Ubisoft Urges to Compare Assassin's Creed Shadows' Launch to Origins, Odyssey, Mirage, Not Valhalla

The release of Assassin's Creed Shadows comes at a critical time for Ubisoft, following several delays and the disappointing sales of last year's Star Wars Outlaws. Ubisoft has faced a series of setbacks, including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations leading up to the launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows. The pressure is immense, not just for the game to succeed, but for the company's overall health. In fact, the Guillemot family, founders of Ubisoft, are reportedly exploring talks with Chinese mega-corp Tencent and other investors to secure a buyout deal that would allow them to retain control over the company's intellectual property.

Given this backdrop, the gaming community is keenly observing the early performance of Assassin’s Creed Shadows for any signs of success or failure. While Ubisoft has not disclosed specific sales figures, they have announced that Assassin's Creed Shadows reached 2 million players within just two days of its launch, surpassing the initial performance of both Origins and Odyssey.

There's significant attention on Shadows' concurrent player numbers on Steam, especially when compared to other recent triple-A single-player releases and past Assassin's Creed titles. Over the weekend, Shadows achieved the highest peak concurrent player count for any Assassin's Creed game on Steam, reaching 64,825 players. This is notable as it was the first in the series to launch on Steam from day one. For comparison, Dragon Age: The Veilguard by BioWare peaked at 89,418 players on the platform.

Determining whether Shadows is underperforming, meeting, or exceeding Ubisoft's expectations is challenging without knowing those expectations. However, an internal email reviewed by IGN provides some insight into the game's first weekend performance. According to this source, Shadows achieved the second-highest day-one sales revenue in the franchise's history, only behind Valhalla from 2020, which benefited from the unique circumstances of the global pandemic and the launch of new console generations.

Shadows also set a record for Ubisoft’s best day-one launch on the PlayStation Store, indicating strong performance on the PS5.

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Regarding the PC performance, Shadows saw 27% of its total "activations" on this platform. Ubisoft credits Steam with playing a "major role" in Shadows' PC success, though exact sales figures are not disclosed. Early results are described as a "strong validation" of the decision to return to Steam.

Ubisoft emphasizes high player engagement, which is at "record levels," and notes that feedback on moderated, verified platforms remains overwhelmingly positive. Shadows was the most-wishlisted Ubisoft game ever and is outperforming all other Assassin's Creed games on Twitch, including Valhalla.

Internal communications provide context on how Shadows' launch compares to other games in the franchise. While it didn't match Valhalla's launch, Ubisoft argues that such a comparison is unfair due to the unique conditions surrounding Valhalla's release, including the global pandemic and the launch of new consoles. They suggest that a more meaningful comparison would be with games like Origins, Odyssey, and Mirage, which were released under more typical circumstances. In this light, Shadows is setting new benchmarks.

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Ubisoft also pointed out that Shadows was released in March, a departure from the usual timing just before the U.S. Thanksgiving window, which typically boosts sales. Additionally, Ubisoft did not offer an early access period for Shadows, unlike their usual practice, and their subscription service is now available directly on Xbox, which affects sales comparisons on Microsoft's console.

Ultimately, the financial success of Assassin's Creed Shadows will be the deciding factor for both the game's future and Ubisoft's. A clearer picture of its financial impact will likely emerge with Ubisoft's next financial report in the coming months.

For those eager to explore feudal Japan through Assassin's Creed Shadows, be sure to check out our comprehensive guide, including our Assassin's Creed Shadows walkthrough, our detailed Assassin's Creed Shadows Interactive Map, and our guide to all the crucial things Assassin’s Creed Shadows doesn’t tell you.