Ubisoft Email: Compare Assassin's Creed Shadows' Launch to Origins, Odyssey, Mirage, Not Valhalla's 'Perfect Storm'

The stakes are incredibly high for Ubisoft with the global release of Assassin's Creed Shadows following multiple delays and the disappointing sales of last year's Star Wars Outlaws. Ubisoft has faced significant challenges recently, including high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations leading up to the launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows.

The situation at Ubisoft has become dire enough that the Guillemot family, the company's founders, are reportedly exploring talks with Chinese mega-corp Tencent and other investors for a buyout deal that would allow them to retain control over the company's intellectual property.

As a result, the video game industry is closely monitoring the initial performance of Assassin’s Creed Shadows for signs of success or failure. While Ubisoft has not disclosed specific sales figures, they reported that Assassin's Creed Shadows reached 2 million players within two days of its launch, surpassing the initial performance of both Origins and Odyssey.

There’s also keen interest in Shadows' concurrent player numbers on Steam, which are being compared to those of other recent triple-A single-player games and previous entries in the Assassin's Creed series on Valve's platform. Over the weekend, Shadows achieved the highest peak concurrent players of any Assassin's Creed game on Steam, reaching 64,825, although it was the first in the series to launch on day one on the platform. In comparison, BioWare’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard peaked at 89,418 players on Steam.

Determining whether Shadows is meeting, exceeding, or falling short of Ubisoft’s expectations is challenging without knowing the exact targets set by the company. However, insights from an internal email reviewed by IGN, provided by a Ubisoft source, shed light on the game’s performance during its first weekend.

According to the internal communication, Shadows achieved the second-highest day-one sales revenue in the franchise’s history, only behind Valhalla from 2020, which benefited from being released across multiple console generations during the height of the global pandemic. Shadows also marked Ubisoft’s best-ever day-one launch on the PlayStation Store, indicating strong performance on the PS5.

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Regarding the PC platform, where Shadows was released on both Steam and Ubisoft’s own digital store, 27% of the game's total "activations" were on PC. Ubisoft credits Steam with playing a "major role" in the game’s PC performance, though specific sales numbers were not disclosed. The company states that the early results validate their decision to return to the Steam platform.

Ubisoft emphasizes high player engagement, which they claim is at "record levels," and notes that "feedback across moderated, verified platforms — those less affected by review bombing — remains incredibly positive." Shadows was the most-wishlisted Ubisoft game ever and is outperforming all other Assassin's Creed titles on Twitch, including Valhalla.

The internal communication provides context for comparisons between Shadows and other games in the franchise. While Shadows did not match Valhalla's launch performance, Ubisoft argues that such comparisons are unfair due to the unique circumstances surrounding Valhalla's release during the global pandemic and the launch of new console hardware. Instead, Ubisoft suggests comparing Shadows to games like Origins, Odyssey, and Mirage, which were released under more typical conditions. In this context, Shadows is setting a new benchmark.

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Ubisoft also highlighted that Shadows was released in March, deviating from the traditional launch window just before U.S. Thanksgiving, which typically boosts sales. Additionally, Ubisoft did not offer an early access period for Shadows, which they usually charge extra for. It's also noteworthy that Ubisoft's subscription service is now available directly on Xbox, which impacts sales on Microsoft’s console and complicates sales comparisons.

Ultimately, the financial success of Assassin's Creed Shadows will be crucial not only for the game itself but for Ubisoft's future. A clearer picture of the game's revenue will likely emerge with Ubisoft's next financial report in the coming months.

For those embarking on adventures in feudal Japan, explore our comprehensive Assassin's Creed Shadows guide, including our Assassin's Creed Shadows walkthrough, our detailed Assassin's Creed Shadows Interactive Map, and our guide to all the crucial things Assassin’s Creed Shadows doesn’t tell you.