Assassin's Creed Shadows Early Access Cancelled Amongst Other Moves at Ubisoft

Ubisoft Scraps Assassin's Creed Shadows Early Access, Shuffles Development Teams

Ubisoft's recent struggles with game releases have led to several significant changes. The early access release for Assassin's Creed Shadows, initially planned for Collector's Edition purchasers, has been completely canceled. Furthermore, the team behind the well-received Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has been disbanded.

Assassin's Creed Shadows: No Early Access, Price Drop for Collector's Edition

Ubisoft confirmed the cancellation of Assassin's Creed Shadows' early access via a Discord Q&A. This follows the game's delay to February 14, 2025, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The decision, according to Insider Gaming, stems from challenges in maintaining historical accuracy and cultural representation. These same concerns contributed to the release date postponement.

To offset the early access cancellation, Ubisoft reduced the price of the Assassin's Creed Shadows Collector's Edition from $280 to $230. The edition still includes the artbook, steelbook, figurine, and other previously announced items. Unconfirmed reports suggest Ubisoft Quebec is exploring a co-op mode featuring the game's antagonists, Naoe and Yasuke.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Team Dissolved Despite Positive Reception

Unexpectedly, Ubisoft Montpellier's team responsible for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has been dissolved. While the game received positive reviews, Origami, a French media outlet, reports that the decision was based on disappointing sales figures. Ubisoft hasn't released specific sales data but acknowledged underperformance.

Abdelhak Elguess, the game's senior producer, stated that the team is proud of their work and confident in the game's long-term success. He confirmed that post-launch content updates are complete, and the team is now focused on bringing the game to Mac this winter and assigning team members to new projects. Ubisoft remains committed to the Prince of Persia franchise, promising future installments.