Ubisoft is under immense pressure for Assassin's Creed Shadows to succeed globally, following a series of delays and the commercial disappointment of last year's Star Wars Outlaws. The company has endured numerous high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations leading up to the release of Assassin's Creed Shadows.
The situation at Ubisoft has become so challenging that the founding Guillemot family is reportedly in talks with Chinese tech giant Tencent and other potential investors regarding a buyout deal that would allow them to retain control of the company's intellectual property.
Consequently, the gaming industry is closely monitoring the early performance of Assassin's Creed Shadows for indicators of its success or failure. While Ubisoft has not yet announced specific sales figures, it confirmed that the game reached 2 million players within just two days of launch, outperforming the initial reception of both Origins and Odyssey.
Significant attention is also focused on Shadows' concurrent player numbers on Steam, which are being measured against other recent triple-A single-player releases and previous Assassin's Creed titles on the platform.
Shadows became the most-played Assassin's Creed game in Steam's history over the weekend, achieving a peak of 64,825 concurrent players. It's important to note, however, that this was the first series entry to launch simultaneously on Steam. By comparison, BioWare's single-player RPG Dragon Age: The Veilguard reached a peak of 89,418 players on Valve's platform.
Determining whether Shadows is underperforming, meeting, or exceeding Ubisoft's expectations is difficult without knowing their internal targets. However, a source within Ubisoft who shared an internal email reviewed by IGN has provided valuable insight into the game's opening weekend performance.
Our findings reveal that Shadows generated the second-highest day-one sales revenue in the franchise's history, surpassed only by 2020's Valhalla. Valhalla's launch benefited from availability across both last-generation and current-generation consoles, combined with increased gaming engagement during pandemic-related lockdowns.
Shadows also marked Ubisoft's most successful day-one launch on the PlayStation Store, indicating particularly strong performance on PS5.
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What about PC performance, given Shadows launched on both Steam and Ubisoft's own digital store? According to internal communications, 27% of Shadows' total "activations" occurred on PC. Ubisoft is informing employees that Steam "played a major role" in the PC performance, though specific sell-through numbers remain undisclosed. The company states these early results "strongly validate our decision to return to the platform."
Ubisoft is emphasizing record-breaking player engagement levels and noting that "feedback across moderated, verified platforms—those less susceptible to review bombing—remains overwhelmingly positive." Shadows was the most-wishlisted Ubisoft game of all time and is generating stronger viewership on Twitch than any previous Assassin's Creed title, including Valhalla.
Ubisoft's internal communication provides context for comparing Shadows' launch with other franchise entries. While Shadows isn't matching Valhalla's launch performance, Ubisoft argues this comparison is unfair since Valhalla benefited from a "perfect storm" of pandemic-driven home entertainment and the simultaneous launch of new console hardware in 2020.
"Valhalla launched under extraordinary conditions—during a global pandemic with widespread lockdowns and brand-new console hardware," the internal communication states. "It was a unique convergence of factors we may never witness again. This makes it more meaningful to compare Shadows to titles like Origins, Odyssey, and Mirage—games released during more typical cycles. Within that framework, Shadows is already establishing new benchmarks as demonstrated above."
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Ubisoft also highlighted Shadows' March release window. Historically, Assassin's Creed games launched near the U.S. Thanksgiving period, which traditionally boosts sales. Additionally, Ubisoft eliminated the early access period it typically monetizes separately. It's also relevant that Ubisoft's subscription service is now directly available on Xbox, impacting sales figures on Microsoft's platform and complicating direct comparisons.
Ultimately, financial performance will dictate the outcome. Regardless of player counts and engagement metrics, the revenue generated by Assassin's Creed Shadows will determine not only the game's future but Ubisoft's trajectory as well. A clearer picture may not emerge until Ubisoft's next financial report in the coming months.
Exploring feudal Japan? Consult our comprehensive Assassin's Creed Shadows guide, including our detailed walkthrough, interactive map, and essential tips the game doesn't tell you.
