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Ubisoft Urges Comparison of Assassin's Creed Shadows to Origins, Odyssey, Mirage, Not Valhalla

The pressure is immense on Ubisoft's latest release, Assassin's Creed Shadows, to perform well globally following a series of delays and the disappointing sales of Star Wars Outlaws last year. Ubisoft has faced several challenges, including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game canc

By Mila: May 25,2025

The pressure is immense on Ubisoft's latest release, Assassin's Creed Shadows, to perform well globally following a series of delays and the disappointing sales of Star Wars Outlaws last year. Ubisoft has faced several challenges, including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations leading up to Shadows' launch. The situation has become so dire that the founding Guillemot family is reportedly in talks with Chinese mega-corp Tencent and other investors about a buyout deal to maintain control over the company's intellectual property.

Given these circumstances, the gaming community is closely monitoring Assassin's Creed Shadows' initial performance as an indicator of its success or failure. Although Ubisoft hasn't released specific sales figures, they announced that Shadows reached 2 million players just two days after its launch, surpassing the initial performances of both Origins and Odyssey.

Attention is also focused on Shadows' Steam concurrent player numbers, which are being compared to those of other recent triple-A single-player games and previous Assassin's Creed titles on Valve's platform. Over the weekend, Shadows set a record as the most-played game in the series on Steam, peaking at 64,825 concurrent players. It's notable that this was the first time an Assassin's Creed game launched on Steam on its release day. For comparison, BioWare's Dragon Age: The Veilguard reached a peak of 89,418 players on the same platform.

Determining whether Shadows meets Ubisoft's expectations is challenging without knowing those expectations. However, an internal email reviewed by IGN, shared by a source within Ubisoft, offers insights into the game's first weekend performance. According to the email, Shadows achieved the second-highest day-one sales revenue in the franchise's history, only behind Valhalla, which benefited from the unique circumstances of launching during the global pandemic on both last and current-generation consoles.

Shadows also set a record for Ubisoft's best day-one launch on the PlayStation Store, indicating strong performance on the PS5. On the PC front, 27% of Shadows' total activations were on PC, with Ubisoft crediting Steam for playing a significant role in the game's PC success, though specific sell-through numbers remain undisclosed. Ubisoft's internal communication emphasizes that early results validate their decision to return to the Steam platform.

Ubisoft highlights record levels of player engagement and positive feedback on moderated, verified platforms, suggesting that Shadows is well-received despite potential review bombing elsewhere. The game was the most-wishlisted Ubisoft title ever and is outperforming other Assassin's Creed games on Twitch, including Valhalla.

Ubisoft's internal communications contextualize comparisons between Shadows' launch and other games in the series. While Shadows isn't doing as well as Valhalla at launch, Ubisoft argues that such comparisons are unfair due to Valhalla's unique launch conditions during the global pandemic and the introduction of new console hardware. Instead, they suggest comparing Shadows to other entries like Origins, Odyssey, and Mirage, which were released under more typical conditions, and in this context, Shadows is setting new benchmarks.

Additionally, Shadows was released in March, deviating from the traditional pre-Thanksgiving launch window that typically boosts sales. Ubisoft also opted not to offer an early access period, which they usually charge extra for, and their subscription service is now available directly on Xbox, complicating sales comparisons on Microsoft's console.

Ultimately, the financial success of Assassin's Creed Shadows will be crucial not only for the game but for Ubisoft's future, with clearer insights expected in the company's upcoming financial report.

For those exploring the world of feudal Japan in Assassin's Creed Shadows, check out our comprehensive guide, including our Assassin's Creed Shadows walkthrough, our detailed Assassin's Creed Shadows Interactive Map, and our guide to all the essential things Assassin's Creed Shadows doesn't tell you.