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

Assassin’s Creed Shadows has made a triumphant entry into the gaming world, amassing over 1 million players on its launch day, Ubisoft proudly announced. Released on March 20 across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, the game's popularity surged, with Ubisoft sharing on social media just before 4pm in Canada that it had already crossed the million-player threshold.

"It's not even 4pm here in Canada and Assassin's Creed Shadows has already passed 1 million players!" Ubisoft exclaimed. "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 achieving 1 million players on launch day is a remarkable feat, it's challenging to fully assess the game's success without sales figures or specific targets from Ubisoft. However, Assassin’s Creed Shadows currently holds the title of the top-selling video game globally on Steam, indicating robust revenue generation on Valve's platform.

Early data from Steam shows that Assassin’s Creed Shadows reached a peak concurrent player count of 41,412 on launch day. Given the game's Thursday release, expectations are high for further growth over the first weekend. We'll gain a clearer understanding of its performance on Steam in the coming weeks. Notably, 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, and achieved a peak of 70,414 players.

The Complete Assassin's Creed Timeline

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The success of Assassin's Creed Shadows is crucial for Ubisoft, especially following delays and the disappointing sales 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 this release.

Assassin's Creed Shadows has not been without its controversies, particularly in Japan. IGN reported that Ubisoft issued a day-one patch addressing concerns raised by Japanese politicians about the depiction of in-game temples and shrines. In a significant development, Japanese politician Hiroyuki Kada brought up the issue during a government meeting, to which Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba responded.

Assassin's Creed Shadows - Early Skills Tier List

On Steam, Assassin's Creed Shadows is receiving positive feedback, with an 82% 'very positive' user review rating from nearly 4,000 reviews. IGN's review awarded the game an 8/10, praising it for refining its open-world systems and delivering one of the best iterations in the series over the past decade.

Amidst these developments, reports indicate that Ubisoft's founding Guillemot family and largest shareholder are engaging in discussions with Tencent and other investors regarding a potential buyout that would allow them to retain control of the company.