"Assassin's Creed Shadows Surpasses 2 Million Players in Two Days, Outperforming Origins and Odyssey"

Ubisoft has celebrated another significant milestone for Assassin's Creed Shadows, announcing that the game has reached 2 million players since its launch on March 20. This impressive figure is up from the 1 million players reported on the first day of release. Ubisoft highlighted that this player count surpasses the launch numbers of both Assassin's Creed Origins and Odyssey, expressing gratitude to fans with the message, "Thank you for joining the journey in Feudal Japan!"

Despite this success, Ubisoft has not yet disclosed specific sales figures for Assassin's Creed Shadows. However, the game has become the top-selling title on Steam, marking Ubisoft's return to the platform after years of exclusivity on the Epic Games Store for their PC launches. At the time of this article, Assassin's Creed Shadows had 58,894 concurrent players on Steam, placing it within the top 30 most-played games on Valve's platform. This peak is anticipated to increase over the game's opening weekend.

For context, Assassin's Creed Origins peaked at 41,551 concurrent players on Steam, while Odyssey reached 62,069. It appears likely that Shadows will soon claim the title of the most-played Assassin's Creed game on Steam.

In comparison, BioWare's single-player RPG, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, launched on Steam on October 31, 2024, and achieved a peak of 89,418 players. It's important to note that the true concurrent player peak for Assassin's Creed Shadows will be higher, considering its simultaneous launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, though player numbers on these platforms are not publicly disclosed by Sony or Microsoft.

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The launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows comes at a critical time for Ubisoft, following multiple delays and the underwhelming sales of last year's Star Wars Outlaws. The company has faced significant challenges, including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations leading up to Shadows' release. The pressure is intensified by the fact that Ubisoft's founding Guillemot family and its largest shareholder are reportedly in discussions with Tencent and other investors about a potential buyout that would allow them to retain 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 from some Japanese politicians regarding the depiction of in-game temples and shrines. The issue was raised in an official government meeting by Japanese politician Hiroyuki Kada, with a response from Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

On Steam, Assassin's Creed Shadows has been well-received, earning a 'very positive' user review rating with 81% of over 6,000 reviews being positive. IGN's review awarded the game an 8/10, praising it as "one of the best versions of the open-world style it’s been honing for the last decade."

For those exploring the game's feudal Japanese setting, check out our comprehensive Assassin's Creed Shadows guide, including our walkthrough, interactive map, and a guide to crucial tips the game doesn't tell you.