Home News Ubisoft Urges: Compare Assassin's Creed Shadows to Origins, Odyssey, and Mirage, Not Valhalla's 'Perfect Storm'

Ubisoft Urges: Compare Assassin's Creed Shadows to Origins, Odyssey, and Mirage, Not Valhalla's 'Perfect Storm'

Author : Connor Update : Apr 16,2025

The launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows comes under intense scrutiny for Ubisoft, following a series of delays and the disappointing sales of last year's Star Wars Outlaws. Ubisoft has faced numerous challenges, including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations leading up to the release of Shadows. The pressure is palpable, as the company's future seems to hinge on the success of this latest installment.

Amidst these struggles, the Guillemot family, founders of Ubisoft, are reportedly in discussions with Tencent and other potential investors about a buyout. This move is aimed at preserving control over the company's valuable intellectual property.

The gaming community is keenly observing the early performance of Assassin's Creed Shadows. While Ubisoft has not disclosed specific sales figures, they announced that the game reached 2 million players just two days after its launch, outperforming the initial launches of Origins and Odyssey.

On Steam, Shadows achieved a weekend peak of 64,825 concurrent players, marking it as the most-played Assassin's Creed game on the platform to date. Notably, it was the first in the series to launch directly on Steam. Comparatively, Dragon Age: The Veilguard by BioWare saw a peak of 89,418 players on Steam.

Determining whether Shadows meets Ubisoft's expectations is challenging without knowing their internal benchmarks. However, insights from an internal email reviewed by IGN shed light on the game's performance over its first weekend. Shadows achieved the second-highest day-one sales revenue in the franchise's history, only surpassed by Valhalla in 2020, which benefited from the unique circumstances of the global pandemic and next-gen console launches.

Shadows also set a new record for Ubisoft's best day-one launch on the PlayStation Store, indicating strong performance on the PS5. On the PC front, 27% of the game's activations occurred on this platform, with Steam playing a significant role in its success, according to Ubisoft's internal communications.

Ubisoft is emphasizing high player engagement, reporting "record levels" and positive feedback from moderated, verified platforms. Shadows also topped the wishlists for Ubisoft games and outshone other Assassin's Creed titles on Twitch, even surpassing Valhalla.

Ubisoft's internal communication contextualizes the comparisons between Shadows and other franchise entries. While Shadows does not match Valhalla's launch performance, Ubisoft argues that the conditions surrounding Valhalla's release were exceptional. They suggest comparing Shadows to games like Origins, Odyssey, and Mirage, which were released under more typical circumstances. In this context, Shadows sets a new standard.

Additionally, Shadows was released in March, deviating from the traditional launch timing just before the U.S. Thanksgiving, which usually boosts sales. Ubisoft also chose not to offer an early access period and introduced their subscription service directly on Xbox, impacting sales metrics on Microsoft's console.

Ultimately, the financial success of Assassin's Creed Shadows will be the deciding factor for both the game and Ubisoft's future. A clear picture of its revenue impact will likely emerge in Ubisoft's forthcoming financial reports.

For those diving into the world of feudal Japan with Assassin's Creed Shadows, explore our comprehensive guide, including a detailed walkthrough, an interactive map, and tips on essential elements the game doesn't explicitly mention.