Assassin’s Creed Shadows Crosses 1 Million Players on Launch Day, Ubisoft Says

Ubisoft proudly announced that Assassin’s Creed Shadows attracted over 1 million players on its launch day, marking a significant milestone for the game. Released on March 20 across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S platforms, the game's popularity was evident even before 4pm in Canada, as Ubisoft shared on social media: “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 certainly a notable achievement, gauging the game's overall success is challenging without specific sales figures or targets from Ubisoft. However, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has quickly risen to become the top-selling video game on Steam globally, indicating strong revenue performance on Valve’s platform.

Early data from Steam shows that Assassin’s Creed Shadows reached a peak concurrent player count of 41,412 on its launch day. Given its Thursday release, expectations are high for increased numbers over the weekend. Continued monitoring in the coming weeks will provide a clearer picture of its performance on Steam. It's worth noting that neither Sony nor Microsoft disclose player numbers publicly.

For comparison, BioWare’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which launched on Steam on October 31, 2024, achieved a peak of 70,414 players on the platform.

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The success of Assassin’s Creed Shadows is crucial for Ubisoft, especially following delays and the underwhelming sales of last year’s Star Wars Outlaws. The company has faced several challenges recently, including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations leading up to this release.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows has not been without its controversies, particularly in Japan. A day-one patch was quietly released to address concerns raised by some Japanese politicians regarding the depiction of temples and shrines in the game. This issue was even discussed in an official government meeting between Japanese politician Hiroyuki Kada and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

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On Steam, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has received a 'very positive' user review rating, with 82% of nearly 4,000 reviews being positive. IGN's review awarded the game an 8/10, praising it by saying, “By sharpening the edges of its existing systems, Assassin’s Creed Shadows creates one of the best versions of the open-world style it’s been honing for the last decade.”

Amidst these developments, Ubisoft’s founding Guillemot family and largest shareholder have been exploring potential buyout deals with Tencent and other investors to maintain control of the company.