Assassin’s Creed Shadows has appeared online prematurely, with streams of the game surfacing a month ahead of its official launch.
As reported by the GamingLeaksandRumours subreddit, since-deleted social media posts showed images and gameplay from an individual claiming to have purchased the game through an online marketplace. The game also appeared in now-removed listings on a U.S. auction site, where one seller reportedly offered multiple copies for $100 each, according to TheGamer.
Multiple Twitch streams of Assassin’s Creed Shadows have now emerged, although they are reportedly being taken down, as noted by VGC. The official release for Assassin’s Creed Shadows is set for March 20, 2025. IGN has reached out to Ubisoft for comment.
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This situation is particularly unfortunate for Ubisoft, which has faced several challenges with Assassin’s Creed Shadows since its announcement. Earlier this month, the company maintained that preorder numbers for the game were strong, despite a rocky development and marketing phase.
In its latest financial report, the financially strained publisher stated that "preorders for the title are tracking solidly, in line with those of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, the franchise’s second most successful installment."
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot expressed continued confidence, saying, "Early previews have been positive, highlighting the engaging narrative and immersive experience, with both protagonists playing essential roles in the storyline, along with the high-quality and complementary gameplay enabled by the dual protagonist system."
"I want to acknowledge the outstanding talent and dedication of the entire Assassin’s Creed team, who are working tirelessly to ensure Shadows lives up to its promise as the most ambitious entry in the series to date," he added.
Originally scheduled for a November launch, Assassin’s Creed Shadows was first delayed to February 14, then pushed again to its current release date of March 20.
The pressure is high for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, serving not only as the long-awaited Japanese installment and the first full Assassin’s Creed release since 2020, but also as a crucial title for Ubisoft, which is counting on its success following recent commercial disappointments and investor concerns.
So far, the promotional campaign has encountered several setbacks. The development team has had to issue apologies on multiple occasions—once for inaccuracies in the game’s portrayal of Japan, and again for using a historical recreation group’s flag without permission.
Further controversy arose when collectible figure manufacturer PureArts withdrew an Assassin’s Creed Shadows statue from sale due to its perceived insensitive design.
