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

Assassin's Creed Shadows faces immense global pressure to succeed for Ubisoft, following multiple 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 in discussions with Chinese conglomerate Tencent and other investors about a potential buyout that would allow them to retain control over the company's intellectual property.

The video game industry is closely monitoring the early performance of Assassin’s Creed Shadows to gauge its success. Although Ubisoft has not disclosed specific sales figures, the game achieved a milestone by reaching 2 million players within just two days of its launch, surpassing the initial player counts of both Origins and Odyssey.

There is considerable interest in Shadows' concurrent player numbers on Steam, which are being benchmarked against other recent triple-A single-player releases and previous Assassin's Creed titles on Valve's platform. Over the weekend, Shadows set a record as the most-played Assassin's Creed game on Steam, peaking at 64,825 concurrent players. This is particularly notable as it was the first in the series to launch day-one on Steam. For comparison, BioWare's single-player RPG Dragon Age: The Veilguard peaked at 89,418 players on the same platform.

Without knowing Ubisoft's specific expectations, it's challenging to determine if Shadows is underperforming, meeting, or exceeding them. However, an internal email reviewed by IGN, sourced from within Ubisoft, sheds light on the game's first weekend performance.

Assassin's Creed Shadows generated the second-highest day-one sales revenue in the franchise's history, trailing only behind 2020's Valhalla, which benefited from the unique circumstances of launching during the pandemic across both old and new console generations.

Shadows also achieved Ubisoft's best-ever day-one launch on the PlayStation Store, indicating strong performance on the PS5.

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On the PC front, Shadows accounted for 27% of total "activations." Ubisoft credits Steam for playing a significant role in the game's PC performance, though specific sell-through numbers remain undisclosed. Early results are seen as a strong endorsement of Ubisoft's decision to return to the Steam platform.

Ubisoft emphasizes high player engagement, which is at "record levels," and reports that feedback on moderated and verified platforms—those less susceptible to review bombing—has been overwhelmingly positive. Shadows also holds the record as the most-wishlisted Ubisoft game ever and outperforms all other Assassin's Creed titles on Twitch, including Valhalla.

Ubisoft's internal communications contextualize comparisons with other franchise entries. While Shadows did not match Valhalla's launch performance, Ubisoft argues that such comparisons are unfair due to Valhalla's launch during a "perfect storm" of a global pandemic, widespread lockdowns, and the debut of next-gen consoles. Instead, Ubisoft suggests comparing Shadows to other entries like Origins, Odyssey, and Mirage, which were released under more typical conditions. Within this context, Shadows is setting a new standard.

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Ubisoft notes that Shadows was released in March, deviating from the traditional launch timing just before the U.S. Thanksgiving, which usually boosts sales. Additionally, Ubisoft chose not to offer an early access period for Shadows, unlike its usual practice, and its subscription service is now directly available on Xbox, complicating sales comparisons.

Ultimately, the financial performance of Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be crucial, not just for the game itself, but for Ubisoft's future. We may need to wait for Ubisoft's next financial report in the coming months to get a clearer picture of the game's revenue.

For those eager to explore feudal Japan in Assassin's Creed Shadows, check out our comprehensive guide, including a detailed walkthrough, an interactive map, and tips on crucial aspects the game doesn't explicitly mention.