"Assassin’s Creed Shadows Hits 1 Million Players on Launch Day: Ubisoft"

Ubisoft proudly announced that Assassin's Creed Shadows surpassed 1 million players on its launch day, March 20. The game, released across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, hit this milestone before 4pm in Canada. Ubisoft expressed heartfelt gratitude to players, stating, "It's not even 4pm here in Canada and Assassin's Creed Shadows has already passed 1 million players! Thank YOU from the bottom of our hearts for joining this adventure in Feudal Japan. We are beyond excited to start this journey with you!"

While reaching 1 million players is a commendable feat, the absence of specific sales figures from Ubisoft makes it challenging to fully assess the game's success. However, Assassin's Creed Shadows currently holds the top spot on Steam's global sales chart, indicating it is generating more revenue than any other game on the platform.

On launch day, Assassin's Creed Shadows achieved a peak concurrent player count of 41,412 on Steam. Released on a Thursday, it's anticipated that these numbers will increase over the weekend. A clearer picture of its performance will emerge in the coming weeks. It's worth noting that neither Sony nor Microsoft disclose player numbers publicly.

For context, BioWare's Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which launched on Steam on October 31, 2024, reached a peak of 70,414 players on the same platform.

The Complete Assassin's Creed Timeline

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Assassin's Creed Shadows faces significant pressure to succeed globally for Ubisoft, following delays and the disappointing sales of Star Wars Outlaws last year. Ubisoft has encountered several challenges, including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations leading up to the release of Assassin's Creed Shadows.

The game has also been embroiled in controversies, particularly in Japan. IGN confirmed that Ubisoft released a day-one patch for Assassin’s Creed Shadows addressing concerns from Japanese politicians regarding in-game representations of temples and shrines. In a notable exchange, Japanese politician Hiroyuki Kada brought up the issue in an official government meeting, prompting a response from Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Assassin's Creed Shadows - Early Skills Tier List

On Steam, Assassin's Creed Shadows is receiving positive feedback, boasting a 'very positive' user review rating with 82% of nearly 4,000 reviews marked as positive. IGN's review awarded the game an 8/10, praising it for refining existing systems and creating one of the best iterations of its open-world style in the last decade.

Amidst these developments, reports indicate that Ubisoft's founding Guillemot family and largest shareholder are engaging in discussions with Tencent and other investors regarding a potential buyout, aiming to retain control of the company.