Ubisoft has celebrated another significant milestone for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, announcing that the game has attracted 2 million players since its launch on March 20. This impressive figure marks a notable increase from the 1 million players recorded on its debut day. Ubisoft highlighted that this achievement surpasses the launch performances of both Assassin’s Creed Origins and Odyssey, expressing gratitude to the community with the message, “Thank you for joining the journey in Feudal Japan!”
Despite the excitement around the player count, Ubisoft has not yet disclosed specific sales figures for Assassin’s Creed Shadows. However, it's clear that the game is performing well, as it currently holds the title of the top-selling game on Steam. Ubisoft's return to Steam after years of exclusivity on the Epic Games Store has evidently paid off. At the time of this article, Assassin’s Creed Shadows boasted 58,894 concurrent players on Steam, securing a spot in the top 30 most-played games on the platform. Analysts anticipate that this peak will continue to rise over the game’s opening weekend.
For context, Assassin’s Creed Origins reached an all-time peak of 41,551 players on Steam, while Odyssey peaked at 62,069. Given these numbers, it seems highly probable that Shadows will soon claim the title of the most-played Assassin’s Creed game on Steam.
Meanwhile, BioWare’s latest single-player RPG, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which launched on Steam on October 31, 2024, achieved a peak of 89,418 players. It's important to note that the true concurrent peak for Assassin’s Creed Shadows will likely be much higher, considering its simultaneous release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, platforms for which player numbers are not publicly disclosed by Sony or Microsoft.
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The success of Assassin's Creed Shadows is crucial for Ubisoft, especially following a challenging period marked by multiple delays and the disappointing sales of last year's Star Wars Outlaws. The company has faced several high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations leading up to Shadows' release. The situation became so dire that Ubisoft's founding Guillemot family and its largest shareholder are reportedly in discussions with Chinese conglomerate Tencent and other investors about a potential buyout that would allow them to maintain control.
Assassin's Creed Shadows has not been without controversy, particularly in Japan. This week, IGN confirmed that Ubisoft released a day-one patch addressing concerns raised by some Japanese politicians about the depiction of in-game temples and shrines. This issue was even brought up in an official government meeting by Japanese politician Hiroyuki Kada, with a response from Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
On Steam, Assassin's Creed Shadows is receiving positive feedback, with an 81% 'very positive' user review rating from over 6,000 reviews. IGN's review of the game 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" due to its refined systems.
For those eager to explore feudal Japan, IGN offers a comprehensive Assassin's Creed Shadows guide, including a detailed walkthrough, an interactive map, and insights into aspects the game doesn't explicitly explain.
