After a troubled development cycle plagued with story controversy and multiple delays, Assassin’s Creed Shadows finally launched on March 20, 2025. While the numbers have been better than many skeptics predicted, there is still a cloud of doubt about whether the game will break even and turn a profit for desperate Ubisoft.
“It’s not even 4PM here in Canada and Assassin’s Creed Shadows has already passed 1 million players!” Ubisoft announced hours after the release of the game on X. “Thank YOU from the bottom of our hearts for joining this adventure in Feudal Japan. We are beyond excited to start this journey with you!”
ALSO READ: Sega Of Japan Can Arrest You For Purchasing In-Game Currency From Third Party Sellers
However, not everyone was convinced by the numbers, especially because Ubisoft went ahead to share three game keys for three lucky people with UbiConnect account. Some noted that it was strange for a developer to give out game keys on launch day.
Giving out game keys on launch day ☠️
— David Patrick🇺🇲 (@KingDave956) March 20, 2025
In a bid to make Assassin’s Creed Shadows profitable, Ubisoft has also decided to launch its latest entry in the Assassin’s Creed franchise day one on Steam. At the time of writing, the game has attracted only 41,412 concurrent players on Steam which is a far cry from the numbers pulled in by other successful triple-A releases.
Nevertheless, that number also means it is currently one of the most successful Assassin’s Creed franchises on the platform. In comparison, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla peaked at 15,679. However, it is also important to mention that Valhalla and other previous entries in the franchise didn’t launch day one on Steam.
Naoe
The most successful Assassin’s Creed game on Steam is Odyssey which peaked at 62,069 concurrent players followed by Origins which peaked at 41,551. Regardless, the reviews appear to be positive so far for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, something that Ubisoft will cherish.
The reviews on Steam have been “Very Positive”. On Metacritic, the game pulled an average of 85 on Xbox X, 81 on PS5, and 78 on PC which is way better than many would have anticipated considering the controversy that plagued the story prior to launch.
Have you played Assassin’s Creed Shadows? Do you think Ubisoft has been able to silence the critics? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
