Ubisoft announced that Assassin’s Creed Shadows surpassed 1 million players on its launch day, March 20. The game, available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, achieved this milestone before 4pm in Canada. Ubisoft expressed their gratitude on social media, stating, "It's not even 4pm here in Canada and Assassin's Creed Shadows has already passed 1 million players! 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!"
While reaching 1 million players on launch day is a significant achievement, it's challenging to fully assess the game's success without specific sales figures or targets from Ubisoft. However, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is currently the top-selling video game on Steam globally, based on Valve's revenue-based chart. On its launch day, the game also hit a peak concurrent player count of 41,412 on Steam. Given that it was released on a Thursday, it's anticipated that these numbers will increase over the weekend. We'll have a clearer picture of its performance on Steam in the coming weeks. Neither Sony nor Microsoft disclose player numbers publicly.
For comparison, BioWare's single-player RPG Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which launched on Steam on October 31, 2024, reached a peak of 70,414 players on the platform.
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Assassin's Creed Shadows faces significant pressure to perform well globally for Ubisoft, following delays and the sales disappointment of last year's Star Wars Outlaws. Ubisoft has experienced several high-profile setbacks, including flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations leading up to the release of Assassin's Creed Shadows.
The game has also been embroiled in controversies, particularly in Japan. IGN reported that Ubisoft released a day-one patch for Assassin’s Creed Shadows addressing concerns from some Japanese politicians about in-game temples and shrines. In a notable exchange, Japanese politician Hiroyuki Kada raised the issue in an official government meeting, prompting a response from Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
Assassin's Creed Shadows - Early Skills Tier List
On Steam, Assassin's Creed Shadows is receiving positive feedback from players, earning a 'very positive' user review rating with 82% of nearly 4,000 reviews being positive. IGN's review of Assassin’s Creed Shadows awarded it an 8/10, praising it as "one of the best versions of the open-world style it’s been honing for the last decade."
Amidst these developments, reports suggest that Ubisoft's founding Guillemot family and largest shareholder are in discussions with Tencent and other investors about a potential buyout deal that would allow them to retain control.
