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

Ubisoft has announced that Assassin's Creed Shadows has attracted over 3 million players just seven days after its launch on May 20. This impressive milestone is a significant increase from the 2 million players reported on the game's second day, surpassing the launch figures of both Origins and Odyssey. Ubisoft's latest stats, previously shared in an internal email and covered by IGN, contextualize Shadows' opening weekend performance, suggesting it fares better when compared to Origins and Odyssey rather than the exceptional launch of Valhalla in 2020.

Shadows achieved the second highest day one sales revenue in the Assassin's Creed franchise history, only trailing behind Valhalla. It also marked the biggest Ubisoft day one launch on the PlayStation Store and has accumulated over 40 million hours of playtime so far.

The success of Assassin's Creed Shadows is critical for Ubisoft, especially following a challenging period marked by delays and the commercial disappointment of Star Wars Outlaws last year. Ubisoft faced numerous high-profile setbacks, including flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations leading up to Shadows' release. The pressure was so intense that the founding Guillemot family reportedly considered discussions with Tencent and other investors about a buyout deal to maintain control of the company's intellectual property. As a result, the gaming community is closely monitoring Assassin's Creed Shadows' early performance for indications of its success or failure.

On Steam, Shadows set a new record for the Assassin's Creed series with a peak of 64,825 concurrent players over the weekend. It's worth noting that Shadows was the first game in the series to launch day-one on Steam since Odyssey in 2018. In comparison, BioWare's Dragon Age: The Veilguard reached a peak of 89,418 players on the same platform.

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Determining whether Assassin's Creed Shadows meets, exceeds, or falls short of Ubisoft's expectations is challenging without specific data on revenue or sales figures. Ultimately, the financial performance of Shadows will be crucial not only for the game itself but for Ubisoft's future. A clearer picture will likely emerge with Ubisoft's next financial report in the coming months.

For those eager to explore the world of feudal Japan in Assassin's Creed Shadows, be sure to 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.