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

Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the latest installment in Ubisoft's acclaimed series, achieved a remarkable milestone by surpassing 1 million players on its launch day. The game, which hit the shelves on March 20 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, reached this impressive figure before 4pm in Canada. Ubisoft shared 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 is a significant achievement, it's challenging to fully assess the game's success without concrete sales figures or targets from Ubisoft. However, Assassin’s Creed Shadows currently holds the title of the top-selling video game globally on Steam, based on Valve's revenue chart, indicating strong financial performance on the platform.

On its launch day, Assassin’s Creed Shadows peaked at 41,412 concurrent players on Steam. Given its Thursday release, it's anticipated that this number will increase over the weekend. A clearer picture of its performance on Steam will emerge 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 October 31, 2024, and saw a peak of 70,414 players on Steam.

The Complete Assassin's Creed Timeline

25 Images

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

Additionally, Assassin's Creed Shadows has not been without controversy, particularly in Japan. IGN confirmed that Ubisoft released a day-one patch addressing concerns raised by some Japanese politicians about the game's depiction of temples and shrines. In a notable incident, Japanese politician Hiroyuki Kada brought up Assassin’s Creed Shadows in a government meeting, prompting a response from Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Assassin's Creed Shadows - Early Skills Tier List

On Steam, Assassin's Creed Shadows is receiving positive feedback from players, with an 82% positive user review rating out of nearly 4,000 reviews, earning it a 'very positive' label. IGN's review of Assassin’s Creed Shadows gave 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."

Amid these developments, reports suggest that Ubisoft's founding Guillemot family and largest shareholder are in discussions with Tencent and other investors about a potential buyout deal that would allow them to retain control of the company.