Ubisoft has celebrated a significant milestone for Assassin's Creed Shadows, announcing that the game has attracted 2 million players since its launch on March 20. This marks a notable increase from the 1 million players reported on the first day. Ubisoft emphasized that this achievement has surpassed the launch figures of both Assassin's Creed Origins and Odyssey, expressing gratitude to players for joining the journey through Feudal Japan.
While Ubisoft has not yet disclosed specific sales figures for Assassin's Creed Shadows, the game has secured the top spot as the best-selling title on Steam. Ubisoft's recent return to Steam, following years of exclusivity on the Epic Games Store for PC launches, has contributed to this success. At the time of writing, Assassin's Creed Shadows reached a peak of 58,894 concurrent players on Steam, placing it among the top 30 most-played games on the platform. This peak is anticipated to rise further over the game's opening weekend.
For context, Assassin's Creed Origins achieved a peak of 41,551 players on Steam over seven years ago, while Odyssey peaked at 62,069. It is likely that Shadows will soon claim the title of the most-played Assassin's Creed game on Steam.
Comparatively, BioWare's single-player RPG, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which launched on Steam on October 31, 2024, saw a peak of 89,418 players. However, the total concurrent peak for Assassin's Creed Shadows across all platforms, including PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, is expected to be significantly higher, though neither Sony nor Microsoft release player numbers publicly.
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Assassin's Creed Shadows faces immense global pressure to succeed for Ubisoft, especially following multiple delays and the disappointing sales of last year's Star Wars Outlaws. The company has faced numerous challenges, including 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 talks with Tencent and other investors about a potential buyout to maintain control.
The game itself has not been without controversy, particularly in Japan. This week, IGN reported that Ubisoft released a day-one patch for Assassin's Creed Shadows, making significant changes in response to concerns raised by some Japanese politicians regarding in-game temples and shrines. In a notable exchange, Japanese politician Hiroyuki Kada addressed the issue in an official government meeting, prompting a response from Japan's 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 of the game scored it an 8/10, praising it for refining existing systems and delivering one of the best open-world experiences in the series to date.
For those eager to explore Feudal Japan in Assassin's Creed Shadows, IGN offers a comprehensive guide, including a detailed walkthrough, an interactive map, and insights into aspects the game doesn't explicitly explain.
