Ubisoft Urges Comparison of Assassin's Creed Shadows to Origins, Odyssey, and Mirage, Not Valhalla

The stakes are high for Ubisoft with the release of Assassin's Creed Shadows, especially following the disappointing performance of last year's Star Wars Outlaws. Ubisoft has faced numerous challenges recently, including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations, which have intensified the pressure on Assassin's Creed Shadows to perform well globally.

The situation at Ubisoft has become dire enough that the Guillemot family, the company's founders, are reportedly in talks with Chinese mega-corp Tencent and other investors about a potential buyout. This move aims to maintain control over Ubisoft's intellectual property amid these turbulent times.

The gaming community is closely monitoring the early performance of Assassin's Creed Shadows for indications of success or failure. While Ubisoft has not yet disclosed specific sales figures, they reported that the game reached 2 million players just two days post-launch, surpassing the initial performance of both Origins and Odyssey.

The game's concurrent player count on Steam is also under scrutiny, with Shadows becoming the most-played Assassin's Creed title ever on the platform, peaking at 64,825 players over the weekend. Notably, this is the first Assassin's Creed game to launch directly on Steam. For comparison, Dragon Age: The Veilguard by BioWare saw a peak of 89,418 players on the same platform.

Without knowing Ubisoft's exact expectations, it's challenging to gauge whether Shadows is underperforming, meeting, or exceeding them. However, an internal email reviewed by IGN provides insights into the game's first weekend performance. It revealed that Shadows achieved the second-highest day-one sales revenue in the franchise's history, only behind Valhalla, which benefited from the unique circumstances of the 2020 global lockdown and next-gen console launches.

Shadows also set a new record for Ubisoft's day-one launch on the PlayStation Store, indicating strong performance on the PS5.

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On the PC front, Shadows saw 27% of its total activations coming from PC users. Ubisoft highlighted the significant role Steam played in the game's PC performance, though specific sales numbers were not disclosed. The company emphasized that the early results validate their decision to return to the Steam platform.

Ubisoft is also touting high levels of player engagement and positive feedback across moderated, verified platforms, suggesting that Shadows is resonating well with players. The game was the most-wishlisted Ubisoft title ever and is outperforming previous Assassin's Creed games on Twitch, including Valhalla.

Internal communications from Ubisoft contextualize the comparisons between Shadows and other franchise entries. They argue that it's unfair to compare Shadows directly to Valhalla, which launched during the "perfect storm" of the global pandemic and new console releases. Instead, Ubisoft suggests comparing Shadows to more typical releases like Origins, Odyssey, and Mirage, where Shadows is setting new benchmarks.

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Ubisoft noted that Shadows was released in March, deviating from the usual pre-Thanksgiving launch window that typically boosts sales. Additionally, the absence of an early access period, which Ubisoft typically charges for, and the availability of their subscription service on Xbox, complicates direct sales comparisons.

Ultimately, the financial success of Assassin's Creed Shadows will be crucial not only for the game itself but also for Ubisoft's future. We'll have to wait for the company's next financial report to get a clearer picture of the game's impact.

For those eager to dive into the world of feudal Japan, our comprehensive Assassin's Creed Shadows guide, including a detailed walkthrough, interactive map, and tips on what the game doesn't explicitly tell you, awaits your exploration.