Assassin's Creed Shadows Hits 3M Players, Ubisoft Withholds Sales

Ubisoft has revealed that Assassin’s Creed Shadows has attracted over three million players since its release.

This milestone, reached just seven days after the game launched on May 20, surpasses the two million players reported on its second day and exceeds the launch numbers of both Origins and Odyssey.

Additional statistics released by Ubisoft today align with details from an internal email previously covered by IGN, in which the company noted that Shadows’ opening weekend performance should be compared more closely to Origins and Odyssey rather than the exceptional launch conditions of 2020's Valhalla.

Shadows generated the second-highest day-one sales revenue in the history of the Assassin's Creed franchise, trailing only behind Valhalla. It also set a new record as Ubisoft's biggest day-one release on the PlayStation Store, with over 40 million hours of gameplay logged so far.

There is significant global pressure on Assassin's Creed Shadows to perform well for Ubisoft, especially following multiple delays and the disappointing sales of last year’s Star Wars Outlaws. In the lead-up to Shadows’ release, Ubisoft faced several high-profile failures, layoffs, studio shutdowns, and game cancellations.

Ubisoft's situation grew so dire that the founding Guillemot family was reportedly in talks with Chinese tech giant Tencent and other potential investors about a buyout deal that would allow them to retain control of the company's intellectual property. As a result, the gaming industry is closely monitoring the early performance of Assassin’s Creed Shadows as an indicator of its potential success or failure.

There is also considerable focus on Shadows’ concurrent player counts on Steam, which are being compared to other recent triple-A single-player releases and previous Assassin’s Creed titles on the platform.

Over the weekend, Shadows became the most-played Assassin's Creed game on Steam, achieving a peak of 64,825 concurrent players. It's worth noting, however, that this is the first mainline series entry to launch day-one on Steam since 2018's Odyssey. During the same period, BioWare's single-player RPG Dragon Age: The Veilguard reached a peak of 89,418 concurrent players on Valve’s platform.

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Without knowing Ubisoft’s specific expectations, revenue figures, or unit sales, it is difficult to determine whether Shadows' performance is below, meeting, or exceeding internal targets.

Ultimately, financial results will speak loudest. Regardless of player numbers or engagement metrics, the revenue generated by Assassin’s Creed Shadows will shape not only the game's future but also that of Ubisoft as a whole. A clearer picture may not emerge until the company’s next financial report in the coming months.

Exploring feudal Japan? Be sure to use our in-depth Assassin's Creed Shadows guide, which includes a full Assassin's Creed Shadows walkthrough, a detailed Assassin's Creed Shadows Interactive Map, and a rundown of all the key tips and details Assassin’s Creed Shadows doesn’t tell you.