Assassin’s Creed Shadows Hits 1 Million Players on Launch Day, Ubisoft Reports

Ubisoft has revealed that Assassin's Creed Shadows attracted over 1 million players on its launch day, March 20. The game, available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, reached this milestone before 4pm in Canada, as Ubisoft announced on social media. "It's not even 4pm here in Canada and Assassin's Creed Shadows has already passed 1 million players!" Ubisoft stated, expressing their gratitude: "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 hitting 1 million players on launch day is a notable achievement, it's challenging to determine the game's overall success without specific sales figures or targets from Ubisoft. However, Assassin's Creed Shadows currently tops the global sales chart on Steam, indicating it's generating more revenue than any other game on the platform at the moment.

Early Steam data shows that Assassin's Creed Shadows reached a peak concurrent player count of 41,412 on its launch day. Given its Thursday release, it's anticipated that these numbers will increase over the weekend. A clearer picture of its performance on Steam will emerge in the coming weeks. Neither Sony nor Microsoft disclose player numbers publicly.

For comparison, BioWare’s single-player RPG Dragon Age: The Veilguard, launched on Steam on October 31, 2024, achieved a peak of 70,414 players.

The Complete Assassin's Creed Timeline

25 Images

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

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 raised 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 has received a 'very positive' user review rating, with 82% of nearly 4,000 reviews being positive. IGN's review of the game awarded it an 8/10, stating, "By sharpening the edges of its existing systems, Assassin’s Creed Shadows creates one of the best versions of the open-world style it’s been honing for the last decade."

Amidst these developments, Ubisoft’s founding Guillemot family and largest shareholder are reportedly in discussions with Tencent and other investors about a potential buyout that would allow them to maintain control.