The success of Assassin's Creed Shadows is critical for Ubisoft, especially after the setbacks faced with delays and the disappointing sales of last year's Star Wars Outlaws. Ubisoft has been grappling with a series of challenges, including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations leading up to the release of Assassin's Creed Shadows. The pressure is intensified by the Guillemot family, Ubisoft's founders, reportedly engaging in discussions with Tencent and other investors about a potential buyout, aiming to retain control over the company's intellectual property.
As such, the gaming community is closely monitoring the initial performance of Assassin's Creed Shadows. Although Ubisoft has not disclosed specific sales figures, they announced that the game reached 2 million players within just two days of its launch, outpacing the initial performance of Origins and Odyssey. Furthermore, the game's concurrent player count on Steam has been a focal point, with Shadows achieving a peak of 64,825 players over the weekend, marking it as the most-played Assassin's Creed game on the platform to date. This is significant as it was the first in the series to launch directly on Steam. Comparatively, Dragon Age: The Veilguard by BioWare peaked at 89,418 players on Steam.
Determining whether Shadows meets, exceeds, or falls short of Ubisoft's expectations is challenging without knowing the exact benchmarks. However, insights from an internal Ubisoft email, as reviewed by IGN, provide a clearer picture of the game's weekend performance. Shadows achieved the second-highest day-one sales revenue in the franchise's history, only surpassed by Valhalla from 2020, which benefited from the unique circumstances of the global pandemic and the launch of new console generations. Notably, Shadows also marked Ubisoft's best day-one launch on the PlayStation Store, indicating strong performance on the PS5.
On the PC front, 27% of Shadows' total activations were on this platform, with Steam playing a pivotal role according to Ubisoft's internal communications. While specific sales figures on Steam were not disclosed, Ubisoft emphasized that the platform's involvement validated their decision to return to Steam. The company also highlighted record levels of player engagement and positive feedback from moderated, verified platforms, underscoring that Shadows was the most-wishlisted Ubisoft game ever and is outperforming other Assassin's Creed titles on Twitch, including Valhalla.
Ubisoft's internal communications contextualize the comparisons between Shadows and other franchise entries. While Shadows does not match Valhalla's launch performance, Ubisoft argues that such a comparison is unfair due to Valhalla's unique launch conditions during the global pandemic and new console releases. Instead, Ubisoft suggests comparing Shadows to games like Origins, Odyssey, and Mirage, which were released under more typical circumstances. In this context, Shadows is setting new benchmarks.
It's also important to note that Shadows was released in March, deviating from the traditional pre-Thanksgiving launch window that typically boosts sales. Additionally, Ubisoft opted not to offer an early access period, which they usually charge for, and their subscription service is now directly available on Xbox, complicating sales comparisons on Microsoft's console.
Ultimately, the financial success of Assassin's Creed Shadows will be a key determinant of Ubisoft's future. While player numbers and engagement are promising, the true measure of success will be reflected in the revenue figures, which we may not fully understand until Ubisoft's next financial report.
For those embarking on the journey through feudal Japan, our comprehensive Assassin's Creed Shadows guide, including the Assassin's Creed Shadows walkthrough, the detailed Assassin's Creed Shadows Interactive Map, and insights into what the game doesn't explicitly tell you, will be invaluable resources.
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