Ubisoft has celebrated another significant milestone for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, announcing that the game has reached 2 million players since its launch on March 20. This number is a substantial increase from the 1 million players reported on the first day of release. Ubisoft highlighted that this achievement surpasses the launch performance of both Assassin’s Creed Origins and Odyssey, expressing gratitude to fans with a message: "Thank you for joining the journey in Feudal Japan!"
Although Ubisoft has not yet disclosed specific sales figures for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the game is currently the top-selling title on Steam. This marks a notable return for Ubisoft to Steam after years of exclusivity on the Epic Games Store for PC launches. At the time of this article's publication, Assassin’s Creed Shadows had reached a peak of 58,894 concurrent players on Steam, securing a spot in the top 30 most-played games on Valve’s platform. It is anticipated that this peak will increase over the game's opening weekend.
For context, Assassin’s Creed Origins achieved an all-time Steam peak of 41,551 players over seven years ago, while Odyssey peaked at 62,069. Given these numbers, it seems probable that Assassin’s Creed Shadows will soon become the most-played game on Steam during this period.
In comparison, 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 total concurrent peak for Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be higher, as the game also launched 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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Assassin's Creed Shadows faces significant pressure to perform well globally for Ubisoft, especially following multiple delays and the underwhelming sales of last year’s Star Wars Outlaws. Ubisoft has encountered a series of challenges, including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations leading up to the release of Assassin's Creed Shadows. The situation became so dire that the Guillemot family, Ubisoft's founders and largest shareholders, are reportedly considering discussions with Chinese mega-corp Tencent and other investors about a buyout deal that would allow them to retain control.
The game has not been without controversy, particularly in Japan. This week, IGN reported that Ubisoft quietly released a day-one patch for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, making significant changes in response to concerns raised by some Japanese politicians regarding in-game representations of temples and shrines. In a notable incident, Japanese politician Hiroyuki Kada brought up Assassin’s Creed Shadows during an official government meeting, prompting a response from Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
On Steam, Assassin's Creed Shadows is receiving positive feedback, with an 81% positive user review rating out of over 6,000 reviews. 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" by refining its existing systems.
For those exploring the world of feudal Japan in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, IGN offers a comprehensive guide, including a detailed walkthrough, an interactive map, and insights into aspects the game does not explicitly explain.
