Ubisoft Addresses Assassin's Creed Shadows Leak

On February 24, we reported that Assassin’s Creed Shadows had been leaked online, with numerous individuals streaming the game a full month before its official release date on March 20. Over the weekend, the GamingLeaksandRumours subreddit highlighted now-deleted social media posts that showed physical copies of the game being sold prematurely, along with multiple streams of the unreleased game appearing on platforms like Twitch.

In response to these leaks, Ubisoft, the developer and publisher, addressed the issue on the Assassin's Creed subreddit. They confirmed their awareness of players accessing Assassin’s Creed Shadows ahead of its official release and urged the community to refrain from spoiling the experience for others. Ubisoft stated, "The development team is still working on patches to prepare the experience for launch, and any footage shared online does not represent the final quality of the game."

They further expressed their disappointment over the leaks, noting, "Leaks are unfortunate and can diminish the excitement for players." Ubisoft encouraged fans to "stay in the shadows, avoid the spoilers, and keep an eye on our channel for more official surprises in the coming weeks!" They reminded everyone that the official release date is just around the corner on March 20.

These leaks represent yet another challenge for Ubisoft and the Assassin's Creed series. The development team has previously had to apologize for using a historical recreation group's flag without permission and for inaccuracies in Assassin's Creed Shadows' depictions of Japan. Originally slated for a November release, Assassin’s Creed Shadows was postponed first to February 14 and then to the current release date of March 20. Given struggling Ubisoft's need for strong sales following disappointing performances of other recent releases and an investor backlash, the success of this game is crucial.