Ubisoft’s latest installment, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, has hit a remarkable milestone just two days after its release, surpassing 2 million players and outpacing the launches of both Assassin’s Creed Origins and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.
The game’s official X account announced the impressive feat on March 22, stating, “🔥 2 MILLION PLAYERS! 🔥 We’re thrilled to celebrate this incredible milestone! Assassin’s Creed Shadows has now surpassed the launches of AC Origins and Odyssey. Thank you for joining the journey in Feudal Japan!”
This explosive immediate success marks a pivotal comeback for Ubisoft, whose previous major title, Star Wars Outlaws, underperformed, raising questions about the company’s future amid reports of potential restructuring or even a sale. Assassin’s Creed Shadows launched on March 20 after multiple delays, with its debut being eagerly awaited by fans who had endured a turbulent road to release. Originally slated for November 2024, the game’s new launch window followed a decision to prioritize quality and refinement—something that appears to have paid off immensely.
However, there’s a caveat to the impressive numbers. While Ubisoft has yet to announce a specific sales figure, the video game publisher has made it clear in its celebratory announcement that the milestone counts “players” rather than units sold. This distinction suggests that a considerable portion of the player base might be accessing the game through Ubisoft+ subscriptions rather than outright purchases, making it challenging to compare its success to past franchise entries. Notably, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla—the series’ last major title—was considered Ubisoft’s largest PC release when it launched in 2020, though exact player numbers were never disclosed.
Nevertheless, the early player count paints a promising picture, further supported by the game’s strong performance on Steam. As of this article’s publication, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has recorded 60,086 concurrent players on Steam, breaking into the top 30 most-played games on the platform. This figure easily outpaces the all-time peak of Assassin’s Creed Origins (41,551) and is on the verge of surpassing Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (62,069). As the first weekend progresses, the peak is expected to rise even higher, particularly given the game’s availability on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, where concurrent player numbers remain undisclosed.
Despite the overwhelmingly positive response, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has faced some controversy, especially in Japan, where Ubisoft quietly released a day-one patch in response to concerns from local politicians about the depiction of temples and shrines. However, this has done little to dampen enthusiasm, as the game currently holds a ‘very positive’ user rating on Steam, with 81% of over 7,296 user reviews marked as positive. The combination of dedicated fans, multiple platform availability, and a refined gaming experience seems to have cemented Assassin’s Creed Shadows as a major success in the franchise.
As the dust settles on its launch weekend, all eyes remain on Assassin’s Creed Shadows to see if it can maintain this early momentum and solidify its place as one of Ubisoft’s most successful releases to date. With strong numbers and enthusiastic players worldwide, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is proving to be a major win for Ubisoft—one the company sorely needed.
Don’t miss out on the hype—grab your copy of Assassin’s Creed Shadows here!
Words by Khushboo Malhotra
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