?
Once Act 2 begins and Toyotama opens up. Start the tale "Journey into the Past" at Drowned Man's Shore.
Can you leave Iki Island once you start?
Not until you finish "The Blessing of Death," the end of the expansion's main story. After that you can fast travel back to Tsushima.
Should you do Iki Island before or after the ending?
Either works for the story. Going after the credits means stronger gear and more techniques for the tougher Eagle Tribe enemies.
How long is Iki Island?
About 5 hours for the story, 9.5 hours with side content, and 13 hours for everything, based on HowLongToBeat in November 2026.
Is Iki Island on PC?
Yes. The PC version released on May 16, 2024 is the Director's Cut, so Iki Island is included.