The launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows is under intense scrutiny, as Ubisoft faces global pressure following multiple delays and the disappointing sales of last year's Star Wars Outlaws. The company has experienced several setbacks, including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations leading up to Shadows' release. The situation has become so dire that the Guillemot family, founders of Ubisoft, are reportedly in discussions with Tencent and other investors about a potential buyout that would safeguard the company's intellectual property.

Given these circumstances, the gaming community is closely monitoring the early performance of Assassin's Creed Shadows for indicators of its success or failure. While Ubisoft has not released specific sales figures, they announced that Shadows achieved 2 million players within just two days of its launch, outpacing the debut numbers of both Origins and Odyssey.

The concurrent player count on Steam for Shadows is another focal point, with comparisons drawn to other recent triple-A single-player releases and past Assassin's Creed titles. Over the weekend, Shadows became the most-played game in the series on Steam, reaching a peak of 64,825 concurrent players. It's noteworthy that this was the first Assassin's Creed game to launch on Steam on day one. In comparison, Dragon Age: The Veilguard from BioWare peaked at 89,418 players on the platform.

Determining whether Shadows meets, exceeds, or falls short of Ubisoft's expectations is challenging without knowing their specific targets. However, insights from an internal Ubisoft email, shared by a source and reviewed by IGN, shed light on the game's initial weekend performance.

According to the internal report, Shadows achieved the second-highest day-one sales revenue in the franchise's history, only surpassed by Valhalla in 2020, which benefited from a unique combination of last and current-gen console launches and increased stay-at-home gaming due to the pandemic. Shadows also set a record for Ubisoft's best day-one launch on the PlayStation Store, indicating strong performance on the PS5.

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Regarding PC performance, 27% of Shadows' total activations were on this platform. Ubisoft credits Steam's significant role in the game's success on PC, though exact sell-through figures remain undisclosed. The company emphasizes strong player engagement at "record levels" and overwhelmingly positive feedback on moderated, verified platforms, less susceptible to review bombing. Shadows was the most-wishlisted Ubisoft game ever and has outperformed all other Assassin's Creed titles on Twitch, including Valhalla.

Ubisoft's internal communications provide context for comparisons with other games in the franchise. While Shadows does not match Valhalla's launch performance, Ubisoft argues that such comparisons are unfair due to the unique circumstances surrounding Valhalla's release during a global pandemic and new console launches. Instead, Ubisoft suggests comparing Shadows to titles like Origins, Odyssey, and Mirage, which were released under more typical conditions. In this context, Shadows sets a new benchmark for the series.

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Ubisoft also highlighted that Shadows was released in March, deviating from the traditional pre-Thanksgiving launch window that typically boosts sales. Additionally, Ubisoft opted out of offering an early access period, which they usually charge for, and their subscription service is now directly available on Xbox, complicating sales comparisons on Microsoft's console.

Ultimately, the financial success of Assassin's Creed Shadows will be crucial, not only for the game but for Ubisoft's future. A clear picture of its financial impact may not emerge until Ubisoft's next financial report in the coming months.

If you're planning to explore feudal Japan in Assassin's Creed Shadows, don't miss our comprehensive guide, including our Assassin's Creed Shadows walkthrough, our detailed Assassin's Creed Shadows Interactive Map, and our guide to all the crucial things Assassin’s Creed Shadows doesn’t tell you.