Ubisoft Archives

‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Is One The Year’s Best Selling Games

April 15, 2025

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Ubisoft / Assassin’s Creed Shadows

For the lames out there wishing Assassin’s Creed Shadows would flop, this news will not sit well with you.

Ubisoft has already been proudly announcing that Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been a massive win for the company despite all the hate, numerous delays, and made-up controversy that encircled the game well before its release.

A closer look at the sales data shows that the latest entry in the iconic Assassin’s Creed video game franchise accomplished some monumental sales feats.

According to Mat Piscatella, Executive Director at Circana, Assassin’s Creed Shadows was the best-selling game in the United States for each of the first three weeks following its release, per Circana’s tracking data, which is accurate up to April 5.

Only one other game has sold more at that’s Capcom’s latest hit, Monster Hunter Wilds, which continues to do numbers. Ubisoft has yet to comment about Shadows sales accomplishments, but the game publisher did toot its own horn, announcing the AC Shadows 3 million player count on March 27.

Shadows’ success is the win Ubisoft needed after Star Wars Outlaws‘ disappointing showing. We don’t know exactly how many players are still playing AC Shadows or how many copies were sold because Ubisoft remains mum, but we expect them to announce those details soon.

The Critics Remain Positive On Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is currently at a strong 81 on OpenCritic, with 82% of reviewers recommending the game and a very good 90% player rating.

We were one of the critics high on the game writing in our review:

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is an exceptional entry into the franchise that brilliantly combines all of the good features from the games over the years and stuffed them into a game that doesn’t require you to play 100+ hours to complete. It’s so good that you want to spend as much time in its world as possible to uncover more of the story because it’s absolutely worth it.

Congrats to the Ubisoft Quebec team on the win, and a nice hidden blade to haters who said the game was going to flop because it was “woke.”

‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Official X Account Fries Elon Musk On His Own Platform, Gamers Join In Clowning The Tesla Chief

djfrosty

March 26, 2025

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Source: Assassin’s Creed Shadows / Getty Images / Elon Musk
Whoever runs the official X account for Ubisoft’s latest video game, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, deserves a very nice raise.
The Assassin’s Creed Shadows X account has 0 f**** to give. The person behind social posts on the account let Elon Musk have it after he began complaining about the game.

Last night, Musk, who should be busy ensuring DOGE is productive—spoiler alert: it’s not—took to his platform to talk about the latest game in the famed Assassin’s Creed franchise. He explicitly mentioned streamer Hasan Piker, who flagged his stream of Shadwos as sponsored content.

Musk, of all the people in the world, called Piker a “fraud” before adding “Sell-out’ would be more accurate. Objectively, he is promoting a terrible game just for the money.”
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1904594321199988935
Ubisoft would not take Musk’s trash talk sitting down and hit him with the hidden blade in the form of a scathing clapback, “Is that what the guy playing your Path of Exile 2 account told you?”
The X post has amassed over 600K likes and over 60K reposts. Comedian /writer Mike Drucker accurately described the moment: “It turns out the real assassins were the social media managers we met along the way.”
https://x.com/MikeDrucker/status/1904663808921993670
Elon Musk’s History of Cheating
Why is this post so significant? The AC Shadows account alludes to Musk being exposed as a cheater after he claimed to be an expert Path of Exile 2 player after Musk exposed himself during his stream when gamers noticed his lack of skills in the game for having such a high build character.
Gamers immediately accused Musk of “fraudmaxing,” basically paying someone good at the game to play for him. Musk eventually admitted to cheating in the game, and gamers were furious that the game’s developers didn’t take action.

Musk was not the only person who felt the wrath of the Assassin’s Creed Shadows account. Mark Kern, who goes by the handle @Grummz on X and is always bitching and moaning about games being “too woke” and other ridiculous nonsense, got some smoke too.
https://x.com/assassinscreed/status/1904661876681699351
Kern has spent a lot of his time hating on the game, so it should sting to see the game he confidently thought would flop be successful. Ubisoft announced that the game has already hit 2 million players, which could continue to climb as gamers love that the AC ShadowX account has no chill.
One user said on X, “Was gonna wait for a sale but nah y’all have earned this.”
Well, they should enjoy AC Shadows because it is great game, you can peep our review here.
The gallery below also shows more reactions to Elon Musk’s being fried by the Shadows X account.

‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Hits 2 Million Players Giving Ubisoft A Much-Needed Win, Gamers Says So Much For “Going Woke, Go Broke”

djfrosty

March 24, 2025

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Source: Ubisoft / Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is doing numbers, giving Ubisoft a much-needed win.
Take that haters. After plenty of rumbling and hoping Assassin’s Creed Shadows would be a massive flop for Ubisoft, the highly-anticipated next chapter in the Assassin’s Creed franchise is already a hit.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows reached 2 million players three days after its release. According to a post from Ubisoft, “Assassin’s Creed Shadows has now surpassed the launches of AC Origins and Odyssey.”

