Ubisoft Urges: Compare Assassin's Creed Shadows to Origins, Odyssey, Mirage, Not Valhalla's 'Perfect Storm' %v

The stakes are sky-high for Ubisoft's latest release, Assassin's Creed Shadows, especially following the disappointing sales of last year's Star Wars Outlaws. Ubisoft has faced a series of setbacks, including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations, setting the stage for Shadows to be a make-or-break title for the company. Amid these challenges, the Guillemot family, Ubisoft's founders, are reportedly in discussions with Chinese giant Tencent and other investors about a potential buyout to retain control over the company's intellectual property.

Given this backdrop, the gaming community is closely monitoring Assassin's Creed Shadows' performance. While Ubisoft has not released official sales figures, they have announced that Shadows reached 2 million players within just two days of its launch, outstripping the initial performances of both Origins and Odyssey.

There's also keen interest in Shadows' performance on Steam, where it achieved a peak of 64,825 concurrent players over the weekend, making it the most-played Assassin's Creed game on the platform to date. This is significant as Shadows marked the franchise's first day-one launch on Steam. For comparison, BioWare’s single-player RPG Dragon Age: The Veilguard peaked at 89,418 players on the same platform.

Determining whether Shadows is meeting, exceeding, or falling short of Ubisoft's expectations is tricky without knowing the specific targets set by the company. However, insights from an internal Ubisoft email, shared with IGN, shed light on the game's early performance. Shadows achieved the second-highest day-one sales revenue in the franchise's history, only behind Valhalla, which benefited from the unique circumstances of the 2020 global lockdowns and next-gen console launches.

Shadows also set a record for Ubisoft's best day-one launch on the PlayStation Store, indicating strong performance on the PS5. On PC, 27% of the game's activations occurred, with Steam playing a "major role" in this success, though specific sales numbers remain undisclosed. Ubisoft's internal communications highlight robust player engagement and positive feedback on moderated platforms, underscoring that Shadows was the most wishlisted Ubisoft game ever and is outperforming previous Assassin's Creed titles on Twitch.

Ubisoft contextualizes Shadows' performance by cautioning against direct comparisons with Valhalla, citing the latter's launch during a "perfect storm" of conditions. Instead, they suggest comparing Shadows to more typical releases like Origins, Odyssey, and Mirage, where Shadows sets a new benchmark.

It's also noteworthy that Shadows launched in March, deviating from the franchise's usual pre-Thanksgiving release schedule, and without the typical early access period. Additionally, Ubisoft's subscription service is now directly available on Xbox, which impacts sales comparisons.

Ultimately, the financial success of Assassin's Creed Shadows will be a critical factor for Ubisoft's future. While player numbers and engagement are promising, the true measure of success will be revealed in Ubisoft's upcoming financial reports.

For those diving into the world of Assassin's Creed Shadows, set in feudal Japan, our comprehensive guide includes an Assassin's Creed Shadows walkthrough, an Assassin's Creed Shadows Interactive Map, and insights into all the essential details the game doesn't explicitly mention.