Since its launch on May 20, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has attracted over 3 million players within just seven days, surpassing the initial performance of both Origins and Odyssey. Ubisoft announced that the game saw 2 million players by the second day, indicating a robust start. The game's opening weekend was highlighted in an internal email, covered by IGN, which compared its performance favorably against Origins and Odyssey, though it noted that the launch of Valhalla in 2020 was a unique case due to exceptional circumstances.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows achieved the second highest day one sales revenue in the franchise's history, only trailing behind Valhalla. It also set a record for Ubisoft as the biggest day one launch on the PlayStation Store. Players have already logged over 40 million hours in the game.
The performance of Assassin’s Creed Shadows is under intense scrutiny following Ubisoft's recent challenges, including delays, the commercial disappointment of Star Wars Outlaws, and a series of high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations. The pressure is high for Shadows to perform well globally. Amid these struggles, Ubisoft's founding Guillemot family reportedly considered talks with Tencent and other investors for a buyout to maintain control over their intellectual property. The gaming community is keenly observing Shadows’ early performance for signs of success or failure.
On Steam, Assassin’s Creed Shadows became the most-played game in the series over the weekend, reaching a peak of 64,825 concurrent players. This marks the first time an Assassin's Creed game has launched on day one on Steam since Odyssey in 2018. In comparison, Dragon Age: The Veilguard by BioWare peaked at 89,418 players on the platform.
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Without specific data on Ubisoft's expectations, revenue, or sales figures, it's challenging to determine if Assassin’s Creed Shadows is meeting or exceeding them. Ultimately, the game's financial performance will be critical not just for its success but for Ubisoft's future. A clearer picture may emerge with Ubisoft's upcoming financial report.
For those exploring the world of feudal Japan in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, our comprehensive Assassin's Creed Shadows guide includes a detailed Assassin's Creed Shadows walkthrough, an Assassin's Creed Shadows Interactive Map, and insights into things Assassin’s Creed Shadows doesn’t tell you.