This milestone follows after Shadows reached 1 million players in the first 24 hours of its release, easily eclipsing AC Valhalla’s record. According to Ubisoft, Valhalla was the biggest launch on PC when it was launched in 2020.
We zap five years later, and Shadows seemingly smashed that record.

What also could have contributed to that record was that Shadows was launched on Steam from day one and immediately verified for Steam Deck use. It took two whole years for Valhalla after its original release to land on Steam.
Currently, Shadows’ all-time peak concurrent numbers on Steam are at 64,825, officially putting it past Odyssey’s 62,069 but easily blowing past Origins (41,551) and Valhalla (15,679).
If Assassin’s Creed Shadows continues at this pace, it could become one of the biggest releases of the year. To put things in perspective, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, which was a very well-reviewed title, took two weeks to hit the 2-million player mark; it only took days for Shadows to reach that goal.
Ubisoft Finally Gets A Win With Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Shadows’ performance is a much-needed win for Ubisoft, which has been reeling thanks to commercial flops like Star Wars Outlaws and Skull and Bones. This could be the shot in the arm the video game developer has been looking for.
It also showed that all the social discourse around Shadows, specifically about the game’s dual protagonist, Yasuke, the Black Samurai, and Naoe, the female shinobi assassin, didn’t matter in the end.
Hell, it might have even helped the game sell.
Who knows.
Well, we loved Shadows and wrote in our review of the game that “Assassin’s Creed Shadows is an exceptional entry into the franchise that brilliantly combines all of the good features from the games over the years and stuffed them into a game that doesn’t require you to play 100+ hours to complete. It’s so good that you want to spend as much time in its world as possible to uncover more of the story because it’s absolutely worth it.”

Congrats to the Ubisoft team for the successful launch. You can see more reactions in the gallery below.

‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Review: Reinventing An Iconic Franchise

djfrosty

March 18, 2025

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Source: Ubisoft / Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Ubisoft hopes to restore the Assassin’s Creed video game franchise to its former glory without disappointing purists who have been on board since day one while pleasing the newbies who picked up the sticks following AC’s pivot into an action-RPG format. With Assassin’s Creed Shadows, did Ubisoft Quebec accomplish its goal? Resoundingly, yes.

Assassin’s Creed is one of those video game franchises that I hold dear to my heart. I remember getting deeply entrenched in the battle between the Order of Assassins and the Templar Order when the first game arrived in 2007, putting us in the shoes of Altaïr.

Altaïr’s story was shortlived, passing the hidden blade to Ezio Auditore da Firenze, who carries the AC torch in what many say is the strongest trilogy in the video game franchise history, Assassin’s Creed II (2009), Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood (2010) and Assassin’s Creed Revelations (2011).
Others would lead the franchise that has seen its games grow into massive undertakings following 2018’s Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, which expanded on the action-RPG element first introduced in 2017’s Assassin’s Creed Origins. It was the first Assassin’s Creed game to allow players to choose between a male or female version of the game’s protagonist.
While fans initially welcomed the change, it quickly became an issue. Many gamers, including myself, felt the games became too bloated and action-oriented, burying what we adored about Assassin’s Creed, such as the stealth play and intense story.
With Shadows, creative director Jonathan Dumont and his team at Ubisoft Quebec aimed to deliver an experience where fans who enjoyed the different variations of AC games can now press start on an experience suited for them without sacrificing what made the franchise great.
A Gripping Narrative Experienced In Multiple Ways
Source: Ubisoft / Assassin’s Creed Shadows
The story in Assasin’s Creed started strong but has since become confusing for most, especially to those whose first AC experience started with Odyssey and on. Shadows took multiple steps, hoping to bring players up to speed with everything that has happened in the franchise inside and outside the Animus.
One step is the new Animus Hub, now a one-stop section for Assassin’s Creed, which will be featured in all games in the future. There, gamers can catch up on the other games via brief rundown, launch other AC games they own, access regularly released missions, exchange keys earned from completing projects, and archive collected data files.

