Ubisoft’s newest entry in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, has amassed over two million players within just two days of its launch. The publisher confirmed the milestone in a social media post over the weekend, highlighting that the game’s debut outperformed Assassin’s Creed Origins and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. The highly anticipated open-world RPG, set in feudal Japan, launched on March 20 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X.
🔥 2 MILLION PLAYERS! 🔥
We’re thrilled to celebrate this incredible milestone!
Assassin’s Creed Shadows has now surpassed the launches of AC Origins and Odyssey. Thank you for joining the journey in Feudal Japan! #AssassinsCreedShadows pic.twitter.com/a6YezXNtYI
— Assassin’s Creed (@assassinscreed) March 22, 2025
A Milestone Achievement, But Questions Linger
While Assassin’s Creed Shadows has quickly garnered a substantial player base, Ubisoft has not disclosed actual sales numbers. The company has included players from all supported platforms, including Steam, Epic Games Store, Ubisoft Connect, and console versions, as well as those accessing the game through the Ubisoft+ subscription service.
Despite the impressive player count, some industry observers and gamers have raised concerns. A key metric missing from Ubisoft’s announcement is the number of copies actually sold — a critical factor in determining financial success. On Steam, where player data is publicly available, the game reached a peak concurrent player count of 64,825, a figure that, while respectable, does not necessarily indicate blockbuster sales.
Mixed Reception and Ubisoft’s High Stakes
The reception of Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been a mixed bag. While professional reviews have been largely positive, user scores on Metacritic tell a different story. As of now, the game holds a 4.1/10 rating on PC and a 5.8/10 on PlayStation 5, suggesting that not all players are on board with Ubisoft’s latest offering.
The company is under pressure to deliver a hit, especially after a turbulent financial year. Ubisoft’s stock price plunged by 40% in 2024 following disappointing sales of high-profile releases like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Star Wars Outlaws. The success of Assassin’s Creed Shadows is crucial in turning things around, with reports indicating that Ubisoft’s founding Guillemot family has explored buyout discussions with Tencent and other investors.
A Delayed Launch, But Will It Pay Off?
Assassin’s Creed Shadows underwent multiple delays before finally released in March. Initially scheduled for November 2024, it was first postponed to February 14, 2025, following the underperformance of Star Wars Outlaws. A second delay pushed the launch further to March 20, giving developers extra time to fine-tune the experience.
With Assassin’s Creed Shadows now out in the wild, all eyes are on Ubisoft to see if the title can translate early engagement into sustained financial success. Whether it becomes a true blockbuster or just another passing entry in the long-running series remains to be seen.
