"Assassin’s Creed Shadows Hits 1 Million Players on Launch Day, Ubisoft Reports"

Ubisoft announced that Assassin's Creed Shadows surpassed 1 million players on its launch day. The game, which released on March 20 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, achieved this milestone before 4pm in Canada. Ubisoft expressed their gratitude on social media, stating, "It's not even 4pm here in Canada and Assassin's Creed Shadows has already passed 1 million players! Thank YOU from the bottom of our hearts for joining this adventure in Feudal Japan. We are beyond excited to start this journey with you!"

While reaching 1 million players on launch day is a remarkable feat, it's challenging to determine the game's overall success without specific sales figures or targets from Ubisoft. However, Assassin's Creed Shadows is currently the top-selling video game on Steam globally, based on Valve's revenue chart. On its launch day, the game also hit a peak concurrent player count of 41,412 on Steam. Given that it was released on a Thursday, these numbers are expected to increase over the weekend, providing a clearer picture of its performance in the coming weeks. It's worth noting that neither Sony nor Microsoft disclose player numbers publicly.

For comparison, BioWare's single-player RPG, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, launched on Steam on October 31, 2024, and reached a peak of 70,414 players on the platform.

The Complete Assassin's Creed Timeline

25 Images

The success of Assassin's Creed Shadows is crucial for Ubisoft, especially following delays and the commercial disappointment of last year's Star Wars Outlaws. Ubisoft has faced several challenges recently, including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations leading up to the release of Assassin's Creed Shadows.

The game has also been embroiled in controversies, particularly in Japan. IGN reported that Ubisoft released a day-one patch for Assassin's Creed Shadows in response to concerns from some Japanese politicians about in-game representations of temples and shrines. This issue was even discussed in an official government meeting by Japanese politician Hiroyuki Kada, with a response from Japan's Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba.

Assassin's Creed Shadows - Early Skills Tier List

On Steam, Assassin's Creed Shadows has received a 'very positive' user review rating, with 82% of nearly 4,000 reviews being positive. IGN's review of the game scored it an 8/10, praising it as "By sharpening the edges of its existing systems, Assassin’s Creed Shadows creates one of the best versions of the open-world style it’s been honing for the last decade."

Amidst these developments, reports suggest that Ubisoft's founding Guillemot family and largest shareholder are exploring a buyout deal with Tencent and other investors, aiming to retain control of the company.