Ubisoft: Assassin's Creed Shadows Preorders Solid, Match Odyssey

Ubisoft has expressed strong confidence in the preorder performance of its upcoming open-world adventure, Assassin's Creed Shadows, despite facing challenges during its development and promotional phase. In their latest financial report, the company stated that "preorders for the game are tracking solidly, in line with those of Assassin's Creed Odyssey, the second most successful entry in the franchise."

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot reaffirmed this optimism, emphasizing the company's dedication to the game's launch scheduled for March 20. "Early previews have been positive, praising its narrative and immersive experience," Guillemot noted. He highlighted the critical roles of both characters in the game’s storyline and the quality and complementarity of the gameplay provided by the dual protagonist approach. "I want to commend the incredible talent and dedication of the entire Assassin’s Creed team, who are working tirelessly to ensure that Shadows delivers on the promise of what is the franchise’s most ambitious entry yet," he added.

Assassin's Creed Shadows was initially slated for a November release but was postponed to February 14, and then further delayed to the current date of March 20. The game carries significant expectations as not only the long-awaited entry set in Japan and the first full Assassin's Creed title since 2020, but also as a crucial release for Ubisoft, which is looking to rebound from recent underperforming titles and investor discontent.

Despite these high hopes, the game's promotional period has been marred by several controversies. The development team has had to issue apologies for inaccuracies in the game's depiction of Japan and for using a historical recreation group's flag without permission. Additionally, collectible figure maker PureArts had to pull an Assassin's Creed Shadows statue from sale due to its "insensitive" design. Combined with the multiple delays, these issues have led to growing impatience among fans.