Assassin's Creed: Shadows Achieves Second Largest Launch

2025-03-25 general

New York, Tuesday, 25 March 2025.
Assassin’s Creed: Shadows marked Ubisoft’s second largest franchise launch, attracting 2 million players within days and setting records across platforms, especially on PlayStation. Its success highlights strong consumer demand.

Launch Success and Market Performance

Released on March 20, 2025 [1], Assassin’s Creed Shadows has demonstrated remarkable market performance, surpassing both Origins and Odyssey in launch metrics [2]. The game quickly amassed 2 million players within just two days of release [3], with tracking data suggesting it will reach 3 million players in the near future [4]. While not matching Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s record of 2.55 million day-one players [4], Shadows has particularly excelled in digital distribution, marking Ubisoft’s strongest Day 1 launch ever on the PlayStation digital store [5].

Development Journey and Setting

Set in 16th-century Japan during the Sengoku period, Shadows introduces players to dual protagonists: Fujibayashi Naoe, a kunoichi, and Yasuke, an African samurai [1]. The game’s journey to release wasn’t without challenges, having faced multiple delays from its original November launch date before finally releasing in March 2025 [5]. These delays appear to have benefited the final product, with players noting that the additional development time has contributed to the game’s quality [6].

Financial Implications for Ubisoft

The success of Shadows arrives at a crucial moment for Ubisoft, following a period of underperforming releases [5]. PC platforms have contributed significantly to the game’s success, accounting for approximately 27% of total activations [5]. The game has also demonstrated strong engagement on streaming platforms, generating over 11 million hours watched on Twitch - surpassing even Valhalla’s streaming metrics [5].

Sources

assassin's creed gaming revenue