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

Assassin's Creed Shadows faces immense global pressure for Ubisoft following several delays and the disappointing sales of last year's Star Wars Outlaws. Ubisoft has endured a series of setbacks, including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations leading up to the release of Assassin's Creed Shadows.

The situation at Ubisoft has become so dire that the founding Guillemot family is reportedly exploring talks with Chinese mega-corp Tencent and other investors on a buyout deal, aiming to retain control over the company's intellectual property.

The gaming community is closely monitoring the early performance of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, looking for indicators of its success or failure. While Ubisoft has not disclosed specific sales figures, they announced that Shadows reached 2 million players within just two days of its launch, outpacing the initial performance of both Origins and Odyssey.

There's significant interest in Shadows' performance on Steam, where it achieved the highest peak concurrent players for any Assassin's Creed game, with 64,825 players over the weekend. This is notable as it was the first game in the series to launch on Steam day one. For comparison, BioWare’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard reached a peak of 89,418 players on the platform.

Determining whether Shadows meets, exceeds, or falls short of Ubisoft’s expectations is challenging without knowing those expectations. However, an internal email reviewed by IGN, shared by a Ubisoft source, provides insight into the game’s initial weekend performance.

Shadows achieved the second-highest day-one sales revenue in the franchise's history, only surpassed by 2020’s Valhalla, which benefited from the unique circumstances of the global pandemic and the launch of next-generation consoles. Shadows also set a new record for Ubisoft's day-one launch on the PlayStation Store, indicating strong performance on the PS5.

The Complete Assassin's Creed Timeline

25 Images

On PC, Shadows accounted for 27% of total "activations," with Steam playing a "major role" in its performance, though exact sales numbers remain undisclosed. Ubisoft emphasizes that early results affirm their decision to return to the Steam platform.

Ubisoft highlights record levels of player engagement and positive feedback across moderated, verified platforms, which are less susceptible to review bombing. Shadows was the most-wishlisted Ubisoft game ever and is outperforming all previous Assassin’s Creed titles on Twitch, including Valhalla.

Ubisoft's internal communications contextualize Shadows' launch performance by comparing it to other franchise entries. While Shadows doesn't match Valhalla's launch success, Ubisoft argues that the comparison is unfair due to Valhalla’s unique circumstances during the global pandemic and new console launches. Instead, Ubisoft suggests comparing Shadows to Origins, Odyssey, and Mirage, which were released under more typical conditions. In this context, Shadows is setting new benchmarks.

What's Your Game of The Year 2025 So Far?

Pick a winner

New duel1ST2ND3RDSee your ResultsFinish playing for your personal results or see the community’s!Continue playingSee results

Ubisoft also notes that Shadows was released in March, deviating from the traditional pre-Thanksgiving launch window that typically boosts sales. The absence of an early access period, which Ubisoft usually charges for, and the availability of Ubisoft's subscription service directly on Xbox, further complicates sales comparisons.

Ultimately, the revenue generated by Assassin's Creed Shadows will be the deciding factor for both the game's success and Ubisoft's future. We'll have to wait for Ubisoft's next financial report in the coming months to get a clearer picture of its performance.

For those embarking on an adventure in feudal Japan, explore our comprehensive Assassin's Creed Shadows guide, including our Assassin's Creed Shadows walkthrough, our detailed Assassin's Creed Shadows Interactive Map, and our guide to all the essential details Assassin’s Creed Shadows doesn’t tell you.