Ubisoft has celebrated another milestone for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, revealing that the game has attracted 2 million players since its launch on March 20. This impressive figure marks an increase from the 1 million players on its first day and surpasses the launch numbers of both Assassin’s Creed Origins and Odyssey. Ubisoft expressed gratitude to the community, stating, "Thank you for joining the journey in Feudal Japan!"
Despite this success, Ubisoft has yet to disclose specific sales figures for Assassin’s Creed Shadows. However, the game has quickly become the top-selling title on Steam, following Ubisoft's recent return to the platform after years of exclusivity on the Epic Games Store. At the time of this article, Assassin’s Creed Shadows reached a peak of 58,894 concurrent players on Steam, placing it within the top 30 most-played games on Valve’s platform. This peak is anticipated to rise further over the opening weekend.
For context, Assassin’s Creed Origins achieved an all-time peak of 41,551 concurrent players on Steam, while Odyssey reached 62,069. It's 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. It's important to note that the true concurrent peak for Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be significantly higher, considering its launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, though player numbers for these platforms are not publicly disclosed by Sony or Microsoft.
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The success of Assassin’s Creed Shadows is critical for Ubisoft, especially following multiple delays and the underwhelming sales of last year’s Star Wars Outlaws. Ubisoft 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 the Guillemot family, Ubisoft's founders and largest shareholders, are reportedly in discussions with Tencent and other investors about a potential buyout to maintain control.
Assassin's Creed Shadows has not been without controversy, particularly in Japan. This week, Ubisoft quietly released a day-one patch addressing concerns raised by some Japanese politicians about in-game depictions of temples and shrines. In a notable exchange, Japanese politician Hiroyuki Kada brought the issue to the attention of the Japanese government, prompting a response from 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 awarded it an 8/10, praising it as "one of the best versions of the open-world style it’s been honing for the last decade."
For those exploring the world of feudal Japan in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, IGN offers a comprehensive guide, including a walkthrough, an interactive map, and tips on crucial elements the game doesn’t explicitly mention.
