Assassin’s Creed Shadows Hits 3 Million Players, Ubisoft Silent on Sales

Ubisoft announced that Assassin's Creed Shadows has surpassed 3 million players just seven days after its launch on May 20. This impressive milestone marks a significant increase from the 2 million players reported on day two and outshines the launches of both Origins and Odyssey.

Ubisoft shared additional statistics, previously covered by IGN, which highlighted Shadows' opening weekend performance. The company emphasized that Shadows should be compared to Origins and Odyssey rather than Valhalla, which benefited from a unique market situation in 2020. Notably, Shadows achieved the second highest day one sales revenue in the Assassin's Creed franchise, only trailing behind Valhalla. It also became Ubisoft's biggest day one launch on the PlayStation Store and has accumulated over 40 million hours of playtime so far.

The launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows is critical for Ubisoft, especially after facing numerous challenges such as delays, the underwhelming sales of Star Wars Outlaws, and other setbacks including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations. The pressure is on, as the gaming industry closely watches Shadows' performance, which could impact Ubisoft's future.

Amidst these challenges, Ubisoft's founding Guillemot family was reportedly in talks with Tencent and other investors to explore a buyout deal that would maintain control over the company's intellectual property. This adds further significance to Shadows' early performance.

On Steam, Shadows set a record as the most-played Assassin's Creed game ever, peaking at 64,825 concurrent players over the weekend. This is particularly noteworthy as it was the first game in the series to launch on Steam since Odyssey in 2018. In comparison, Dragon Age: The Veilguard by BioWare reached a peak of 89,418 players on the same platform.

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While Shadows has shown strong player engagement, it's challenging to determine if it meets, exceeds, or falls short of Ubisoft's expectations without specific revenue or sales figures. The financial success of Assassin's Creed Shadows will play a crucial role in Ubisoft's future, and more clarity on this front will likely come with the company's next financial report in the coming months.

For those eager to explore feudal Japan in Assassin's Creed Shadows, check out our comprehensive Assassin's Creed Shadows 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.