Then there is Shadows story itself, which is told through the eyes of two characters: Naoe, a young shinobi, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai.
Source: Ubisoft / Ubisoft Quebec / Assassin’s Creed Shadows
The game introduces you to Naoe, who quickly learns the way of the shinobi after a series of tragic events push her out into the open world of the late Sengoku period, where she will have to hone her assassin skills to complete her quest for revenge.
Source: Ubisoft / Ubisoft Quebec / Assassin’s Creed Shadows
You will eventually don the armor of Yasuke, the legendary African samurai who gains favor and freedom from his Portuguese slavers thanks to Lord Nobunaga.
Naoe and Yasuke’s stories are uniquely intertwined with Dumont and his team, crafting a narrative that will lead you down a gripping tale as you explore each of the protagonists’ personal mysteries. These mysteries are worth the time and effort to uncover and experience.
Choice is also important, as some decisions will impact particular outcomes. For example, Naoe forgives a target during one mission rather than killing them. Or you can even forge romantic relationships or gain allies with your choices. You can opt for “Canon mode,” which Ubisoft says is the definitive way to experience the game by removing the dialogue options.
No One Way To Play
Source: Ubisoft / Assassin’s Creed Shadows

What kind of AC player are you? If you enjoy sneaking in the high grass or stalking the shadows and rooftops to take out foes, this game is for you.
Or, do you enjoy just cutting your foes down with wreckless abandon and don’t give a damn about your foes calling in reinforcements because, hey, “they can get this smoke too!” Guess what? This game is also for you.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows blends two distinct playing styles with its two protagonists system.
With Naoe, players get the stealth action they have sorely missed, but with a shinobi twist. Naoe feels different from other assassins in previous titles based on how she moves around the world.
Source: Ubisoft / Ubisoft Quebec / Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Her cool vaults and flips over obstacles, dashing across rooftops, tossing shurikens, use of smoke bombs, and other weapons and tools specific to ninjas give her a feel gamers have wanted for a long time and get thanks to the series finally shifting to Japan.
Yasuke is the exact opposite and is designed to give players that powerful tank that can cut down any foe that stands before them. While he can also use stealth elements, his power pushes you to run through doors literally and confidently take on several foes simultaneously because he is still skillful and, unlike Naoe, can take more damage.
Source: Ubisoft / Assassin’s Creed Shadows
The best part is you are also not locked into one character; you can switch at any time, and the story will remain the same. So you’re not punished for playing favorites in Shadows.

Other Welcomed Features
Source: Ubisoft / Ubisoft Quebec / Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Assassin’s Creed is always best known for the living worlds that players roam in each game. That is taken to another level in Shadows, thanks to the changing seasons.
Japan changes dramatically during the seasons, which is reflected beautifully in Assasin’s Creed Shadows. This feature is not just aesthetically pleasing; it also affects gameplay.
For example, during the winter, bodies of water Naoe and Yasuke could normally swim in completely freeze; grassy areas to hide in are gone, but they return when spring or summer returns.
The changing seasons also affect particular missions, as specific targets will only appear during the summer.
The new objective board is also a welcomed addition to the game, giving players a more efficient way to track quests. As you progress through the game, explore the many different regions, circle zones featuring the faces of the significant characters you meet, and objectives you can complete.
Most of the objectives are optional, and if you opt not to partake in the side quests, which I am happy to say aren’t mindless fetch quests, you can probably complete the game’s main story in 30 hours or less.
Again, play how you want, but it will be hard not to be distracted and wander off the beaten path because, unlike in previous games, this is a living world worth exploring.
Base building is another welcomed addition to the game, allowing players to build a home where their allies and pets can hang out, plus add passive benefits like extra scouts that help you find objectives on the map and pick up resources you tag while out on missions.

Final Verdict
Source: Ubisoft / Assassin’s Creed Shadows
When Dumont first announced that Assassin’s Creed Shadows was being delayed to allow more time in the oven, people thought it would be bad news for the game.
It turns out that it was the best decision. With Shadows, Dumont and his team needed to deliver an Assassin’s Creed that is not just a bloated fetch quest, which is a story that no one will remember or care about by the time the credits roll; they needed to give players a game on par with the original and it’s subsequent sequels.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is an exceptional entry into the franchise that brilliantly combines all of the good features from the games over the years and stuffed them into a game that doesn’t require you to play 100+ hours to complete. It’s so good that you want to spend as much time in its world as possible to uncover more of the story because it’s absolutely worth it.
Shadows’ story is engaging, and despite some instances of weak voice-over work, the performances are top-notch. The introduction of the two-protagonist system gives players two different ways to enjoy the game while delivering a narrative to give a damn about again.
I’m still embarking on my adventure in Shadows, but I’m 100% invested and can confidently say this is the best game in the Assassin’s Creed franchise since Brotherhood.
With Shadows, Assassin’s Creed is back. We just hope that this momentum continues.

*PS5 Review Key Provided By Ubisoft*

1. Assassin’s Creed Shadows