Ubisoft Compares AC Shadows to Origins, Not Valhalla

Assassin's Creed Shadows faces immense pressure to perform well for Ubisoft globally, following multiple delays and the disappointing sales of last year's Star Wars Outlaws. The company has endured a series of high-profile failures, layoffs, studio shutdowns, and canceled projects leading up to Shadows' release.

Ubisoft's situation has deteriorated to the point where its founding Guillemot family is reportedly in talks with Tencent and other investors about a potential buyout deal to retain control of the company's intellectual property.

The gaming industry is closely monitoring Assassin's Creed Shadows' early performance for signs of its success or failure. While Ubisoft hasn't shared exact sales figures yet, it confirmed the game attracted 2 million players within two days of launch—surpassing both Origins and Odyssey's debuts.

Attention has also turned to Shadows' Steam concurrent player counts, which are being compared against recent AAA single-player releases and previous Assassin's Creed titles on Valve's platform.

The game set a new franchise record on Steam with 64,825 peak concurrent players over launch weekend—though notably, it's the first series entry with a day-one Steam release. Comparatively, BioWare's Dragon Age: The Veilguard peaked at 89,418 players on the platform.

Without knowing Ubisoft's internal targets, it's difficult to determine whether Shadows is underperforming or exceeding expectations. However, an internal Ubisoft email obtained by IGN provides insight into the game's launch performance.

Key findings include: Shadows achieved the second-highest franchise debut in terms of day-one revenue, trailing only 2020's Valhalla—which benefited from pandemic-driven home entertainment demand and next-gen console launches.

The game also marked Ubisoft's most successful PlayStation Store debut, indicating strong PS5 performance.

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Regarding PC performance (with launches on both Steam and Ubisoft Store), internal data shows 27% of total activations came from PC. Ubisoft credits Steam as pivotal for its PC results, calling the platform return "validated" while withholding specific sales data.

The company highlights record engagement levels and positive feedback from moderated platforms less susceptible to review bombing. Shadows also became Ubisoft's most wishlisted game ever and outperforms all other AC titles on Twitch—including Valhalla.

Internal communications contextualize comparisons with previous franchise launches: while Shadows trails Valhalla's launch performance, Ubisoft argues this isn't a fair comparison given Valhalla's unique advantage launching during pandemic lockdowns alongside next-gen consoles.

"Valhalla launched under extraordinary conditions—global pandemic lockdowns coinciding with new hardware releases," the statement reads. "This makes comparisons to titles like Origins, Odyssey, and Mirage more meaningful—and by that measure, Shadows is setting new benchmarks."

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Ubisoft notes Shadows' March release differs from the franchise's traditional Thanksgiving launch window, which typically boosts sales. The company also abandoned its usual paid early access model this time. Additionally, Ubisoft+ now being available directly through Xbox complicates sales comparisons on Microsoft's platform.

Ultimately, financial performance—not player metrics—will determine the success of both Shadows and Ubisoft's future. Clearer answers should emerge in the company's upcoming financial reports.

Exploring feudal Japan? Our comprehensive Assassin's Creed Shadows guide includes a full walkthrough, interactive map, and explanations of crucial mechanics the game doesn't explain.