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

Assassin’s Creed Shadows has made a remarkable entry into the gaming world, surpassing 1 million players on its launch day, as Ubisoft proudly announced. The game, which hit the shelves on March 20 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, achieved this milestone before 4pm in Canada. Ubisoft expressed their gratitude on social media, 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 1 million players on launch day is an impressive feat, it's challenging to fully assess the game's success without specific sales figures or targets from Ubisoft. However, Assassin’s Creed Shadows currently holds the top spot as the best-selling video game globally on Steam, based on Valve’s revenue charts. This indicates that the game is generating significant income compared to other titles on the platform.

Early data from Steam reveals that Assassin’s Creed Shadows reached a peak concurrent player count of 41,412 on launch day. Released on a Thursday, the game is anticipated to see an increase in players over the weekend. A clearer picture of its performance on Steam will emerge in the coming weeks. It's worth noting that neither Sony nor Microsoft disclose player numbers publicly.

For context, BioWare’s single-player RPG, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, launched on Steam on October 31, 2024, and achieved a peak of 70,414 players, highlighting the competitive nature of the gaming market.

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The success of Assassin's Creed Shadows is crucial for Ubisoft, especially following a series of delays and the commercial disappointment of last year’s Star Wars Outlaws. Ubisoft has faced numerous challenges, including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations leading up to the release of Assassin's Creed Shadows.

Moreover, Assassin's Creed Shadows has not been without controversy, particularly in Japan. IGN reported that Ubisoft released a day-one patch addressing concerns raised by some Japanese politicians regarding the depiction of in-game temples and shrines. This issue was significant enough to be discussed in an official government meeting between Japanese politician Hiroyuki Kada and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

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On Steam, Assassin's Creed Shadows is receiving positive feedback from players, achieving a 'very positive' user review rating with 82% of nearly 4,000 reviews being positive. IGN’s review of Assassin’s Creed Shadows scored it an 8/10, praising it for refining the series’ open-world gameplay: “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, there are reports that Ubisoft’s founding Guillemot family and its largest shareholder are in discussions with Tencent and other investors about a potential buyout that would allow them to retain control of the company.